Heartland Wedding Ideas July/Aug Issue 2020 (Summer)

JULY/AUG 2020

IT'S MY BIG DAY SMALL WEDDING EDITION HEART LANDWEDDINGIDEAS.COM

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Contents

H W I J U LY/A U G 2 0 2 0

6-9 EDITORS' LETTER

We know that the last 6 months have been difficult and

I T ' S M Y B I G D AY : SMALL WEDDING EDITION

uncertain for couples all around the world. Coronavirus or not, one thing is certain: love endures. Couples might be going with plan B or C, but they are still finding unique ways to say their vows. We realize how much planning goes into a "normal" wedding, let alone a wedding during a global pandemic, but it's been great to see how couples are finding ways to make their wedding days happen.

One trend that we see coming from all of this is the small or micro weddings, something more intimate. That's why this issue we wanted to feature 5 different couples who chose to say "I-Do" despite it all. We've dedicated our whole issue to celebrating the big moment with small gatherings. Whether the ceremony was held at the bride's childhood home, or parents officiating while zooming the ceremony for grandma and grandpa, these couples made it work. When you read the stories and see these weddings, you'll understand the power of a small wedding with less fuss, but more LOVE.

10-15 RACHEL + BENJAMIN

17-21 BROOKE + ALEX

26-29 RAQUEL + JOSHUA

We'll also give some tips and considerations to couples who are currently planning during COVID or postponing. (page 9) Please let us know if Heartland Wedding Ideas can help you in any way, we are here for you. When your day arrives, big or small, we know it will be spectacular.

And we want to thank the wedding professionals in our

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community who have gone above and beyond during this time. You are truly amazing. Enjoy our summer issue!

X OX O,

A lesha & Lisa

38-43 E LY S E + A L E X

CALL OR TEXT: 515.635.1608 | EMAIL: info@HeartlandWeddingIdeas.com WEBSITE: HeartlandWeddingIdeas.com

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IT’S MY DAY

Big

SMALL WEDDING EDITION

Lavishly large or quietly quaint. Boho, rustic, or modern.

Small budget or unlimited. And everything in between. We know you poured your heart and soul into it. And we want to feature it!

Submit your wedding day photos for a chance to be in an upcoming issue at heartlandweddingideas.com

Photography: Jason Thomas Crocker Photography

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FE ATURE

SMA L L WE D D I N GS LOVE IN THE TIME OF COVID

I. RACHEL & BENJAMIN

III. RAQUEL + JOSHUA

II. BROOKE & ALEX

I V. SARAH & JASON

V. E LY S E & A L E X

P h o t o g r a p h y : G r a c e T. P h o t o g r a p h y

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Couples everywhere are facing changes due

3. Try to be flexible. When working with

to the coronavirus and trying to navigate an

vendors to reschedule services, try to

ever-evolving situation.

keep an open mind. If you were planning on a Saturday ceremony, securing another

Whether you decide to postpone or choose

Saturday later in the year may be difficult.

to walk down the aisle, there is no right

You might need to consider a different day

answer to how you are handling your

of the week. By choosing a Thursday, Friday,

wedding day. Hopefully, you find comfort in

or Sunday, you may have a better chance of

knowing that there are couples everywhere

securing all your vendors. AND don't worry,

going through the same situation. During this

your guests will make it work, they LOVE you.

difficult time, we decided to celebrate five couples who chose to say "I-Do" during a

4. It's okay to be sad, throw yourself a pity

global pandemic. Like you, we could all use a

party. It's normal to feel disappointed or

little cheer right now.

upset. It's important to acknowledge your feelings and understand that they are valid.

Whether it was in living rooms or backyards,

Make sure to talk to your partner, friends, and

we found so much beauty in these intimate

family to cope. And it's still okay to get a tub

wedding celebrations. When people face

of ice cream and eat your feelings.

adversity it's amazing to see how creativity flourishes.

5. If you postpone, you should celebrate your original date anyway. Who doesn't

Before we show you how these couples

love a reason to celebrate!?! Even if it's not

celebrated their love, we want to give you

your actual wedding date, it will always

ways to better prepare for your own wedding

hold a special place in your heart, so we say

while so much is uncertain. Here are some

CELEBRATE! Pop some champagne over a

things you may want to consider during the

special date night.

planning process.

