Alicia and Ty: Ceremony

From the moment that Alicia and her mother, Diane, met with me, I knew we would get along well. Alicia had such a positive outlook on her upcoming marriage and was so obviously centered on that, instead of the wedding details. But boy were her wedding details beautiful! Such a testament to the love and effort put into her and Ty's  relationship when all the gorgeous details were what so clearly came second to both of them. 

Alicia and Ty happen to also be the first couple of ours that took advantage of our Christian Pre-Marital Counseling Discount. They met regularly with a pastor that Alicia knew well, and that also officiated their wedding ceremony. 

Throughout the entire morning and early afternoon of the wedding day there was a very large chance of thunderstorms which put a huge twist on the plans and our set-up. Everything was scheduled to take place outdoors on Alicia's family's property, where her grandparents had also tied the knot, many years ago. 

The clouds eventually parted, and as we darted from one area to the other setting out chairs and folding napkins, it was clear that God was smiling down on this wonderful couple. His presence was richly felt during their intimate ceremony and is surely known in their marriage still today.

Photographer: Twin Town Studios
Flowers: The Nest
Caterer: The Aviary
Cake: AmyCakes Bakery
Dress: Ella Weiss

Real Wedding Film: Madison and Alex

Check out this beautiful wedding film by Selby Films! 

I loved working with Madison and Alex. See more of their wedding photos and learn about their story. You won't regret it, they are so endearing!

Etiquette: The RSVP

While I would love to direct this post to all of the horrible guests that wait until the last minute to reply or (gasp) never do reply, there are a few things that make this a two sided street. Yes it is awful for guests to skip the RSVP, but they way you go about collecting the missing ones says a lot about you as well. 

As a guest to an event, try to remember that it is an honor to be invited and to get a night out on someone else's dime. The most courteous thing to do is to reply on a timely manner and to bring a hostess gift or gift for the appropriate party (i.e. wedding couple, birthday person, etc). 

If an RSVP card is not included, the first thing to do is to write a short note and mail it. If not available, call them personally and thank them for the invitation and state your ability to attend or not. 

As a host, try to always give the benefit of the doubt. Their invitation could have been lost in the mail, a spouse received it and forgot to notify the other, it was accidentally thrown out... and so on. Your first attempt to see if they are coming should always be a phone call. Not an email, a Facebook mass message, or a text. A phone call, and a phone call from YOU. 

Simply inquire if they have received your invitation and if they will be able to attend. Never mention anything about their lateness, your growing guest list, or your budget. This might sound obvious but with the growing number of missing RSVPs it is easy to get annoyed and blame the tight budget and too large of crowd for your harshness. This only makes your guest feel less invited and uncomfortable with bothering you by coming. You want them there! 

If you can't reach them by phone after attempting at least twice, email is acceptable, but only to them directly, not as a mass message. Graciously explain that for catering and seating arrangement purposes it would be wonderful to know a final guest count and that you hope they can be a part of the day. 

hint hint... The more fun your RSVP card is the more guests will use it. Just sayin'. 

Real Couple: Courtney and Matthew

Meet Courtney and Matthew! 

They are getting hitched right here in Springfield on August 5th! They are such an endearing and sweet couple and I can't wait to be a part of their big day. 

1.     A little about her... Courtney is a senior at Missouri State University. She is an Elementary Education major with an emphasis in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She grew up right down the road in Ozark, MO.

2.     A little about him... Matthew is a senior at College of the Ozarks. He is studying Business Administration and is from Ozark, MO as well!

3.     How did you meet? Matthew and I met our freshmen year in high school although we didn’t start dating until college. We were friends for almost 5 years before dating and our friendship was a solid foundation for our relationship.

4.     How long have you been together? A little over 2 years.

5.     What is the main thing that each of you are in charge of for the wedding, planning wise? Matthew and I have shared the responsibility of planning the wedding. All decisions have been made together and although I have done the majority of the “details,” Matthew has been extremely supportive! I truly feel so lucky to be marrying someone so involved in this process.

6.     If you had a “couple nickname” what would it be? Matthew and I are truly “old souls” at heart. We could spend an entire day taking walks, holding hands and talking. The simple things in life mean the most to us.

7.     What are your wedding colors? Plum and gray with accents of moss green.

8.     Are there any fun details about your wedding that you would like to share? Matthew is extremely skilled at woodworking and is making our arch (that we will stand under during the ceremony) from the ground up! We plan to decorate the arch for the wedding and then put it in our backyard as a constant reminder of our perfect wedding day.

