September 10, 2018
Anna & Alex are both professional planners, and you can 100% tell by the attention to detail they had during their big day! My associate photographer Sarah took the lead on this wedding. Herself and her second photographer, Amelia, both raved about all of the gorgeous details and this amazing couple. Can more of our couples have a bubble + band exit, please?!
“What. A. Day.
Both Alex and I work in the Event Planning industry – in fact, that is how we met. Our experience made the planning feel effortless, which allowed us to stay focused on the excitement and truly live in the moment. In all honesty, I simply created a inspiration board (as most brides do) with the overall look and style that I wanted to achieve, and Alex was the one who actually brought the entire thing to life. He and his coworkers at Event Lab executed everything, included with hidden surprises. We were all fairly stress-free throughout the planning, because we were doing exactly what we love doing every day for our clients!
Both Alex and I grew up in Iowa – but fled to Minnesota to build our busy careers in the Events and Entertainment business. However, we immediately knew we wanted to go back to our roots for the big day. Alex was lucky enough to have grown up on a family-owned hobby ranch where he and his 5 brothers and sisters tended to the land, which ultimately created an oasis. Alex’s Father, Gene, took the atmosphere to a whole new level when he imported tropicals and matching floral for our color-scheme. Having that personal connection, and knowing how much manual labor that he and his family had put in over the years truly made the venue that much more impressive and special to us.
We decided to keep the ceremony very small (immediate family only) with a much larger reception. I could not be happier that we did it this way, as it allowed us special moments with those we loved to share in the most intimate chapter of the day. Alex and I also decided to forego a wedding party altogether (with the exception of our pup as our ring-bearer). My advice here, is do whatever makes you most comfortable – there are no “rules”… it’s YOUR wedding!
One thing I am so happy we included, was a memorial table. We had recently lost family members that we were really looking forward to seeing at the wedding, so having a table with some photos and pillar candles just helped keep their spirits close to us that night.
We splurged a bit on live musicians and I am so glad we did! To save a little on costs, we paired the duo up with a DJ towards the end of the night vs. a full set band. Our guests are still raving about the charisma and talent that our live performers brought to the dance floor!!
Instead of a cake cutting, we stuck to coffee and lightly glazed donuts. This was ‘just enough’ sugar to keep the party going.
Alex was not totally sold on the “first look” concept; I really had to convince him that I needed a first look to calm my nerves. The moment I saw him, I was ready for the rest of the day to take its course. We decided to give each other some small gifts/tokens of love during the first look – which made for a really special moment between us before the grand event began. After the initial shots, our photographers and videographers stepped away and gave us a moment of alone time without any photos or instructions – WOW! Looking back, I am so incredibly grateful that I had that brief time to just BE together without all the chaos.
Don’t be afraid to add some of your own personal style or personality to the day – after all, it is YOUR day! I purchased bold yellow statement shoes (which people couldn’t really see) but I felt all the confidence and attitude in my shoe-game all night long. I also went out on a whim and chose to do a yellow mani/pedi vs. a standard french or neutral. Each time I glanced at my nails (which was often!), I felt like a piece of me was shining bright! Having these little tid-bits of my own personal taste actually relaxed me and kept me centered.
One thing that Alex said to me was, “Why are you nervous? We invited the people we want to be surrounded by. All of these people are your family and friends who love you and want to be around you today.” So well said! Remind yourself that there is no need to be nervous or anxious, and if anything turns out not as it was originally planned – remember: you’re the only one who’s going to notice!”
Ceremony Venue: 7-B Ranch
Reception Venue: 7-B Ranch
Wedding coordinator: Event Lab
Floral Design: Event Lab
Design & Decor: Event Lab
Caterer: Hyvee
Hair stylist(s): Rae’s Salon (Raelynn Francis)
Save the dates: Star (Rachel Massmann)
Invitations: Star (Rachel Massmann)
Desserts: HyVee
Music & Entertainment: LIVE: Brazilian 2wins (B2wins), Special Event DJ (aka “ASE DJ”)
Music & Entertainment (Ceremony): Jon Bidler
Videographer / Cinematography: Flow Event Group
Bride’s dress: Mira Couture (Chicago)
Rings: R.F. Moeller Jeweler (custom made)
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