This post has been a long time coming and it is a BEAST. I shot this wedding in Le Mars, Iowa in September 2015. The day was absolutely beautiful and every single detail was beyond perfect. The bride, Jessica, is a fellow photographer. What an honor! I love working for other ‘togs especially when it comes to weddings because they get it. Jess has seen hundreds of weddings and took the bits and pieces of amazing weddings to create her own, Pinterest-perfect wedding. It was a dream!
The wedding began at St. John’s Lutheran Chuch in Le Mars. However, instead of a typical church wedding, these guys got married on the church lawn. LOVE! So many fabulous details when your backdrop is a beautiful church and some green grass. It was gorgeous.
This wedding was also unique in that the couple heavily involved the groom’s son in the ceremony. Jess actually surprised her new groom with vow’s especially for her new stepson and I don’t think there was a dry eye on the lawn. It was so touching. You could really see the love this new little family has for each other.
Jess and Dustin had an amazingly fun wedding party that kept everyone laughing all day. They put up with my bossiness, which was arguably worse than normal because I was 8 months pregnant at this wedding! Totally worth it – I honestly think this will always be one of my favorite weddings!
Jess and her mom went all out when it came to the reception. They rented out a building at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds and decorated it from top to bottom. It was breathtaking. You know those amazing barn weddings you see on Pinterest? Yeah. I’m pretty sure this was better! They draped fabric from the rafters, hung chandeliers, made custom centerpieces for all the tables, had a jaw-dropping table for the cake and other dessert (SO MANY DESSERTS), and hung an amazing ladder and mason jar decoration above the head table.
AND THE FOOD. Oh, Mylanta. Arriving at the reception, guests were greeted with rows of appetizers displayed in the most adorable ways. A round bar height table held water and lemonade, as well as some signature drinks crafted by the couple. A wagon at the front of the reception venue overflowed with an amazing cake displayed on a tree stump engraved with the couples’ names, along with dozens of cupcakes and other desserts on tree rounds. Another wagon collected all the gifts for the couple. Funny and clever signs were hung throughout the barn reminding everyone to enjoy (and Instagram!) the night.
Honestly, words don’t do it justice, so I’ll let the photos talk. Enjoy!
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