6. Hire a planner. Enlist in the help of an 1. Deciding if you should postpone. If your

expert with some one-on-one consulting.

wedding is scheduled for fall, you might feel

Many planners offer things a la carte.

like you are in a "gray area." We recommend that you get communication rolling with your

7. Be prepared to move quickly. Time is of

venue or event planner to collectively come

the essence, so be ready to move quickly.

up with a contingency plan (or two). That

You have lots of competition, so many are

way as information comes in you can make

in the same boat. It will require your utmost

decisions efficiently. Ultimately you'll make

optimism and flexibility.

the best decision for you, your partner, and Remember, through it all, your day will come,

your family.

and trust us when we say it will be the most 2. Create a communication plan to inform

amazing day! When you are able to gather

your guests about any changes. We

with your friends and family to celebrate

recommend relaying your message via a

your love, there will be nothing else like it!

wedding website or email. You may also

And remember we are always here for you.

want to consider a FAQs list for your guests,

For now, be inspired by how these couples

who will have similar questions around travel

created their perfect day!

refunds, a new date, venue requirements when in attendance, etc.

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IT’S MY

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I. RACHEL + BENJAMIN

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Q: Did you have to make changes to your original plans? If so, what did you do differently?

A: Yes, we originally were supposed to have a small elopement at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland and honeymoon in Greece. We decided to completely cancel our destination wedding in the 2nd week of March. We initially had a plan B to do a destination elopement within the U.S., but then as COVID progressed we realized it would not be feasible or safe to do so. We jokingly had said we would get married in my parent-in-law’s backyard if all else failed and that is what we ended up doing and LOVING! Q: Why did you decide not to delay your wedding?

A: We did not see it being realistic that international travel would re-open soon or potentially at all in 2020. We were engaged longer than the period we were dating before getting engaged, so we were just really ready to move forward. We had set our wedding

date on our 3rd anniversary of meeting each other and were adamant about keeping that date.

Q: What was the best thing about your intimate wedding?

A: That my grandparents were able to come!

I adore my grandparents and that was the most difficult decision of deciding on a destination wedding, as they are not in good enough health for travel. It was so special to have them be there to listen to us exchange our vows and get beautiful pictures together that I will have forever.

I also will say that I enjoyed the aspect of having a lot of 1-on-1 time with family with an intimate wedding. Immediately after the ceremony, we had time to give hugs to every family member and talk with them individually. It was such an emotional time and I am so glad that part of the wedding day wasn’t rushed at all.

VIS IT HEARTLANDWEDDINGIDEAS.COM TO S EE ALL OF RACHEL & BENJAMIN'S BIG DAY!

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You can get killer photos in the most unexpected places.

These shadows set a striking vibe.

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Vintage rugs create the perfect alter. Plus the bride is repuposing it in their house, what a great reminder of their big day!

Dog flower collars are a must in our book!

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Something old = my grandma’s handkerchief that she used on her wedding day in 1964.

Something borrowed = my mom’s promise ring that my dad bought her when they were 18.

Something blue = a blue garter the bride's mother-inlaw wore for her wedding!

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VENDOR LUST // Find all the pros we're LUSTING after.

PREMIER HEARTLAND WEDDING IDEAS VENDORS:

Photographer Grace T. Photography | Husband's Wedding Gift shoot with Modern Boudoir Ceremony & Reception Venue Parent-in-law’s backyard in Iowa City, IA | Caterer & Cake Catered by Charlotte Floral Sueppel’s Flowers | Hair & Makeup Lindsay Parker at Salon Ludic | Tanning Salon Bronze515 | Fitness Power Life Yoga Barre Fitness | Wedding Dress Ava Laurenne Bride (Fredericksburg, Virginia) | Menswear Jos. A. Banks | Stationery Simply Modern Design | Engagement Ring Elite Jewelers (Fredericksburg, Virginia) | Wedding Ring Josephs Jewelers | Rental Aero Rental | Officiant My husband’s cousin, Lindsay Wagoner | Hotel Coralville Marriott Hotel | Entertainment DIY playlist on Spotify

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GINA@ MA KEITHA PPEND SM.COM P L A N N IN G & C O O R D IN A T IN G

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IT’S MY

Big

DAY

II. BROOKE + ALEX

The bride's childhood home made the perfect backdrop for their big day. Getting one last memory in the home prior to being sold.

