landlocked bride® | midwest + mountain west wedding inspiration

This wedding is full of so much joy! You see pure joy and anticipation when the brides are getting ready for their first look. The overwhelming joy and excitement when they turn around to first see each other. The emotional joy and pride you feel while they are walking towards each other down the asile. The joy and happiness they share with their bridal party. The deep joy and love they share during their first dance, and stunning, intimate pre-wedding photos together. This wedding just wants me to scream Oh Happy Day – cause that’s exactly what it was.

From the Bride – Monique

How we met: Amber and I went to the same high school for a couple of months, when Amber was a junior and I was a sophomore. We only had a few friends in common, and knew of each other, but we weren’t friends at that time. A couple of years after graduation, I hosted a birthday party for a friend of ours and a mutual friend of ours asked if she could bring Amber as a guest. Having remembered her from high school, I said yes and she came out to celebrate with us. We hit it off immediately and we have been inseparable since that day, May 29, 2005.

Our Engagement: A few months after we celebrated our 3rd anniversary together, Amber told me that she wanted to spend a special weekend in Salt Lake City together. I was excited because this is something that we enjoy doing, but never seem to get enough of. When we got to Salt Lake City, Amber handed me an envelope with a clue directing me to the Farmer’s Market, which is one of our favorite places to go in SLC. After we spent some time there, she gave me several more clues directing me to different dog parks around town. I also got clues to my favorite store, our favorite restaurant, and this funky dog-friendly hotel downtown. We spent the entire day in this clue scavenger hunt, visiting our favorite places and spending time with our dogs. When we got to the Hotel Monaco there was a giant sign welcoming our 2 dogs, Joey and Bella.  It was pretty special. After dessert and an in-room massage, Amber surprised me with the sweetest moment of my life when she asked me to marry her. A couple of weeks later, I chose a ring for her and started planning a proposal on a trip we were planning later in the month to the Mexican Riviera. A few days before we left for our cruise, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. I absolutely couldn’t stand it anymore so I woke her up really early in the morning and asked her to marry me too.

Shalista Photography

From the Bride-to-be:
When Byrce and I started dating I found out he wasn’t a huge fan of watching TV while I tended to get a bit too attached to my favorite TV characters. Bryce’s roommate at the time told him about ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and said that he would like it. We started watching it together and it soon became our go-to show to watch.

We spent the first two years of our relationship long distance. When we would see each other, we would catch up on episodes of HIMYM. During our time apart, Bryce would always surprise me with fun things in the mail. One day, I got a yellow umbrella just like the one from the show. So for our engagement shoot we found a french horn, painted it blue and paired the umbrella with it to show our love for the show and each other (corny, I know). On HIMYM, Ted steals Robin the blue french horn after their very first date. Throughout the show the french horn is a reminder of the crazy things we do for the ones we love. At one point Ted tells Robin “I would have stolen you a whole orchestra”. I’m pretty sure if Bryce had seen a blue colored instrument after our first date, he would have found a way to get it for me.

While Ted and Robin have broken up on the show, Bryce and I are as strong as ever. HIMYM played a big role in our courtship and we wanted to represent that as we took this exciting step in our lives.

My favorite part about reading Erica and Kiel’s wedding story is how they made ever effort to take moments throughout the day to be thankful, celebrate and remember. As if to remind themselves of how blessed and lucky they are. A message every couple should keep in mind – take time. Take the time to remember and to enjoy.

Kelli Hunt Photography

From the Bride:
While we dreaded the threat of one of South Dakota’s infamous snowstorms, our wedding on December 30th, 2011 in Sioux Falls, SD turned out to be a day of sunshine, family, and love.

Our candlelit wedding ceremony took place in the evening at a small church across the street from the liberal arts college where we met. The ceremony itself was intimate and wonderful, with the highlight being a fellow friend co-officiating and giving a beautiful and honest sermon about our history and watching us fall in love. Once the ceremony wrapped, we sipped champagne with our parents en route to the next event.

