There is so much I like about this Southern wedding. But I think it is the yellow detail that I find the most fabulous. The yellow flowers tucked on the cake. The amazing use of lemons in the centerpieces. And the yellow gerber daisy bridesmaid bouquets…. Some fun idea if you are in the middle of planning your own summer wedding.
Allison & Mark,August 29th, 2009, Kansas City, Missouri
What you did on your first date
We went and ate lunch at a local bar called Jefferson’s in Lawrence, Kansas. We both had buffalo wings, which were delicious and very messy! It was fun and casual. That was it. Everything else sort of followed!
How you knew he was the one
Mark and I met in 2003 while we were both attending the University of Kansas. He was working with my boyfriend at the time at a local restaurant. He pursued me on and off for almost 2 years, until finally we both decided we wanted to give it a shot.
From the start he was so wonderful and my friends and family absolutely loved him. Plus, he really supported my equestrian activities. No other guy I had ever dated took that much interest in it. It is so important to me and I knew that made him a keeper. Plus, my german shepard, Bear, liked him. Believe me, that’s a rarity.
The ceremony
The ceremony was in this beautiful rose garden on the coolest August day EVER in Kansas. It was sunny and 73 degrees. (Normally it is 90 degrees with 100% humidity!) Absolutely perfect. One of Mark’s old band-mates played acoustic guitar while people were being seated, and then during the ceremony. We were married in front of the gorgeous fountain and 125 of our closest friends and family sat in beautiful white chairs in the grass.
The ceremony was only about 20 minutes in length and couldn’t have gone more smoothly.
The moment Allison will never forget:
Walking down the isle was so amazing. I stood at the top of the stairs with my dad (I was the first of 3 daughters to get married) and the scene was just absolutely gorgeous.
I couldn’t have imagined it any better. Then we walked down and as soon as I saw Mark’s face, there was such a sense of excitement. It was just a wonderful moment.
The reception
Our reception was held in historic Loose Mansion. It was built in 1909 and beautifully renovated several years ago. When guests arrived they walked up the grand staircase and through french doors to the upper ballroom.
Our three-tiered cake was sitting on a gold cake stand just inside the doors. It was strawberry cake with cool whip frosting – wonderful and light for August!
The tables were covered in gorgeous black striped table clothes, with lemon and pink gerber daisy centerpieces and votive candles. Black napkins were folded and a menu I designed was tucked in them. On each menu was a different fun fact about Mark and my relationship.
On top of that was a little envelope stamped with “Merci”. Inside were handmade cards with images of dogs and cats available for adoption at a local shelter and a message that explained the wedding favors were donated to helping animals in need. Each card had a different picture on it.
The menus and wedding favors served as conversation starters, since they were all different. They were great ways to break the ice for people who didn’t know each other! Plus, the fun facts helped people who didn’t know a lot about Mark and my relationship get to know us a little better.
The rest of the room was decorated beautifully with votive candles and yellow gerber daises. And right behind the head table was a gorgeous fireplace covered in candles and flowers.
Her favorite detail
It’s too hard to just pick one!
Ok, for starters, our invites. My good friend designed them and then they were printed at a local letterpress shop. The right flap was perforated so that you could tear it off and send it back in to RSVP.
We also decided to have a pasta bar at the reception. The big surprise was that two chefs actually cooked the pasta right in front of you! It was so cool, and I’ve had so many people (even my photographers) tell me it was the best wedding food they’ve ever had.
One last little thing that I loved was our champagne flutes. I bought them from an antique store two years ago as a shower gift for one of my bridesmaid’s weddings. She surprised me with them the night before the wedding so that Mark and I could use them too! Now all of my close friends are going to use them at their weddings and each couples initials are engraved on the bottom!
Advice for other brides
Invest in good photographers. It is SO worth it! Because once the wedding is over, that’s all you’ve got to remember it by. It’s a nice way to relive your wedding again, since it goes by so fast!
Oh, and if something goes wrong, don’t sweat it. No one else will probably even notice, so there’s no sense in working yourself up about it.
