Category: Weddings

Steve and Nicole met about 10 years ago when they both worked in different departments at a casino. They had hung out in a group of friends, but for their solo first date they went ice skating and played video games at the mall – like teenagers! Five years later, the couple discussed marriage knowing they wanted to be in a permanent committed relationship. While they weren’t sold on the idea of legal marriage, Steve knew Nicole “couldn’t resist an over-the-top engagement” and proposed to her in Napa Valley on the weekend of her 30th birthday with a bottle of a red wine labeled “will you marry me?” that the couple blended themselves. They exchanged engagement rings and decided to get to planning the wedding when Steve was more established in his career and Nicole was closer to finishing her PhD. 

The couple exchanged vows on March 22nd, 2019 at the historic Silver Fox wedding venue in Streator, Illinois. They fell in love with the venue when they saw it online, and ultimately chose it because of the location, being central for both of their families. Nicole says that “in addition to falling in love with the impeccably decorated historic building and the symbolism behind it, we were also enamored with their policy of donating flowers and leftover food to local folks who will benefit from it and their ‘pay-it-forward room,’ for wedding parties to share what they’ve used.” The ceremony was performed by the couple’s good friend, Aarti Sharma, who was “funny, irreverant, and goofy, yet still really expressed the beauty of love in all it’s forms.” The couple wanted to celebrate their 10-year relationship rather than the institution of marriage, and they say that Aarti captured that perfectly. 

Nicole described the vibe of their wedding as “unstuffy glam”, and had a vision of bright, multicolored flowers against a neutral (but sparkly!) backdrop. The bridesmaids – or “bridal buddies” as Nicole calls them – were asked to wear anything in the gold/champagne/almond family that made them feel glamorous, and they coordinated beautifully with the stunning multicolored flowers from Willow and Stock! The reception was a bit untraditional – instead of a sit down dinner the couple had stations of food and activities that allowed their 170 guests to socialize and mingle at their leisure. They had a DJ to keep the party going, a selfie station, and a caricature artist to create prints for people to take home as a favor. Nicole and Steve say their favorite moments of the day were “speeding through town to take pictures and video at Spring Lake before the ceremony! Seeing my best woman’s face beaming up at me when she took my bouquet! Walking down the aisle hand in hand with Steve… while getting pelted with confetti! Our dance choreographed by Cat Cantrill!   Signing our marriage license on the pool table! Dancing with friends and family, especially Aunt Rose! I also really liked dancing in the window overlooking our reception (to The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang)! Steve’s favorite moments were our first look, confetti shower, and first dance!”

One special touch is the story behind the couple’s wedding bands. Nicole says, “one of my very best friends, Bethany Wood, is a metalsmith specializing in wearable art. She made both Steve’s and my wedding bands. His was made by encasing my maternal grandmother’s ring in several sheets of silver so that the stones lay flat against the ring and this way I got to pass my grandma’s ring to him. Mine is made out of white gold and is designed to look like petals for my engagement ring to rest into. She also made a remarkably beautiful metal belt attachment modeled off the lace pattern of my wedding dress.”

Nicole and Steve had this to say about their photography experience: “Stephanie was a DREAM to work with!!! She’s thorough, always so on top of things, and rolls with the punches. We threw a few curveballs at her and Julie on the day of our wedding and they both rose to the challenge! Stephanie and Julie were also able to really take charge and keep everyone close to our chosen timeline, which was invaluable to me as a bride trying to keep everything relatively under control. Steve and I had worked with Stephanie before, so we know her work is stunning, but we were just blown away by our photos! We love the romantic and beautifully edited series at Spring Lake and Steph and Julie perfectly captured all the details of our ceremony and reception. Stephanie was also really quick in turning our albums around and includes all of the edited digital images in her rate, which makes the process seamless. We wholeheartedly recommend her wedding photography and feel so lucky to have such gorgeous images to remember our wedding with!”

Photographer – Stephanie Marie Photography

Dress – Boutique: Bride’s by Young in Shaumburg, IL. Designer: Essence of Australia

Shoes – Betsey Johnson (heels), Kate Spade for Keds (dancing shoes)

Tux – Rashid’s Formalwear

Flowers – Willow and Stock

Venues – The Silver Fox in Streator, Illinois

Catering – Halal Guys, The Cheese Shop

Cake and cupcakes – Christy’s Kitchen

Music /DJ – DJ Mixwell

Videography – Fred Ebong

Hair & Makeup – Encore Salon

Event Planning – The Silver Fox

Rings – Bethany Wood

Bridesmaids dresses – David’s Bridal

Groomsmen apparel – Rashid’s Formalwear

Other (birdcage veil) – Veiled by ChaCha

Jordan’s vision for her October wedding day was fairly simple – she wanted a neutral color palette with shades of grey, white, ivory, a little bit of navy; black and silver metal decor and white flowers with greenery. Lucky for her, she didn’t have to lift a finger when it came to decor – Jordan’s grandmother, Honey, works at a home decor store and decorates for weddings and other events, and she and her friend who is a florist took care of all the decorating for the wedding. She would give Jordan hints and glimpses of what she was going to do, but ultimately it was all a surprise, and it was above and beyond what Jordan and Blake could have imagined! 

Jordan’s stunning A-Line dress was not originally what she’d envisioned wearing down the aisle. She and her best friend and maid of honor, Sadie, had both gotten engaged within a month of each other, and they went dress shopping together, along with their mothers, and did not intend on walking out with anything that day. Jordan went in thinking she wanted a mermaid/trumpet style dress, but after trying on a few different dresses, her vision completely changed. At the second store they visited, Jordan came out of her dressing room and Sadie came out of her dressing room, and they both instantly knew they’d each found their dress! It was a special moment shared with some of Jordan’s favorite people. 