The reception took place in Sioux Falls’ downtown Washington Pavilion, an events center that features a majestic theatre. The stage was set with tables and a five piece jazz band played softly as the guests arrive. We opted for a sweetheart table so we could take in the moment and watch our loved ones enjoy the day we had worked so hard to plan. After amazing toasts, we cut the cake and hit the dance floor with our amazing nine piece band, Main Avenue Warehouse.

We were warned that the day flies by and that many new couples have few memories of their wedding day. So Kiel and I and our families took pause many times throughout the day to be thankful and celebrate. Therefore, we think our wedding was actually the most unforgettable day of our lives thus far.

Our advice to others planning a wedding is to lean on one another and enjoy it. We planned our wedding in eight months, but our partnership and the full support of family made it more fun than work. And then, when the big day comes, take deep breaths and schedule in time with your new spouse to celebrate your new beginning.

Ceremony Venue: Our Savior’s Lutheran | Reception Venue: Washington Pavilion | Floral: Flower Mill | Cake: Tonna’s Cakes | Cupcakes: Oh My Cupcakes! | Wedding Gown: Hannelore’s | Hair / Make-up: Southeastern Hair Design  |  Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade | Groom / Groomsmen Attire: Tip Top Tux | Catering: Washington Pavilion | Stationery: Kiel Mutschelknaus  | Band: Main Avenue Warehouse

Rachel at Talia Events shared this wedding with me earlier this year, which happens to be her brother’s wedding. I couldn’t wait to share – the warmth in the photos had me longing for warmer temperatures. And, with Spring here the barn back drop, gondolier, adorable pup, and shear joy between Blayne and Alex make the perfect mixture for a beautiful wedding.

Jeff Sampson Photography

alex + blayne | the perfect game from AJ Production Company on Vimeo.

From the Photographers, Val and Jeff:
We’ve fallen in love with Alex and Blayne! They are one of those couples who we had an instant connection with. The first time I chatted on the phone with Blayne, I just knew! And, after we spent an evening photographing their e-session, we knew they were kind of people we could sit, chat, and have drinks with. We love them!

Every aspect of this gorgeous affair was thoughtfully planned. There wasn’t a moment without that “WOW” factor, not a corner without a beautiful detail, nothing was over looked and not a minute went by without pure happiness from everyone!

Some of our favorite highlights: the reception in a true South Dakota Barn, two dresses for the big affair, a gondola ride with a gondolier, their thoughtfully practiced, adorable first dance, the contagious laughter, smiles, and love by all, and the overall gorgeous simplicity of the affair!

Hair + Makeup: Angelique with Platinum Imaginations | Ceremony Venue: First Lutheran Church | Wedding Coordinator: Leah with Envision Wedding Studios | Tables & Chair Rentals: Ideal Wedding Center  | Wedding Gown: Watters from the French Doors | Entertainment/DJ: DJ Jer | Lincoln Towncar: Royal Limousine  | Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew | Caterer: Chef Dominiques | Cakes + Cookies: Hy-Vee on Minnesota | Flowers: Hy-Vee on Minnesota | Videographer: AJ Productions | Men’s Suits: Jos A. Bank  | Rings: Bechtolds |
Necklace & Bracelet: Faini Designs 

Things about this wedding that warm my heart: 1. Karli and Justin are high school sweethearts. 2. The decor and celebration were simple and full of personal, DIY details. The two really wanted a rustic / vintage wedding with an elegant feel. They combined yellow and silver with all of the sweet details like old coffee cans, vintage fabrics, floral, and a pop of yellow with Karli’s parasol.

This wedding is the perfect reminder that your nuptials do not need to be over the top or elaborate to be beautiful. There is so much more to a wedding (like the marriage part) that allows the heart, love and beauty to shine through.

