landlocked bride® | midwest + mountain west wedding inspiration

TenSixteen Photography

From the Bride:
Ben and I were engaged two years prior to our wedding so we had a lot of time to figure out what we liked and wanted our wedding day ultimately to be. When I was a little girl I always knew I wanted daisies and the color yellow and that is where the dream of our wedding day started. We chose the month of May, because to me that was ultimate spring weather….April showers should be gone and May flowers should be blooming….. although since the weather in the Midwest is so unpredictable we opted for an indoor reception. The River Center gave us the best of both worlds…it looked like a huge white tent inside covered with white lights to give the allusion you were outside. All along our theme was an outdoor wedding brought indoors with a kind of rustic feel. Etsy really helped to add some of the little special touches to make our day more personal.

All week prior to our wedding the forecast was calling for rain in Illinois and Iowa the weekend of our wedding. I had made up my mind early that week I wasn’t going to let the weather ruin our day. So of course the morning of our wedding at 6 am I woke up to rain that lasted until the last song was played at our reception. Despite the rain, our wedding day was everything I had always dreamed of. We were surrounded by friends and family who love us both dearly and helped us celebrate the love that Ben and I have for each other which ultimately was everything I could have asked for. In the end the rain did not change a thing about our wedding day not even outdoor pictures!

You can catch Ashley + Ben’s wedding day highlight from their videographer, MI Studios, here.

Photography: TenSixteen Photography | Ceremony Venue: St John’s United Methodist Church | Reception Venue: The River Center | Cake: Olde Towne Bakery | Wedding Gown: Justin Alexander | Florist: Clazzy Designs | DJ: Master DJ | Videographer: MI Studios

Ashleigh and Nate are pretty much the example of adorable. Their infectious smiles are just too sweet! Plus, Ashleigh did a bit of planning in preparation for this shoot. She took full advantage of her parent’s farm in Owatonna, Minnesota, and added the perfect amount of detail that just gives this session a bit of fun and personality!  And, did you see those peonies! Swoon!

Studio Laguna Photography

This wedding is just the perfect balance of rustic, pretty and simple. The soft color palette is dreamy and romantic. The flowers have that classic look to them. And, their reception has those perfect crafty details without it feeling one bit DIY. Kristin and Adam used the help of some great local vendors, but also tapped Etsy for special added touches like the placecards, table numbers, ring bearer pillow and a few others. Heather Brulez does a beautiful job of capturing those simple details and Kristin’s vision.

Heather Brulez Photography

Photographer: Heather Brulez Photography | Ceremony Location: St. John’s United Methodist Church | Reception Venue: The Lodge at Ironwoods | Caterer: Affordable Catering | Event Designer: Soiree Event Designs | Floral Designer: Branches and Twigs | Dress Store: Bridal Extraordinaire | DJ: DJs for Hire Kansas City

Cori Cook Floral Design

Denver, Colorado

Y’all. I’m beyond excited for today’s vendor. While I truly love every vendor I feature on this site, Cori’s work is just magical. I am a sucker for a stunning bouquet, and I cannot help but swoon over her beautiful floral creations. Her work is one of the reasons I really love working in this industry. It’s just inspiring.

Where are you located and do you travel for weddings and events?
We are located in Denver, CO. We do travel for weddings and service the Rocky Mountains (Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek, etc) as well the Fort Collins and Colorado Springs areas. We also do several weddings in Orange County, California every year as that is where we began our business.

What is you biggest inspiration when working on floral design for a wedding?
Our brides. Our goal is happy brides. We design in a variety of styles (classic, modern, rustic, funky, etc) and our goal is to determine the style/vibe of our brides and design flowers that perfectly suit and compliment her style of wedding. We are also always very inspired fashion and interior design. Anything from a fabric pattern to a lampshade to the color palate at Crate and Barrel inspires us with new ideas for design. For this reason, we think it is very important to stay “up” on what is in style in these industries. Plus, it’s a great excuse to go shopping (:

What got you interested in flowers?
I have always been interested in nature. My mother is a nature-lover and always made my family stop to notice and thank God for the beauty and intricacies of nature. We used to plant flowers together every Spring and she often bought herself weekly flowers to decorate the house with. I have always, always appreciated flowers. After graduating college, I had a strong urge to work with flowers. So I went to a floral design school and started doing friends’ weddings. Thankfully, God has given me great favor in this industry and I realized I had a natural knack for design.

What do you think sets you apart from other vendors in the industry?
Passion! I am very passionate about what I do. I think it is always, always important to be learning, growing, and maturing in my ability to design and run a business. So I am always trying to better myself and my business model. We work very hard to make our brides extremely happy with our services. And because we specialize in only weddings, we have time to invest!

What are your favorite flowers / plants to work with?
This is always hard question as a florist to answer. I really can appreciate just about any flower for it’s unique qualities. But what makes me squeal with delight when I have it in my cooler are peonies and lily of the valley. I have expensive taste (:


What keeps you busy outside of floral design; what are your hobbies?
I think it is important to have a BIG life outside of my career! First of all, I have an amazing husband who I love living life beside. I also have a great family and circle of friendships. Those are my priorities. Besides spending time with those people, my other hobbies include cooking, running, reading, singing, gardening (a brand NEW hobby), DIY home décor, volunteering in the youth ministry at my church, camping, etc. I want to do it all!!

amyp photography

For more Tuesday Shoesday goodness, hop over to Simply & Forever, bWed Exclusive, SWOONOVERIT, Meant to be Sent, Life in the Super Burbs, Brancoprata, Postcards and Pretties, Magnolia Rouge, Marry You Me and The Demoiselle!