Cue the waterworks.

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Q: Did you think about canceling your wedding due to the pandemic?

A: Yes, we canceled our postponed wedding because of the virus. It was going to be on August 22nd in Orland Park, Illinois, but because it was so close to Chicago, we knew it was not going to be possible.

Q: Did you have to make changes to your original plans? If so, what did you do differently?

A: We were supposed to get married on May 23rd at the Crystal Tree Country Club in Orland Park, Illinois, but changed to my childhood living room when we realized that a May wedding was not going to happen.

Q: Why did you decide not to delay your wedding?

A: We were so ready to be married. About a month prior, we had gone down to Atlanta to buy a house and ended up finding our dream home. Since we were set to close on April 24th, it just made sense to go ahead with a wedding on April 18th. My bridal shower was going to be the same date, so my family already had flights home and the weekend off work. We are both in law school, which had gone virtual at this point, so we had the flexibility to get married, move into our new home, and take finals.

Everything worked out perfectly. My parents were selling my childhood home, so it was practically empty. Alex’s parents had found a tux on sale a few months prior. The alterations on my dress were completed right before everything shut down because of COVID. The list goes on and on. It truly could not have worked out better.

Q: What was the best thing about your intimate wedding?

A: Getting to live every moment. We were planning on having a fairly large wedding, so scaling it back to just 15 people was a huge adjustment. It also took all the pressure off of us and allowed us to be so present with the people around us. I didn’t have to worry about a timeline, coordinating out of town guests, tripping down the aisle, etc. It was just about Alex and I. We heard so many more toasts than a typical wedding. We didn’t have 300 guests to greet, so we were able to start dancing as soon as dinner was over. It was all those little things that made the evening so spectacular.

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The father of the bride did double duty walking his daughter down the aisle and officiating. How special!

VISIT HEA RTLANDWEDDINGIDEAS.COM TO SEE ALL OF BROOKE & ALEX'S BIG DAY!

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WE LOVE THIS: Honoring the bride's grandma, Brooke's brother and sister-in-law made grandma’s spaghetti for the reception. This recipe has been in their family for a long time.

In fact, you only receive this recipe when you get married. Her grandparents served it at their wedding and her parents had it at their rehearsal dinner.

VENDOR LUST // Find all the pros we're LUSTING after.

Photographer Laura Wills Photography | Ceremony & Reception Venue Bride's childhood home | Caterer Grandma's famous spaghetti recipe | Cake Shonda and Sara Mouser (family friend) | Floral Modern Floral Creations, Lisa Faye | Hair Ashley Asberry (family friend) | Makeup Blonde Blur | Tanning Salon Blonde Blur Fitness Orangetheory Fitness in Coralville, Iowa | Wedding Dress Bridal Boutique, Willowby Lainie | Menswear Joseph A. Bank | Stationery XOXO Invites | Rental Classic Events & Parties | Officiant My father was our officiant, which was very special | Music DIY playlist

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ALWAYS play Photos courtesy of: Simply Radiant Photography, and Lower Left Side Photography

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IT’S MY

Big

DAY

III. RAQUEL + JOSHUA

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Q: Did you think about canceling your wedding due to the pandemic?

nearly every plan we made had to change or be modified.

A: Honestly, yes. I had put so much thought, planning, and time into our original date (April 25th) so the idea of having something so different from my original dream was really hard to accept. I wanted to just go to the courthouse, but (shocker) they were closed too!

Q: Why did you decide not to delay your wedding?

Q: Did you have to make changes to your original plans? If so, what did you do differently?

A: There were a lot of positive things about our wedding. The biggest one was that everyone who watched us get married had an important role in our lives, whether it was family or best friends. Another amazing one was that since I wasn’t nervous about walking down in front of 200+ people, I was able to enjoy the morning and all the aspects of our day. We were able to relax and joke around.

But one of the best parts of all was that after everything was said and done, we got to go home and take a nap!

