Real Wedding: Ellie and Cole's Reception

This reception was so. much. fun. 

I loved the vintage decor that Ellie decided on. Guests were raving all night about the wooden crates filled with flowers and the authentic antique candy bar. From lace and monogramed runners, to romantic sheer drape, to the 100 glass orbs illuminating the room, it was a beautiful night. 

THe best part about the evening was the love and encouragement so obviously felt from their guests. This crowd was so overjoyed for the couple they truly couldn't contain themselves! The dance party was so wild, the DJ was asked to turn the music down and play a slow song or two because the venue was worried about the structure of the building! That's one fun party :) 

Enjoy this look at their design, details, and celebration. Portraits still to come! 

Photo by Metropolitan Bride Magazine (See the feature of Rogers and Baldwin Historic Venue on newsstands now!)

Photo by Metropolitan Bride Magazine (See the feature of Rogers and Baldwin Historic Venue on newsstands now!)

Photo by Metropolitan Bride Magazine (See the feature of Rogers and Baldwin Historic Venue on newsstands now!)

Photo by Metropolitan Bride Magazine (See the feature of Rogers and Baldwin Historic Venue on newsstands now!)

Photographer: Defined Image Photography unless otherwise noted.

Florist: He Loves Me Flowers

Cake: AmyCakes Bakery

DJ: B# Entertainment

Venue: Rogers and Baldwin Historic Venue

Rentals: Eventful Rental

Catering: Chipotle

Decor, Draping, and Design: Abby Mitchell Events

Real Wedding: Ellie and Cole Getting Ready

Ohhh these two. A divine romance. A joy unmistakeable. A love unbound and unconditional. 

I know now that with each wedding I do, there will never be a time when I am done learning. With every event, there are new set-up challenges to tackle and new relationships to decipher. For example, with this wedding, I learned that glass orbs bought from a particular online site will come with individual sticker labels on each one that will require approximately two interns two hours to remove 100 of them. Ouch. 

However, my favorite thing I learned is that when a couple is truly in love — a love that warrants a trust beyond understanding — no matter what small things may go wrong, they will not be shaken. 

There were no shortage of small obstacles that came up during the wedding day for Ellie and Cole... no napkins delivered, missing grooms tie, missing bride's gift, set-up delays, magazine photographer shooting alongside wedding photographer, catering container malfunctions, noise complaints... but beyond any of those issues, the one thing I remember from their day was how enthralled they both were. With each other, with the loved ones surrounding them, and with an amazing God who orchestrated each perfect moment leading up to this. 

Photos by Defined Image Photography. 

Engaged: Cherrie and Jon

Meet Cherrie and Jon! 

They will tie the knot this Saturday in Springfield, Missouri!

1. How did the two of you meet and how long have you been together?

Cherrie and I were set up through mutual friends. Our first meet up was at Bass Pro believe it or not. I was interested to meet anyone that would meet me at Bass Pro. That was on May 5^th 2008 so we have been together five years. 

2. Tell us about one of your favorite dates!

Cherrie and my favorite dates range from camping at the river to dinner and a movie to walking at the trail. 

3. When did you know it was the real thing?

I knew it was the real thing early on in the relationship. I knew it could be a forever thing when we were able to spend an entire weekend at the lake and both enjoy ourselves. 

4. Was the proposal a surprise? How did it happen?

The proposal was a surprise it happened in Kansas City on the day of Cherrie’s graduation from Nurse Practitioner school. It was a surprise and was a great cap to what had been a stressful period in my life. 

5. How do you envision your wedding day?

On our wedding day I envision being surrounded by family and close friends and enjoying all the festivities. My only hope is that it isn’t too cold and doesn’t snow, other than that I know it will be a day I will always remember. 

6. Are there any fun family traditions or special details that you are planning to incorporate?
We are going to have a standard wedding although being from the Philippines I do want to incorporate a couple of Filipino traditions. 

7. Bride, what are you most looking forward to on your big day?

What I’m looking forward to the most on the big day is starting our lives together with a great memory, and giving us a starting point to our official story together. 

8. Groom, what are you most looking forward to on the big day?

I’m looking forward the most to the doors opening and seeing Cherrie in her wedding dress for the first time. A lot of planning and stress has gone into planning this wedding so to see her for the first time as my wife is something I will never forget.  

Congratulations you two! We can't wait to celebrate with you in December!