9.     Groom, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day? Seeing Courtney walk down the isle. She hasn’t given me ANY details about her dress but I know she will look beautiful in it.

10.  Bride, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day? Like most little girls, I have always dreamed of my wedding day. I would envision the flowers, me in that beautiful, white dress and exuding that “bridal glow.” It wasn’t until I met Matthew that I was able to see the person I wanted to be standing at the end of the isle. That is what I am most excited for; to see Matthew standing at the end of that isle waiting for me and knowing we get to spend the rest of our lives together. 

Behind the Scenes Wedding: Mandy and Ian

You might remember Mandy and Ian's fun and spunky relationship from their previous "Getting to know you" post. They are so full of life and adventure. Mandy is from Germany and there were lots of German traditions incorporated in the wedding. 

The big day took place at The Round Barn with a ceremony outside and the reception inside. It was a beautiful sunny day and guests were in great spirits as they danced the night away thanks to Brookline Station - the awesome band. 

Mandy and her beautiful maids all in their own color dress. 

Flowers were yellows, creams, and sprigs of lavender. The archway in the barn that served as their ceremony backdrop was hung with purple floral vines as well. 

Ceremony set up. 

Funny moment: right as we set up this seating arrangement sign it knocked over the tiered stand holding all the programs and we had to chase them down in the wind and set the whole thing back up... with the help of some heavy rocks the second time haha!

Guests tossed dried flower petals at the couple as they made their way back down the isle. 

A very Eco friendly couple, all the dining sets were earth friendly and made from recycled materials. 

Instead of table numbers guests were assigned to tables named after animals :) 

Brookline Station doing their thing! 

I love this picture of Mandy! This is just after their first German tradition of sawing a log in half together :) 

On to the next one! The wedding party breaks porcelain objects and then the couple has to clean them up. It demonstrates them being able to work together. 

We had some fun in the photobooth from Eventful Rentals! Lynlee's Jamaican hat is killing me haha!!! They also brought a light up bar for the night! 

Congrats to the happy couple! You two were so much fun!! 

Behind the Scenes Wedding: Alicia and Ty

Alicia and Ty's wedding day was definitely one for the record books! From lots of scattered thunderstorms and chances of even more downpours, we were on our toes all day! 

The couple was married at Alicia's parents' house in Ozark, Missouri. They had a lovely ceremony on the main lawn, a cocktail hour indoors, and some dinner and dancing outside in a beautiful cove of mature trees. 

While the original plan was to have everything outside, time was slipping away and we decided to move cocktail hour indoors so that we could have at least one area set up completely. The entire day was a big family affair and there were so many loved ones there to lend a helping hand. The couple was truly loved and celebrated all day long. 

Coming from Springfield early that morning I knew it was going to be a long day for Alicia especially with thunder booming and rain POURING in town. Starbucks usually always helps to calm down a worried bride :) Low and behold when we arrived at her house, south of town, it hadn't started raining yet! 

This was our first go around of setting up linens and tables... the rain started and we grabbed as much as we could and ran inside to wait it out! 

The chaos didn't allow for as many set up photos, but here is the ceremony taking place OUTSIDE! 

While the ceremony was taking place, we were scrambling to make sure the cocktail hour was ready to go, and then that the dessert table and place setting designs were complete. So many things had to be left till the last minute in case of rain. 

Lovely place settings. 

Linens, glassware, silverware, chargers, and dishes all from SBbon!

Alicia decided on three different sized flower arrangements to space out around the large U-shaped table. Arrangements by The Nest. 

The lights and candles on the tables made this SUCH a romantic night. 

While family members made most of the delicious desserts, AmyCakes made the pale pink wedding cake. That poor thing went through a LOT and didn't sweat, or swell hardly at all! 

Ty's brother-in-law served as an usher, the DJ, and the pig parent :) Meet his adorable pet! 

Parisian water jugs doubled as table numbers spaced throughout the table and guests enjoyed seasoned breadsticks in sacks printed with the menu. 

Intern, Lynlee, making some final touches! 

Twin Town Studios capturing some gorgeous, woodsy shots of the wedding party! We can't wait to see their work! 

The happy couple enjoying dinner from The Aviary during sunset. 

Alicia's father Jim, an architect, designed and built the dance floor. Here she is dancing with Ty and then her dad :) 

The party stayed popping till ten o'clock sharp when the rain finally broke through. Guests hurried to line the pathway with sparklers and Ty and Alicia took off in a rolls royce from Fisk Limo! 

Overall, a beautiful night and a beautiful couple! Congrats to Alicia and Ty!