Kelli Hunt Photography

Reception Venue: AmericInn Conference Center | Caterer: McClellan’s | Event Designer: Renee Knapp | Floral Designer: Joyce Naber | Musicians: Jim Szantza Trio | Photographer: Kelli Hunt Photography | Dress Store: Ellynne’s Bridal | DJ: Platinum Productions | Shoes: Seychelles Footwear

It really is no secret that eco-friendly weddings have a big place in my heart. Living sustainable is something my husband and I do on a regular basis, so it just fires me up to see couples incorporating sustainability into their soirees. While, it’s not always easy to do, there are small steps you can take to make it happen. And, when Sara of Eco-Vintage Weddings wanted to share her wedding, I was obviously on board. Her details are beautiful, thoughtful, and in many cases sustainable. Planning an eco-friendly wedding was one of her goals. Plus, she and her husband, Jordan, were wed right here in the Midwest – more brownie points! I hope you enjoy her wedding as much as I did!

Creative Kindling

From the Bride:
We firmly believe that our wedding day (July 17, 2010) was the warmest day of the summer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2010. We had
ambitious hopes of taking the majority of our photos outside, but we quickly realized that the weather wasn’t conducive to that. Luckily,
my alma mater, Augustana College, where we were married, had many beautiful spots for us to wander around that either were completely
indoors, or we could at least travel through buildings and jump outside for a few minutes to get the shot, and then return to the air conditioning! My dad also kept us hydrated that day by bringing us bottles of water at the perfect time.

Jordan and I spent many a night and weekend designing all of our wedding stationery; we even locked ourselves in Jordan’s one-bedroom
apartment for an entire weekend (in the terrible heat of summer without air conditioning!) to finalize our ceremony programs! We watched the entire “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy that weekend, and to date, it’s one of my fondest memories of wedding planning.

Our reception centerpieces included 1-2 birdhouses (my mother collects birdhouses, so we honored her by incorporating pieces from her
collection. The birdhouses also brought in our nature-inspired, eco-friendly vibe; since she already owned the birdhouses, we didn’t need to purchase centerpieces, thereby reducing our waste impact!), a wedding photo of our relatives, a wooden letter “G” that I painted ivory and distressed, and a sign, explaining our centerpiece choices and our commitment to being eco-friendly. We also made napkins out of fabric that we purchased locally, and folded cootie catchers with trivia about my husband and I as a couple. Lastly, tucked inside the napkins on the tables was a ticket to our Photobooth, encouraging guests to take 5 minutes in the photobooth that we made.

To remain eco-friendly, we chose paper that was made from recycled paper (at least partially). The candles that we utilized at our wedding ceremony were either beeswax or soy, which are better for the environment, as beeswax and soy candles are lead-free, long-burning and made from renewable resources. Our florist purchased flowers from a local flower market, which helped to reduce our carbon footprint, since we did not need to have special blooms shipped in. Many of our details were handmade items from Etsy. While this isn’t necessarily an eco-friendly choice per se, we felt that it was important to support handmade, so it’s included on our list for that reason. By being conscious about where our decor was coming from (either from our homes or from Etsy) and by making super-easy choices regarding paper goods and materials, we were able to put together an event that strived for sustainability, which we felt confident about.

Photography: Creative Kindling | Florist: The Flower Shop | Ceremony Venue: Augustana College Chapel of Reconciliation | Reception Venue: Washington Pavilion of Arts & Science | Wedding Dress: Happily Ever After Bridal Salon | Birdcage Veil: Symphony Bridal | Hair: Salon Ne-Zhoni | Tuxedo: Evelyn’s Floral & Formalware | Guestbook Tree: Lovliday | Etsy sellers: Paloma’s Nest, Oatmeal Lace Design, LeahLeah, The Lucky Button, Y&E Bridal, BPoetic, Nomsa, Whisker Graphics, Whisker Works, galla 15, Earmark, ARemarkYouMade, QACreate, BoutiqueSophia | Wedding Cakes: HyVee Bakery, Sioux Falls, SD