A: OH BOY. We moved the wedding back a week to comply with the 10 people or less mandate and weren’t allowed to have a “reception” because the mandate was only lifted for religious ceremonies. Our reverend was unable to make it due to her living in a separate state, so my brother-in-law got ordained a week or so before. We cut all our guests for the private ceremony who weren’t in the wedding or immediate family and notified all our invited guests that we would be having a “public” vow exchange and reception in August. We moved our venues to my parents’ backyard. I did the nails for the bridesmaids and myself, we did our own makeup and hair. My mother (with help from my aunt) cooked our meal. We used live music instead of the DJ we originally had booked. And we moved the ceremony to the morning to help our photographer who also had an evening wedding (bless her!). Overall,

A: There were many reasons, but mainly (and as silly as it sounds) I just didn’t want to wait to marry my best friend.

Q: What was the best thing about your intimate wedding?

Another funny thing about our private wedding was that when Josh and I had begun talking about getting engaged and married early on, I told Josh that my ideal wedding would be small and intimate and would take place in my parents’ backyard. Josh told me that he had always wanted a more traditional, larger wedding. Due to the pandemic, we got the “best” of both worlds!

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IT’S MY

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The mother of the bride (De Graaf Designs) took on the role of wedding planner, and set everything up. She also created the bridal party’s flowers, made and painted the trifold backdrop, and on top of it all she made all the food. Thanks MOM!

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The bride's sister (Letters From Quinn) made thier masks.

VISIT HEARTLANDWEDDINGIDEAS.COM TO SEE ALL OF RAQUEL & JOSHUA'S BIG DAY!

"Shelly Sarver Designs was wonderful because not only did she help provide flowers and set up the morning of, she and my mother worked together to come up with some amazing ideas (like creating the trifold background and using the fog machine behind it)." – Raquel, the bride

VENDOR LUST // Find all the pros we're LUSTING after.

PREMIER HEARTLAND WEDDING IDEAS VENDOR:

Floral Shelly Sarver Designs Photographer Kyndal Elise Photography | Ceremony & Reception Venue Bride's Parents’ backyard | Caterer Bride's mom | Hair & Makeup Myself (salons were still closed) | Wedding Dress Stacy’s Bridal Menswear Kohl’s | Calligraphy Letters From Quinn (my sister, she did our large backdrop with writing) | Bridesmaid Dresses Azazie (all girls had different styles) | Ceremony Music Cousin's son played guitar & Cousin's husband sang Decor Design De Graaf Designs (Bride's mother) created the trifold backdrop | Rental Pella Rental | Officiant Bride's Brother-in-Law

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IT’S MY

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I V. SARAH + JASON We heart these shoes and feather tassel!

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Q: Did you think about canceling your wedding due to the pandemic?

Q: Why did you decide not to delay your wedding?

A: Never. Having our dream wedding with all of our family has always been important to us. We decided to postpone our wedding early on as regulations began to become tighter. We were lucky enough to have all of our vendors available for our new date in September even with doing a smaller ceremony earlier. It was super important for us to be able to support our vendors when the pandemic begins to slow down.

A: We got engaged in 2018, we were so excited & ready to be married! We knew that we could still have a special “wedding” with our family later, this just made it special for us and our families.

Q: Did you have to make changes to your original plans? If so, what did you do differently?

A: Originally, we decided to move our date to the fall but after our long engagement, we couldn’t wait much longer. We decided to get married with our immediate family by our side. We are still having our original wedding & reception, but it will be a vow renewal this time! Having “two weddings” gave me the opportunity to design both the weddings I wanted to have. Two venues, two color schemes, two dresses, and a chance to do it all over again with my love.

Q: What was the best thing about your intimate wedding?

A: Our intimate elopement with our immediate family was more perfect than we could have ever imagined. What made it even more special for me, was having my mom marry us. She’s always been my best friend & knows Jason & I’s relationship better than anyone.

I am incredibly thankful to have been able to have amazing vendors to make this last minute decision into reality. Jason and I can't wait to do it all over again three months from the day we were married.

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IT’S MY

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"Karla of Honey & Joy Events did most of the planning and all of the design work, she made planning so easy for us!"

– Sarah, the bride

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The bride wore exquisite jewelry passed down from her grandmother, it was a beautiful way to honor her memory.