It was important for Jordan and Blake and their families that they have a full catholic mass for their wedding. Although it was a traditional ceremony, there were some special touches throughout the mass, specifically honoring Jordan’s late step-father, Kyle, who she’d just lost in a farming accident a few months prior. The priest recognized him, talking about how his spirit was with them, will continue to be with them and will guide them, and those words meant the world to Jordan. She also had her mother walk her down the aisle, which was a very special moment for Jordan. 

One piece of advice Jordan has for future brides is “to splurge a little on your photographer and videographer if you can. I go back and look at those photos ALL the time and our video brings me to tears every single time. I will treasure these for all the days to come. Those vendors are both services that require the right person to capture all those special moments that happen throughout that day.”

When asked what her favorite moment of the day was, Jordan said, “while the whole day was amazing and beyond our dreams, one of my favorite moments was at the reception right after being announced and seated at the head table was looking out and seeing all our loved ones there to help us celebrate. The entire day goes so quick and in that moment I was sitting down and paused for a quick minute just to scan the room. It is so fascinating to see all that love and support in one room. My heart was full.”

You can see Jordan and Blake’s downtown Iowa City engagement session here!

Photographer – Stephanie Marie Photography

Dress – The French Door Bridal Boutique

Shoes – David’s Bridal

Tux/Suits – Men’s Wearhouse

Flowers – Trisha Wempe Designs, Spencer, IA

Venues – St Mary’s Catholic Church, Solon, IA; Eastbank Venue & Lounge, Cedar Rapids, IA

Catering – Lidderdale Country Store Catering, Lidderdale, IA

Cake – Iced Bakery/Designer Cakes by Sara Bates, Marion, IA

Cupcakes – Scratch Cupcakery, Coralville, IA

Music /DJ – Jeff Henrich from Stick n Rich DJ Service

Videography – Kevin Thayer Films

Hair – Moods Salon and Spa, Cedar Rapids, IA

Makeup – Lindsey Faber

Rings – Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, Cedar Rapids, IA

Bridesmaids dresses – Adrianna Papell

Groomsmen apparel – Men’s Wearhouse

Rentals – Candles/decor: Hen House

Wedding day Hashtag – #HappilyHaluska

Jake and Tanesha got married at the beautiful Millwork District Ballroom in Dubuque, Iowa. The two of them have a huge interest in Oriental/Japanese culture, so they wanted cherry blossoms and a color palette of teal (Tanesha’s favorite color), white, blush, raspberry and silver. About 70 guests got to see the couple exchange vows on that cold and rainy day, and Tanesha claims what made the day the most special was that she “was going to, finally, officially become a Thomsen. I had been accepted into Jake’s family for a long time and he in mine, so it made me happy for it to finally be offical.” 

The story of how Jake and Tanesha came to be a couple is almost like the plot of a movie. At the beginning of June of 2013, Jake was in the Coast Guard in Dubuque, Iowa, and would hang out at a bar called The Lounge that Tanesha’s great-grandma owned. Tanesha would help out at the bar on the weekends during the summer, and one slow night with no other customers around, Jake, thinking the bar might be closed, hesitantly came in and sat at the bar. Tanesha, claming that Jake is more of a listener than a talker, says the night was spent with her “serving him Coors Light and giving him [her] whole life story.” After that night, Jake continued to come in while Tanesha was working, they talked and exchanged texts, and about a month later on the Fourth of July is where Tanesha claims they went from just friends to a potential romantic relationship. Four years after they met, the couple moved to Oregon when Jake finished his time with the Coast Guard, and the following year they decided they wanted to get married. According to Tanesha, there was wasn’t much of a proposal. They started talking about getting married and after that, everything just kind of fell in to place. She got an engagment ring for Christmas in 2018, and they got married on March 9th, 2019!

Some advice from Tanesha for future brides would be to “let the professionals do their job, it’s what they are paid to do, and they have way more experience than you will every have.”

Jake and Tanesha had this to say about their photography experience: “[It was] amazing. [Stephanie] was flexible, creative, concise, and easy to work with. No matter what was going on she seemed to always have a smile on and enjoying everything. The pictures also turned out amazing, and she took so many it was hard to choose which ones I wanted to actually print.”  

Photographer – Stephanie Marie Photography

Event Planning – Emily McMahon with Soiree Wedding Planning  – Note from bride and groom regarding their experience with Emily: “She was amazing, because we had to plan a wedding from Oregon for Iowa it was really important to have a good planner, and she was not just good, she was excellent.”

Flowers – Hydrangea Bloom 

Music /DJ – Riley Mullane, Premium DJ

Dress – Boutique: Ania Bridal in Portland, Oregon. Designer: Zamera by Maggie Sottero in Antique Ivory/Pewter

Shoes – Teal Glitter Heels by ChelseaDeyDesigns on Etsy

Suit – Charcoal Canali Suit from Nordstrom

Venues – Millwork District Ballroom in Dubuque, Iowa 

Catering – Millwork District

Cake and Cupcakes – Candle Ready Cakes 

Videography – Eyeworks Studios

Hair – Hillary and Abby at Embrace Salon and Spa 

Rings – Diamond was custom, bands were from Embr 

Other – Placecards/welcome sign: Painting for Cheese

Wedding day Hashtag – #neeshandjakecutthecake

Wedding colors – Teal, Blush, Raspberry, White, Silver

First dance song – Have it all by Jason Mraz

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