Allie + Grant | Essence Event Center
THE PLANNING
We had so much fun working with Allie and Grant to create their perfect wedding day at the Basilica and Essence Event Center! This sweet couple is a part of a friend group we have had the pleasure of working with over the years. Two of Allie’s bridesmaids are previous brides of ours! One of the bridesmaids, Allie, and her now husband, Jake, had a beautiful golf course wedding at The Royal Club. That bridesmaid’s twin sister and her now husband, Emily and Ryan, got married at Furber Farm for their elegant barn wedding. We love when couples refer us to their friends and family! It’s always such a pleasure to see our past couples again and take a few moments to catch up.
Throughout the planning process, Allie was incredibly organized and clearly communicated her wonderful vision. The couple’s ceremony took place at the Basilica, followed by a reception at Essence Event Center. This was our first time at Essence and we absolutely loved it! Their staff is wonderful and the space is stunning, but more on that later…
THE MORNING
The ladies arrived at Essence bright and early at 8am to start getting ready. Their bridal suite is one of our favorites! It’s so spacious and has an amazing tri-fold mirror that is perfect for bridal portraits. Sarah Jane Salon was also on site to work on the ladies' hair and makeup. Once they wrapped up, Allie slipped into her gown from The Wedding Shoppe. This strapless wedding dress suited her so well!
Meanwhile, the RE team was busy setting up decor and greeting vendors. When the sheet cake arrived from Costco, we noticed that it was covered with colored flowers. After checking in with Allie, she confirmed that it was not what she had in mind. Luckily, it was early enough in the day, that the cake could be remade without the colored flowers! (If you are ordering sheet cake from Costco and having it scored, make sure to check white flowers or no flowers - lesson learned).
As the morning progressed, Brooke W Images began capturing photos of the wedding party. The couple chose to not do a first look, so the group of gals and guys had their pictures taken separately. In order to ensure the couple never saw one another, our team made sure to help their photographer out however we could!
THE CEREMONY
As the ceremony time neared, the wedding party was transported over to The Basilica. Lead Planner Kellie joined the group to help with the ceremony, while Carlie from our team stayed at Essence to finish setting up decor and greeting vendors.
Over at The Basilica, Kellie helped prep the 8 bridesmaids/groomsmen, 2 junior bridesmaids/groomsmen, 5 ushers, grandmothers, parents, and couple to make their way down the aisle. When we help couples with traditional Catholic ceremonies at The Basilica, we let the church’s staff take the lead. Our team is available to help out however we are needed!
As we mentioned before, the couple opted to not do a first look. This made Allie’s entrance during the ceremony oh-so grand! She was escorted by her grandpa Emmett. He was just the sweetest! When they made it to the altar, they all exchanged hugs and began the Catholic ceremony. As it came to an end, the church bells rang through the space signaling the marriage of the new Mr and Mrs. This moment always brings on the emotions!
Working alongside The Basilica staff and Brooke W Images, we gathered all of the guests on the church steps so the couple could get a large group photo with everyone. This is such a special moment for Allie and Grant to have photographed forever!
As guests made their way to Essence Event Center, Brooke W Images captured portraits of the couple and the entire wedding party. The Basilica makes for such a timeless backdrop!
THE RECEPTION
Back at Essence, the reception space had come together beautifully! The table decor was all provided by the couple. Allie was incredibly organized with her boxes and instructions of how we were to set everything up! Every table was covered with simple vases and flowers. The table numbers each had photos of the couple, which made for a fun conversation piece for the guests at each table. Prior to setting up decor, the couple had family members arrive early to help steam linens provided by Essence. This ensured that the tables had that crisp, sleek look. Another bonus about this venue are all of the little “nooks” around the space. There are so many ways to have fun with it! For Allie and Grant, we filled the space with candles. It added that extra layer of elegance and romance to the room!
When the wedding party arrived, they made their grand entrance into the reception space. The juniors kicked it off, followed by the bridesmaids, then the groomsmen. The couple entered after the groups to their own song, Paper Rings by Taylor Swift. The vibes were high and everyone was ready to celebrate the marriage of Allie and Grant!
As the clock hit 6:00pm, the K & J Catering team was ready for guests to dive into the buffet. The array of food looked delicious! Once guests grabbed their food and everyone settled back into their seats, there were a few sweet toasts and speeches. We then pulled Allie and Grant aside to do their cake cutting with the cake from Hy-Vee. Meanwhile, guests were able to enjoy slices of cake from Costco that K & J Catering had cut. We repurposed a few of the bridal bouquets on this table, which helped draw everyone’s attention (if the sweet treats weren’t enough)!
Guests then made their way to the adjacent room at Essence for the dance. The couple shared a lovely first dance before the dance floor was flooded with guests. Complete Events kept playing all the hits, so there was plenty of dancing all night long!
Before the couple went into full party mode for the rest of the night, Brooke W Images whisked them away for a few sunset portraits. These photos turned out so dreamy - we can’t get enough of them!
As the night progressed, we received a call from the late night pizza vendor. It turns out they had the wrong card info, but thankfully had our number as the contact person. We were able to get them the info that they needed to be able to process the payment and deliver the pizza. Guests were delighted by its arrival!
The RE Team wrapped up the night by completing our clean up package that the couple added on. We got everything cleaned up and packed away so the couple and their families could enjoy the party until the last minute!
If you want to relive the day with us, check out their wedding video from Fitzgerald Films!
Allie + Grant, thank you for trusting us to coordinate your beautiful wedding day! You and your friends are always a blast to work with. We hope to see you both at future events!
Huge thank you to Brooke W Images for sharing these stunning photos with us!
VENDORS
Ceremony Venue: Basilica
Reception Venue: Essence Event Center
Caterer: K & J Catering
DJ: Complete Wedding and Events
Photographer: Brooke W Images
Videographer: Fitzgerald Films
Couple’s Cake: Hyvee - Eagan
Guest’s Cake: Costco - Eagan
Hair/Makeup: Sarah Jane Salon
Bridal Gown: Wedding Shoppe
Coordinator: Rustic Elegance - Kellie and Carlie
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol