Author: Stephanie Marie

Maggy and Dan wanted an autumn wedding with a moody and romantic feel, and with their stunning fall florals and burgundy, navy and gold color scheme, they achieved just that. The weekend they chose for their nuptials was not just random either – Maggy’s family has a tradition where they take a trip to Northern Iowa and Wisconsin to see the changing leaves, visit the apple orchards and enjoy autumn treats. It was always Maggy’s hope to have an autumn wedding that weekend so she could share her favorite time of year with her wedding guests. They chose TPC Deere Run for it’s beautiful views and tall trees creating the perfect autumn backdrop. Also, one of the first things Maggy and Dan bonded over was their love of golf – so why not get married at a golf course!?

The couple had coozies made as wedding favors that stated “we want to be formal, but we are here to party!” and Maggy says that could not be more accurate. After they exchanged “I Dos” the couple and their 250 guests enjoyed a cocktail hour with his and hers appetizers, snacks and desserts, and after dinner Maggy’s brother Aaron rocked the dance floor so hard that he split his pants! The guests were served a Nacho Bar later in the night ensuring that they would have enough fuel to keep the party going all night long!

If Maggy could change anything about her wedding day, she wishes it would have been a little warmer outside, but she was happy to have space heaters to keep them warm. She states this as her favorite moment of the day: “I have this clear moment that I remember of when we were sitting at our amazing head table surrounded by our guests enjoying dinner, beautiful music was playing, and I looked at our wedding party sharing the table together laughing and having the best time. That moment was complete bliss and I was so grateful that my husband and I were so lucky to be able to celebrate us with our favorite people in the most incredible way.”

You can see Maggy and Dan’s engagement session in this post here!

Photographer – Stephanie Marie Photography

Dress – boutique: Bridal Boutique, Des Moines; designer: Allure Couture

Shoes – Blue by Betsey Johnson

Tux – Ducky’s Formalwear

Flowers – Flowers by Staaks

Venues – TPC Deere Run

Catering – TPC Deere Run

Cake and Desserts –  Old Towne Bakery

Other food (popcorn) – Great American Popcorn Co.

Music /DJ – Massetone Entertainment

Hair – Polished Hair Lounge (Tricia Collins)

Makeup – Lash Out (Heather Langenberg)

Event Planning – Bright DeSigns by the Kane’s  

Rings – Ames Silversmithing

Bridesmaids dresses – Watters

Groomsmen apparel – Ducky’s Formalwear

Rentals – AAA Rents – tent, tables, chandeliers, wine barrels, dance floor, harvest tables, café lights, Borrow My Vintage – blue settees, gold candlesticks, I DO Events – chairs, table cloths, linens, gold chargers, wooden arch, gold vases, Noted Designs – save-the-dates, invitations, paper product, signs, vinyls for wood items, Bright DeSigns – Edison light fixture, wine barrels, wine barrel bar for dessert table, wood box crates, Painting for Cheese – guestbook calligraphy, Team Jar painting and calligraphy, Act II Transportation – shuttle transportation, Sunrise Orchard – Caramel apples

Wedding day Hashtag – #SmittenForWeis

Sam and Cale’s wedding day was ultimately all about them, but they made sure to incorporate special items throughout the venue to make it truly feel like a family affair. The altar was built out of old round fence posts from Sam’s mom’s house and they used old barn window frames and deer antlers found around Cale’s family’s farm as decor. Photos of all of their grandparents on their wedding days were displayed, and all of the flowers came from Sam’s cousin’s farm. According to the couple, they wanted their wedding to represent the thing that is most important to both of them, and that is family.

Sam grew up in Solon, Iowa, and when they first walked in to Palmer House Stable, they knew it was perfect. Their vision for a rustic wedding with a navy, gray and white color scheme looked great with this venue as a backdrop and was just the look they were going for. They were able to have the ceremony and reception at the same venue, and the reception space had two floors allowing a seperate place for dancing and another for socializing.

When asked what their favorite moment of the day was, Sam replied “we wrote notes to each other that morning and then after the first look and before the ceremony we sat on the bed in the loft above the reception/ceremony and read them with each other… it was so sweet, funny, and meaningful. Annnnnd also the dancing.”

Sam’s advice for future brides is “you will undoubtedly forget something, or some little detail won’t be right, and whatever it is… it’s not important. The important thing is that you and your husband-to-be are both there and are going to have fun no matter what.”

You can see Sam and Cale’s engagement session HERE!

