Twist on Traditions

The day of Ilana’s wedding was supernatural. It had rained a few days prior, and it was predicted to rain again. Much of their wedding was to take place outdoors — it would have been heartbreaking if the forecast had been right. But it couldn’t have been a nicer day, and we were excited to crash this wedding.

We hadn’t even been there five minutes before we were spotted. Yikes! This was a first. We were clueless about how to react.  The mother of bride rushed over to us, arms wide open, and excitedly pronounced, “You’re here to crash the wedding!” She quickly ushered us in to meet a few of the vendors and attendees. We were treated like royalty and given the best seats in the house. It was not the welcome we usually anticipate, but, then again, nothing about this wedding was traditional.

The ceremony and the reception were all held at Blue Bell Farms. It was magical. The ceremony was set up outdoors, and the backdrop of the white barn was picture perfect. Afterwards, there was a fun cocktail hour followed by one memorable reception put on by Bleu Events and Safari Sound.

We could have written pages and pages about this wedding, but we wanted to focus on giving any bride-to-be a little bit of inspiration by highlighting the things about this wedding that gave a modern twist to the old traditions.

Ilana had planned her wedding over several months, and she wanted it to stand out. At the beginning, she discarded the traditional music and walked down the aisle to an old Elvis love song. The bride and groom, Jordan Holland, each had a friend of the opposite sex stand with their wedding party as the couple exchanged vows. Instead of a unity candle or sand jars, the couple had a carpenter friend build them a board the size of a picture frame affixed with three thick cords. Ilana and Jordan took the cords and begin braiding them.  In the end, they had turned into a beautiful cross — the couple wanted to have their guests know how important their faith was and how they wanted God to be the center of their marriage. They had a Bible verse written on the board, and it was a beautiful expression of who they are as a couple.

The cocktail hour wasn’t ordinary either. Bleu Events set up a bar area (with decadent appetizers) outdoors. Blue Bell lit a bonfire and Pretty Little Things arranged an adorable s’mores table for all their guests.

The reception was also full of surprises. The couple had spent days creating coloring books for the children, which they handed out during the meal. (The kids loved them.) The centerpieces were beautifully decorated by Paisley Bowtique & Floral Design. It was refreshing to see a wedding that did not choose to DIY everything; often, brides spend their wedding day fretting over the décor and the set-up of the reception, but Ilana wanted to focus on enjoying the day. She hired BHive Events for their day-of coordination. The couple chose to have a cake at their rehearsal dinner but not at their reception — instead, they had Bleu Events create an ice cream bar with an extravagant amount of toppings. It was the first time we had seen ice cream at a wedding, and we loved the idea.

This wedding was a perfect example of how unplugging can lead you to create a wedding that is uniquely yours. Cheers to this sweet couple! May every day be filled with the wonder and adventure that filled your wedding day.

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Photography – Glory Photography: Wentzville, MO http://www.glory-photography.com/

Stationary – The Ink Café: Columbia, MO http://www.theinkcafe.com/

Bride’s Dress – Truly Bridal: Osage Beach, MO http://www.trulybridal.com/#!/HOME

Bridesmaids’ Dresses – Atom Attire: Etsy, https://www.etsy.com/shop/AtomAttire

Hair & Makeup – The Edge Salon: Fulton, MO https://www.facebook.com/The-Edge-Salon-Spa-LLC-193785444130040/

Groom/Groomsmen’s Tuxes – Savvi Formalwear: Columbia, MO http://www.savviwedding.com/

Venue – Blue Bell Farm: Fayette, MO http://bluebellfarm.org/

Florist – Paisley Bowtique & Floral Design: Fayette, MO http://paisleybowtique.com/

DJ – Safari Sound: Holts Summit, MO http://www.safarisound.com/

Photo booth – Platinum Entertainment: Fulton, MO http://www.showmeplatinum.com

Day of Coordination – BHive Events: Columbia, MO http://www.bhiveevents.com/

Table/Tent/Linen Rentals – Rodgers Rentals: Centralia, MO http://rodgersrental.com/

Chair Rentals – US Rents It: Columbia, MO http://www.usrentsit.com/

Vintage Décor Rentals – Pretty Little Things: Boonville, MO http://prettyweddingrentals.com/

Catering – Bleu Events: Columbia, MO http://mybleuevents.com/

Rehearsal Cake – Cooper Cake Studio: Fayette, MO http://www.coopercakestudio.com/

Registry – Dillard’s, Target, Pottery Barn, Amazon.com