Simpli Photography

From the Bride:
We planned the wedding in about 5 months. We wanted an intimate, elegant, shabby chic feel to the event, so we chose a Bed & Breakfast Inn for the location – Park Avenue Mansion in Lafayette Square. This area of St. Louis is where we had our first apartment together. This is also where my grandparents met when they were young. My parents also met and spent a lot of time early in their relationship in this area. It is a special place for my family and has become one for us. In addition to the family significance, we love the elegance and beauty of the historic neighborhood, building and the garden area. The garden had so much charm by itself, with the flowers, fountains and lush greenery that we did not have to do much to enhance it.

We utilized Etsy.com for details to make it more personal and romantic. Our Cake Topper is from LollipopWorkshop, the wedding
banners from VictorianStation, the flags from kategreiner-party decorations and the bridesmaids’ necklaces from sunshineandcarousels. My garter was from GarterLady.

My dress was the Vera Wang Diana, purchased at Vera Wang Chicago. It took 8 months to get from the day I ordered. I am so in love with this dress! The groomsmen wore tuxes from Savvi Formalwear and custom-made Converse sneakers- designed by the Groom at Converse.com.

One of my favorite touches was our amazing cake – it was a three tiered vanilla cake, dyed pink with white buttercream frosting. The highlight of the night was when our friends’ band, Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, performed (they also DJ’d). They have so much energy and even wrote a song just for us! It was truly special.

Photographer: Simpli Photography | Ceremony / Reception Venue: Park Avenue Mansion | Catering / Florist / Cake: Park Avenue Mansion | Cake Pops: The Cake Pop Co. | Dress: Vera Wang | Shoes: Benjamin Adams

A big green truck. Open fields. Vintage settee. This engagement session from Laura Schmitt Photography has sweet, adorable and fun written all over it.

Laura Schmitt Photography

Melissa Hayes Photography

From the Bride:
After a long line of brothers and family members on my side having destination weddings, Matt and I knew without question that we wanted a Chicago wedding. With me being the only girl, the third and final sibling to marry and Matt being the oldest sibling in his family and first to be married, we knew we wanted a traditional, elegant, romantic and memorable weekend.

Almost 20 years ago, my grandmother was married at Fourth Presbyterian Church at Michigan and Delaware. Although I was only 12, I remember the day as if it were yesterday — the stunning chapel, the cherubic organ music, the magnificent stained glass windows, the awe of the guests. Matt and I wanted this same stunning church and feeling for our special day. We were married at 5 o’clock in the evening with 200 guests who stood to greet my dad and me as we walked down the aisle to a trumpet fanfare. Although it was raining outside, it certainly did not dampen our spirits or the joy and energy that was contagious indoors.

For decades, my family has been members of The Mid-America Club. An elegant members-only club located high above the city on the 80th floor of the Aon building. Over my life, I have spent much time at the club. We have celebrated numerous holidays and enjoyed many dinners and have always left completely satisfied but yearning for our next visit. The club boasts 360 degree views of our beautiful city, marvelous food, incredible service and awe-inspiring ambiance — Matt and I wanted nothing more but to show this off to our guests.

Upon the wedding parties’ arrival, the guests were moved to the ballroom which had views of the south, east and west. The ballroom was nothing short of extraordinary. Warm candle light greeted guests as they picked up their escort bag filled with Hershey kisses. Alternating tables had vases filled with stems of green dendrobium orchids with white floating candles and towering arrangements with orchids, curly willow, green cymbidiums and hanging votives. The table markers were street signs that had significance for both Matt and I.

Champagne was waiting to be drunk as toasts began and dinner was anticipated. Guests dined on mushroom bisque with truffle foam, a cucumber and spinach roulette and their choice of crisped white fish with couscous, parmesan chicken picatta with risotto or a filet with grilled shrimp. The wedding cake was a favorite of Matt and mine. A four tiered carrot cake with salted caramel and crème Brule filling. Being that Matt and I were both graduates of the University of Iowa, a grooms cake was fashioned to look like a football field with our beloved mascot Herky to finish it off.

Soon after cake, music filled the ballroom by the glorious Chicago Catz. The band consisted of nine pieces and kept the dance floor packed all night. In between dances, guests sneaked off to the photo booth to adorn themselves of costume and create lasting memories.

Nearing the end of the evening, a late night snack of burger sliders satisfied hungry dancers and had everyone leaving happy. Overall, our wedding was more than we could have hoped for. Filled with love, romance, elegance, happiness and unforgettable memories.

Photography: Melissa Hayes Photography | Ceremony Venue: Fourth Presbyterian Church | Reception Venue: The Mid-America Club | Florist: Fleur Tatious Designs, Ltd | Hair / Makeup: Studio 110 Salon | Band: The Chicago Catz | Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Groom’s Tux: Calvin Klein | Bridesmaids Dress: Lela Rose | Shoes: Badgley Mischka

I promise blues and greens are not my favorite color (well, I do love them).  I put together this color board back in February in preparation for a style shoot with a dear friend.  We were aiming for a saturated set of colors, but also wanted them to pop. I have seen teal and yellow done before, but usually in softer hues.  This is my take on that same palette, but much more rich.

Row 1: Martha Stewart Weddings, Tried and True Weddings
Row 2: BanDo, via WeddingBee, Generation Photography via The Knot
Row 3: Real Simple, A Bryan Photo

Simple and adorable. Quite a good combo when it comes to shoes.

The Schultzes

For more Tuesday Shoesday goodness, hop over to Simply & Forever, bWed Exclusive, SWOONOVERIT, Meant to be Sent, Life in the Super Burbs, Brancoprata, Postcards and Pretties, Magnolia Rouge, Marry You Me and The Demoiselle!