Photographer – Stephanie Marie Photography

Dress  – boutique: Hope’s Bridal, designer: Allure Romance

Shoes – Nine West

Tux – Holley’s Shop for Men

Flowers – Bouquets and Boutonnieres – Hy-Vee Floral, Decoration Flowers – Kroul Farms

Venues – Palmer House Stable

Catering – Ruzicka’s

Cake – Hy-Vee

Music /DJ– Matt Wieck – Matt’s Mobile Music

Hair – Mood’s Salon

Makeup – Bre Hinders

Rings -Jared’s

Bridesmaids dresses– David’s Bridal, Vera Wang & David’s Bridal Collection

Groomsmen apparel– Holley’s Shop for Men

Wedding day Hashtag– #braltheway

Like many others, Alex had her dream wedding planned in her head since she was a little girl, and on September 29, 2018, she made those dreams come true. She and Bobby got married at St. Mary’s of the Visitation Catholic Church in Iowa City – the very church Alex’s parents were married at over 30 years prior! Even though they had a guest list of 425 people, it was still an intimate and romantic affair. Alex has a large family, and Bobby’s family traveled from the East Coast to be there, and Alex says that having all those that they love the most at their wedding was what made the ceremony the most special. Alex also had her 85 year old grandmother as her flower girl, which meant the world to the couple to have her as part of the wedding party! 

The reception was exactly the party that the couple wanted. The dance floor was packed all night thanks to the band, Pie in the Sky, and Herky the Hawk made a special appearance – appropriate since the couple met during their time at the University of Iowa and the groom is now on the Hawkeye wrestling coaching staff. 

One special moment that stood out for Alex was when she received a gift from Bobby – a necklace that had a diamond from her late Grandmother’s wedding ring. Alex also wore a gold bracelet that her late Grandmother gave her other grandma to give to Alex on her wedding day. Her grandma had kept this bracelet a secret for 27 years, and it meant so much to have something so special and to feel her late grandmother’s presence on her wedding day! 

When Alex and Bobby got engaged, they knew they wanted a fall wedding. It was a cold and rainy fall day, but Alex still wouldn’t change a thing – she says the day was absolutely perfect. Plus, it made for some cute umbrella photos! Some advice Alex has for future brides: “I would tell them to enjoy the moment.  The whole planning process goes by so fast and your wedding day will go by in the blink of an eye! So many people told me that and I didn’t realize it until the day after ours! Make sure you also spend time with your new husband at the reception, it can get easy to go your separate ways talking to guests and seeing people you haven’t seen in awhile! Soak it all in! and HAVE FUN!”

You can read Alex and Bobby’s engagement story and see their engagement photos at this link here!

Photographer – Stephanie Marie Photography

Dress – Boutique: The Gown Gallery Kansas City, MO, Designer: Potapenko Yanchenko

Shoes – Badgley Mischka

Tux – Men’s Warehouse

Flowers – Shelly Sarver Designs

Venues – Ceremony: St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Reception: Bella Sala

Catering – Phat Daddy’s Restaurant and Catering, Amana, IA

Cake – Phat Daddy’s Restaurant and Catering, Amana, IA (Cheesecake bar)

Music /DJ – Pie in the Sky, Des Moines, IA

Videography – Russ Goerend Productions, Waukee, IA

Hair – Bride: Lisa McDougall – Par Exsalonce, Kansas City, MO.

Makeup: Mayson Vernon – Kristina Tabb, Beverly Hills, CA, Mackenzie Lytle – Serenity Aveda Lifestyle Salon,  Des Moines, IA, Brittany Johnson – Par Exsalonce, Kansas City, MO, Leslee Feldhaus – Needle in the Hay Salon, Denver CO.

Makeup – Bride: Mayson Vernon – Kristina Tabb, Beverly Hills, CA,  Bridal Party Makeup: Jessica Coronado and Marieli Diaz

Event Planning – Soiree Wedding & Event Planning

Rings – Wedding Bands: Ginsberg Jewelers, Brides Engagement Ring: Tacori

Bridesmaids dresses –  Dessy

Groomsmen apparel – Men’s Warehouse

Photo Booth – Hawkeye Photo Booth

Wedding day Hashtag – #TelfordsBestMatch

Wedding colors –  Burgundy, Navy, Gold, Ivory, Light Peach, Greenery

For Danielle and Alex, the thing that made their wedding day special was as simple as getting to marry the one they love. Danielle wanted her wedding to be effortless, classy and somewhat timeless. Her favorite color is blue, so she worked with her sister and her mom to find a pretty dusty blue and the style bloomed from there. She added charcoal and dusty pink accents creating exactly the vision she was looking for. 

