AlLi + Sam | Ivory North
THE PLANNING
As wedding planners, we have many fun stories of how couples have come across our services. Alli and Sam may be one of the best stories yet! Kellie, Rustic Elegance’s owner, was stung by a bee and had to go to the ER. Alli ended up being her nurse that day! Funny enough, we had coordinated many of their friend’s weddings, so working together was a no brainer. Our team loves working within families and friend groups. It’s so fun to see all of the familiar faces!
Kellie worked closely with Alli and Sam to plan their dream wedding at Ivory North with their 170 guests. It was our first time having the opportunity to work at Ivory North. Needless to say, we loved it and can’t wait to be back!
THE MORNING
When our team arrived on site the morning of the wedding, we began to scope out the space and made our way to the downstairs of the barn to check in on the ladies. Tia Wood with Merakhi Hair Salon was perfecting everyone's hair while Glam With Anna applied beautiful makeup for each of the ladies. They were all looking stunning!
As their coordinators, we then began to tackle the reception decor and greeted vendors. When the florist arrived, we also tracked down everyone who needed boutonnieres and helped pin them on.
MJ Denny Photography then led the couple to the first look location on the property. It made for breathtaking photos! From the simple greenhouse-like structure to the sunlight beaming through the windows, it was the perfect place for intimate first look portraits. Alli’s gown from Annika Bridal Boutique with her cathedral veil added an additional layer of elegance to this moment. It truly could not have been more perfect!
The couple and the wedding party were then led around the venue grounds by MJ Denny Photography for portraits. The mismatched pastel bridesmaid dresses were perfectly on theme and captured each girl’s personality perfectly!
The RE team then pulled the wedding party aside for a quick day-of rehearsal. It was a toasty day with the summer sun beating down, so we made sure to quickly cover every detail before getting the wedding party back inside to cool off before the actual ceremony.
THE CEREMONY
As 4pm neared, the ceremony site’s benches began to fill with Alli and Sam’s loved ones. Jack, the couple’s usher, greeted guests while handing out programs and dried flowers for guests to toss during the recessional.
Once everyone was seated, we began sending the wedding party down the aisle for the ceremony as we had rehearsed. The couple had 6 bridesmaids, 6 groomsmen, 3 ring bearers, 1 flower girl, and their sweet pup Rora involved in the processional. We then got Alli prepped for her grand entrance with her father. To add to the grandness of her entrance, the bride chose the song she would walk down the aisle to, leaving it as a surprise to her groom. Since the couple had already done a first look, this was a fun twist to add another level of surprise and anticipation to her entrance. We loved this idea!
The couple had a friend officiate the ceremony, which made for such a personal experience. He had officiated one ceremony before, so with a little guidance from our team he had the whole thing handled! He shared stories of the bride, the groom, and their lives together. Based on his words alone, you could tell how remarkable these two individuals are! The couple shared a few sweet words, did a unity candle, and sealed everything with a long awaited kiss. They were officially Mr and Mrs!
THE RECEPTION
As guests made their way to the bar for cocktail hour, the RE team got to work! We grabbed the bridesmaid’s bouquets to repurpose them on the head table and moved the welcome sign to repurpose it as a seating chart. With a Twist worked with us to get the couple’s requested drinks, which we delivered to them as soon as possible! Meanwhile, the With A Twist team kept the bar line moving swiftly and guests enjoyed appetizer trays provided by Coborns.
As cocktail hour came to an end, we asked everyone to take their seats in the reception pavilion. The couple provided most of the table decor, which the RE team placed. We absolutely love the pastel taper candles. They wonderfully complimented the bridesmaid’s dresses and the flower provided by KMB Floral!
The couple made their grand entrance to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and said a quick welcome to kick off the evening. The mother of the groom then stepped in to say a lovely prayer before inviting everyone to enjoy a yummy buffet from Coborns - Mora.
As the clouds rolled in creating an overcast sky with thunder in the distance, Alli and Sam’s loved ones shared wonderful speeches. The candlelit space was filled with hearty laughs and tears of joy!
When it came time for dessert, we chatted with Coborns about the cutting cake that the couple had ordered. To our surprise, their team brought out a large sheet cake (which we were expecting to be a small cutting cake for the couple)! We were worried there was a mix up, but after chatting with the groom we found out that it was his job to order the cutting cake. Needless to say, Sam was under the impression that he nailed this job and this giant sheetcake is exactly what he ordered! Everyone got a good laugh out of the experience and nobody was complaining about the opportunity to eat extra wedding cake along with treats from Sweet Cakes - Nothing Bundt Cakes!
As dinner wrapped up, we invited guests to make their way to the barn for the dance. The couple started with their first dance to “Forever and Always”, followed by the traditional parent dances. Fulton Productions then invited everyone to the dance floor and it stayed packed all night long! By this point the rain had really started to come down, so guests took it as an opportunity to run outside and get a quick cool down before returning to the dance floor. Once everyone was distracted, Alli ran downstairs to the bridal suite for a quick dress change. She returned wearing the perfect party dress that enhanced all of her dance moves with fun tassels!
Meanwhile, the RE duo was busy cleaning up the pavilion and packing everything into the designated truck. This is the perfect example of why it’s important to hire a wedding coordinator. We will run through the rain to clean up at the end of the night so that you and your families can stay dry and enjoy the party!
When the night came to a close, guests were able to hop on a school bus shuttle to Grand Casino Hinkley, which was provided by Ivory North. With a hosted bar it is always a great idea to provide transportation for your guests to have a safe ride home!
Alli + Sam, you two were a pleasure to work with and we had such a great time celebrating with your crew! Thanks to you and your awesome friend group for continuing to put your trust in Rustic Elegance.
Are you getting married at Ivory North and in need of a coordinator? We would love to work with you! Send us a message to get more information about what it looks like to work with our team.
VENDORS
Venue: Ivory North
Caterer: Coborns - Mora
Bar Service: With A Twist
DJ: Fulton Productions
Florist: KMB Floral
Photographer: MJ Denny Photography
Dessert: Sweet Cakes - Nothing Bundt Cakes / Coborns
Transportation: Ivory North
Hair: Tia Wood with Merakhi Hair Salon
Makeup: Glam With Anna
Bridal Gown: Annika Bridal Boutique
Hotel: Grand Casino Hinkley
Coordinator: Rustic Elegance - Kellie and Hope
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol