landlocked bride™ | midwest + mountain west wedding inspiration

We can’t forget about the dress. Sara was able to really customize this part of her wedding, and follow it up with a fun (semi) Trash the Dress at the City Museum.

From Sara
I bought my veil for $20 on eBay; I was appalled by the prices of these things in the bridal shop. My friend’s mother (as a wedding gift) made my hairpiece – It was stunning.

Images courtesy of Kevin Martini-Fuller Photography and Danny Reise Photography

After the wedding, I still wasn’t quite ready to give up the dress. Katie Roberds and I spent an unseasonably warm winter day at the City Museum after the wedding. It was a blast and I have some really beautiful photos to boot!

All trash the dress images courtesy of Katie Roberds Photography

I think I tried on 100 dresses. I was getting discouraged… until one fateful day at Clarice’s Bridal on Hampton. The staff was incredibly nice and described to me how the dresses can be customized. Which only makes sense… if you are ordering a dress so it can be “custom made for you,” why not get it EXACTLY how you want it? My Casablanca gown had a full order page of changes (no beading or buttons, different neckline, different type of pleats on the skirt, corset back, etc.) and I was as happy as a clam with the results.  And, I happen to be selling it for one lucky girl on Bravo Bride.

Image courtesy of Kevin Martini-Fuller Photography

In addition to the entire wedding being a fun event for their guests, Sara and Dustin had some great hook-ups for their photography, the paper goods and wedding website.

From Sara
We are so lucky to have friends with unbelievable talent.

I have a degree in photography, so obviously having a great photographer was super important. My old Professor from university, Kevin Martini-Fuller, came from Elco, Nevada for the weekend. I also hired Danny Reise for the photojournalistic shots. And our friend and fellow college classmate, Katie Roberds, shared her amazing talent as well. (My advice would be to reserve more time than you would ever think would be necessary for photographs and if you are choosing one place to splurge, the photography would be it.)

John Vogl of the Bungaloo created and hand printed our save the date band posters and Tori Mathis of Paperkeet did all other papery wonderfulness (invites, signs, table names, escort cards, programs, etc.).

To keep guests up-to-date on the wedding plans, Dustin, who is a web designer, created a great little website for all the guests. A good chunk or our guests were coming from out of town or out of the country and we wanted a way for them to get a feel for our city and the people in the wedding before they even got here.

And, for all the readers wondering where all of their details came from and who their vendors were, here are the deets (with comments from the Bride):

Bridesmaid Dresses: JS Boutique, Nordstrom
Bride’s Dress: Custom Casablanca, Clarice’s Bridal
Groom and Groomsmen’s tux: Calvin Klein, Men’s Warehouse
Bride’s Shoes: Nine West and Rocket Dog (flats for dancing, of course!)
Rings: Summit Jewelers (highly recommended!!!)
Ceremony and Reception: Rialto Ballroom in the Centene Center for the Arts
Hotel for the Guests and Wedding Party: Moonrise Hotel
Rehearsal Dinner: Eclipse at the Moonrise Hotel
Photobooth: Photobooth STL
Shuttle Bus (for to and from the hotel to the venue): Best Transportation

All Images courtesy of: Kevin Martini-Fuller, Danny Reise and Katie Roberds

**Stay tuned tomorrow for details on Sara’s dress, accessories and Trash the Dress session.**

The first ever Landlocked Bride Real Wedding feature comes straight from a St. Louis bride herself.  Sara contacted me expressing interest in sharing her Midwest soiree, and I couldn’t not share it with you all.  Instead of me trying to tell the story, I will be letting the brides tell you the stories.

From Sara
Getting ready was a really great and special time with my mom and sisters. I was calm and relaxed. We all did our own makeup. My friend and hairstylist came to do our hair. As soon as my mom laced up my corset, it hit me. I was so freaking excited to see Dustin and felt so beautiful I started jumping on the bed. So. Much. Fun.

Our ceremony and reception took place at The Rialto Ballroom, which is on the top floor of the Centene Center for the Arts and Education in Grand Center. The over-sized patio was a perfect fit to have our ceremony for 150, and guests could file straight into the ballroom for the reception. We didn’t fully realize till we got the photos back how great the city skyline looked from up there. Very Urban Chic.

We rented a photobooth for the evening and asked each guest to leave one for us for our guestbook and take one home (which also doubled as their favor). The images were priceless. Something about closing that curtain while the flashes are firing off really makes even the most reserved of guests come out of their shell. And, we made little buttons to go on each place setting. Each one was unique with the same phrase “I love you more than…” I love you more than Family Guy. I love you more than cotton candy. I love you more than Fredbird. I love you more than Vespa Scooters. I love you more than full moons…

All Images courtesy of: Kevin Martini-Fuller, Danny Reise and Katie Roberds