Their backstory: Danielle and Alex met in college in South Dakota. They were both attending the same wedding, but didn’t meet until after the wedding when a ton of people were partying in his hotel room. Alex kicked them out of his room, Danielle included, and according to Danielle she thought he was funny and refreshingly blunt, so she was determined to be friends with him. He later came to apologize to Danielle, which she thought was very polite of him. After a while of hanging out as friends, he asked her out to lunch. Danielle thought they were just going to lunch as friends, but Alex had other intentions, and it worked out for him!

Alex was living in Minneapolis while Danielle finished up her last year of engineering school in South Dakota. One day Alex showed up to surprise Danielle and take her down memory lane to significant spots they’d visited throughout their relationship. They got lost, but then ended up at a beautiful spot in the Black Hills and that’s where Alex asked Danielle to spend the rest of her life with him. They got married on August 25th, 2018.

Danielle’s advice for brides planning their wedding is: “1. Don’t stress it too much. Have fun. 2. It’s your wedding so make sure you like it and have a good time at it.”

Dress – boutique: Dream Dress Express Papillion, designer: Madison James

Shoes – Betsy Johnson

Tux – Tip Top Tux, Michael Kors

Flowers – Purple Orchid

Venues – Noah’s Event Venue

Catering – All Inclusive Catering

Cake – Sue Gerdes (family friend)

Music /DJ – Bandstand DJ Services

Hair – Victor Victoria

Makeup – Victor Victoria

Rings – Riddles Jewelry

Bridesmaids dresses – David’s Bridal, Vera Wang White

Groomsmen apparel – Tip Top Tux, Michael Kors

Any other vendors? (rentals) – AAA Rents and Events

Wedding day Hashtag – #ForeverHerMan

I’m so excited to show off this wedding.  Not only is Katie my best friends sister, it’s the first wedding (and hopefully not the last) I photographed in a one-room church.

Katie met Kurt at a little local bar in the town where she’s from. Little did she know, he was from the same town. They have a few years between them, attended different schools and didn’t know each other growing up, but somehow fate brought them together in that little local bar that night. Fast forward a few years to December 14th, when Kurt got the ring from their jeweler to propose to Katie. She could tell something was up because he couldn’t stop smiling, and just after midnight Kurt hopped out of bed and over to Katie’s side, pulled her up, got down on his knees and asked her to marry him. He proposed with a ring that belonged to his Great Aunt Mable in the early 1900’s.

Katie describes her style as “less is more” and is in love with all things vintage. She wanted to keep things simple but classic – a little country church wedding with family and a big party to follow. She collected all sorts of vintage silver, green glasses, and old brass candle sticks for decor. They got married on June 23rd, 2018 at the beautiful light and airy Peiro Bethel Church, an Old Town Church at Woodbury County Fairgrounds in Moville, Iowa. Another nod to Kurt’s Great Aunt Mable, the church was once on his Great Aunt’s farm. After it closed in the 60’s, Mable donated it to the local 4-H club who then raised money to have it relocated to the fairgrounds, where they have church once a year on Sunday during the fair. (As a little boy, Kurt helped move the church!)  One more vintage touch was the 1939 Chevy Tudor Master Deluxe Sedan they rode off in, which is appropriately named “Mable”.

Katie would not change anything about her wedding day. Her advice for future brides is, “Ask for help when you need it! It really helps the stress level go down! Hiring an event planner was really helpful also!”

Photographer – Stephanie Marie Photography

Event Planner/Wedding Designer – Creating Atmosphere

Flowers – Creating Atmosphere

Cake – Nothing Bundt Cakes

Catering – Sneaky’s Chicken

Dress – Maggie Sottero from Dream Dress Express

Suits – Tip Top Tux

Flower Girl Dress – David’s Bridal

Reception Venue – Moville Community Center – Moville, Ia

Ceremony Venue – Peiro Bethel Church – Moville, Ia

Bridesmaid Dresses – Show Me Your MuMu

Jewelry – Earrings – Dream Dress Express, bracelet – Versona,  Rings- Restyled, Reconstructed by Wolfe Jewelry (Randy & Brenda Wolfe) in Anthon, IA, Necklace – Greenberg’s Jewelry

Hair & Makeup – Erica Gengler at Gloss Hair and Makeup Boutique

Music/DJ – DMD Productions