THe planning

This blog is a little different then most in the fact that I’m writing about my own wedding day! With that being said, the planning of my own wedding was a little different than most. I already had tons of ideas in my head from all the other weddings I had attended or worked. My fiance Anthony and I toured Almquist Farm together once, and then a second time with our families and knew that was the place we were going to say our I Do’s! After the venue was booked, we went forward securing the rest of our vendors fairly quickly, me knowing how far in advance most vendors book out. One of the most important of our vendor bookings… Rustic Elegance!

When I told Kellie about our engagement, she was thrilled & so excited for me. I told her right off the bat I wanted RE to coordinate our wedding because I’ve seen the benefits of having a coordinator at so many weddings, and a few weddings without them there to take on the stress of ironing out the details. And it was a must to have RE there! When I told her that I wanted her to attend my wedding as a guest, she of course said… “I don’t think I’d be able to sit still if someone else from our team was doing it!”, she took the reins on the wedding day and we are so eternally grateful for that!

With COVID, we had to change a few things during the planning process, including:

Cutting our guest list to 50% based on the capacity restrictions at the time set by the state
Plated vs. passed appetizers
Plastic plates, cups & silverware for the dinner
Desserts pre-set on guest tables to avoid overcrowding a dessert table
Hand sanitizer spread throughout
Clorox wipes for DJ/mic
Outdoor dining for those uncomfortable being inside
Seating in groups of 4 or with family
Shuttle capacity reduced; added more busses to ensure shuttles were adequate
Outdoor ceremony with plenty of extra seating to allow for adequate spacing
Masks & hand sanitizer available for all guests
Red bracelets for high risk individuals to denote extra social distancing from other guests

The morning

The morning started with the ladies arriving at Almquist to prepare for the day in the bridal suite. With breakfast & mimosas in hand, we got our hair done by Desi Wigness & her crew, and makeup by the ever so talented Makeup by Mindie. The boys arrived a little bit later and hung out in the groom’s room (which at Almquist is on the lower level of the bridal suite). My bridesmaids & family members all wrote special letters to me, and my maid of honor (my sister) put them in a scrapbook for safe keeping - such a special memory. When everyone had arrived and gotten dressed, I did a first look with my dad which was where the tears for the morning started. After that, we put together a little prank first look for my soon to be hubby with one of his groomsmen in a dinosaur inflatable suit. He was shocked! Next up, our real first look, which was so special and there were tears flowing from both of us.

All during this - the Rustic Elegance team was prepping the ceremony space with glass carboys & pampas grass, signage, lanterns, and Rustic Elegance wine barrels and doors. Studio B Floral was dressing the stunning birchwood arch at Almquist with statement pieces. In the barn, RE and Studio B went to work decorating all of the guests' tables (inside, and outside), as well as the gifts & cards table, guest book, memory station and dessert table! Guest tables were decorated with white chiffon table runners from We’ve Got It Covered, simple greenery, maroon table numbers & flower vases spread throughout.

The CEREMONY

After pictures with the ever so talented Whitney Beth Photography and some video shots with TROSS Films, it was time for a quick rehearsal before guests arrived. After that, we had a quick 30 minute break in the bridal suite to hang out, sign the marriage license and take it all in. It went fast, and soon Kellie was leading the charge and lining up our rowdy bunch to take their places for the wedding. Our parents and bridal party glided down the aisle, followed by our sweet ring bearer & flower girl (twins!). Next up was the long walk with my dad down the aisle, to an acoustic version of “Free” by Zac Brown Band (a surprise to Anthony). Our pastor led us in a beautiful ceremony, with readings from our aunts and vows that we will both cherish forever. After that, a perfect first kiss and walking out to “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift as husband and wife!

The RECEPTION

Our cocktail hour was hosted outside, with plated appetizers from Cannon River Catering Co. that guests raved about post-wedding. At the beginning of cocktail hour, we did a champagne toast in the lawn that was unplanned and still is one of my favorite moments from the day! We enjoyed cocktails & apps on the lawn before heading inside for dinner. This was the first time I had seen the reception space, and I was in AWE! The RE team made my wildest dreams come true. The head table was out of my Pinterest page, and each other area was decorated to a perfect point. It was time for dinner, and Cannon River Catering Co. crushed it again with a beautiful plated meal.

For desserts, these were catered from Lakeville’s Hyvee and included a variety of raspberry macaroons, mini cheesecakes & cupcakes, as well as a small cake for cutting. To avoid clustering by the dessert table, we opted to have plated desserts on each table for people to share since they were most likely sitting with family or close friends in small groups. After some very good food, amazing speeches & some more happy tears, it was time to dance! DJ Cody C Entertainment kept the party flowing all night long, and we are so grateful for his friendship too!

Special shout out to all the amazing vendors (mostly, miss Kellie) for dealing with my type A personality in the planning process. Anthony & I are so grateful! Huge shout out to Whitney Beth Photography for all these amazing photos in the blog and to TROSS Films for the video.