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The bride's mom played a very important role in the wedding ceremony, as the officiant!

VENDOR LUST // Find all the pros we're LUSTING after.

PREMIER HEARTLAND WEDDING IDEAS VENDOR:

Floral Shelly Sarver Designs Photographer Jason Thomas Crocker | Ceremony & Reception Venue Irishman Acres Clover Barn | Caterer The Cheese Shop of Des Moines | Cake Little Blackbird Bakery | Hair & Makeup Hello Darlin' Glam | Tanning Salon Bronze515 | Wedding Dress Something Blue, Allure Bridals | Menswear The Backroom | Calligraphy Painting for Cheese | Event Planning & Décor Design Honey & Joy Events | Extra Rentals Tables & Chairs: Pella Rental, Place Settings & Cups: Honey & Joy Events, Tapers: Designed By Bergan | Officiant Bride's Mom | Hotel Hilton Des Moines Downtown | Earrings Kendra Scott | Shoes Badgley Mischka | Clutch Classic Prep Monograms

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Located in Stuart, Iowa Just 30 minutes west of Des Moines, IA

515.523.2921 | saintscenter.com

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CAPTURE YOUR LOVE STORY AundreaEilersPhotography.com

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IT’S MY

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V. E LY S E + A L E X We heart these shoes and feather tassel!

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Q: Did you think about canceling your wedding due to the pandemic?

A: Yes, we did. As the coronavirus started becoming a concern, the safety and health of our family and friends were foremost in our minds. In late March, we decided to postpone our wedding and left the decision of whether to have a ceremony until the date (May 23) got closer. Ultimately we decided to have a very small ceremony and will have a celebration/reception with everyone else sometime in the future.

Q: Did you have to make changes to your original plans? If so, what did you do differently?

A: We postponed our wedding, which was originally supposed to be around 90 guests at the Hickory Hills Lakeview lodge. We decided in early May that we wanted to go forward with the wedding ceremony on our original date, but to limit it to our immediate families and a couple of very close friends.

We held the ceremony at a Black Hawk county park shelter where everyone was able to spread out a bit and then went to Alex’s parents’ backyard for a small celebration. We set up a no-contact pickup to get our cake and made dinner ourselves (with some help

from the neighbors). We’re still hoping to have a larger celebration, once we know that it won’t be putting anyone at risk.

Q: Why did you decide not to delay your wedding?

A: We were both so excited to get married, and postponing everything would have been frustrating. Besides, Elyse’s sister lives in Australia and was preparing to go back in June – it was important to us that she was part of the wedding. Our families had all been practicing preventative measures (social distancing, wearing face masks, etc.) and everyone agreed that they felt comfortable having a small gathering. We drove to Iowa from Silver Spring to avoid the possibility of catching coronavirus at the airport, which also allowed us to bring our dog.

Q: What was the best thing about your intimate wedding?

A: Taking the time to just focus on and celebrate our relationship and our marriage despite the pandemic was wonderful.

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Elyse’s mother made the bouquet, bridesmaid’s flowers, and boutonnieres, as well as the flowers at the ceremony.

What a mom!

Elyse wore a bracelet that belonged to her great grandmother that is very special to her.

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Elyse’s father stepped in to officiate for the intimate ceremony!

"Much of the day was DIY as we figured out how to have a safe, intimate wedding.

We are so grateful for the help we recieved from family and friends – someone provided peonies for Elyse’s bouquet and the cake decoration, someone loaned us a tent in case it rained, Alex’s parents’ church loaned tables and chairs, and neighbors grilled for us. Plus all of the help from our families… all of the people who wanted to help made us both feel incredibly loved." Elyse, the bride

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VENDOR LUST // Find all the pros we're LUSTING after.

PREMIER HEARTLAND WEDDING IDEAS VENDOR:

Photographer Kara Vorwald Photography Ceremony Venue Black Hawk County park | Reception Venue Alex's Parents Backyard | Cake Cakes by Isabel Floral Mother of the Bride | Hair Trisha Duitsman at Visions Hair Studio | Wedding Dress Something Blue, Morilee Wedding Rings Precieux Art Jewelers | Officiant Father of the bride | Hotel The Black Hawk Hotel

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