Oh, I enjoy it that the sun is shining on couples on their day to get married. Particularly when the ceremony is outdoors, and their backdrop is made up of many meticulously folded cranes!
It was a blessing the weather was kind to Elisa and Matt. The rainy day went away, and the sun popped out just in time to take their vows. The couple who are cool got married by having a relaxed, rustic wedding at Heritage Prairie Farm in Illinois.
Their wedding day was filled with personal touches made from musical instruments to the ceremony, customized Lego favors, bluesy tunes, amazing food, and two beautiful dogs. All of this was captured candidly by Jake of Two Birds Photography.
With fabulous fashion (think the Keds and cropped trousers with a sprinkling of bridesmaids’ dresses, an exquisite lace dress), gorgeous florals, and a romantic rustic setting. Take inspiration from this adorable couple and their special wedding.
From the Bride & Groom
Matt and I both knew right from the start that we wanted a casual and enjoyable vibe for our wedding, and that’s our main goal throughout the entire process of planning.
We went with neutral and earthy tones for our wedding celebration and fought difficult to find clothing that could be enjoyed multiple times throughout the wedding. The groomsmen, bride, and groom all were wearing Keds as shoes, and Elisa’s shoes had the design hand-drawn by Matt that was revealed hours prior to the wedding.
We chose a minimalist and minimalist look in relation to wedding decor. The wedding venue was such a gorgeous setting, so it seemed the best to show off nature’s beauty on the grounds.
We made use of mismatched vases, lightly filled with wildflowers and lavender on our tables that were placed on the farm’s mismatched china and dotted with the sage leaves we found in the garden of our matron of honor.
Another important theme that was evident throughout the planning and wedding process was the importance of friendship.
We are extremely grateful for the assistance and advice we received from family and friends family members during the process of planning as well as on the day of the wedding.
A large number of family and friends attended the wedding during the weeks, days, and months preceding the wedding ceremony to fold paper cranes to make the curtain for the crane that was placed on the pergola at the site of the ceremony.
Matt’s close friend, who is a comic artist, was nice enough to create our guestbook. It was sketches made by the bride and groom, the groom and bride.
The day we got married, even though the storm was raging shortly before our ceremony set to begin at the moment the guests had settled at the table, the low-hanging storm clouds started to dissipate, and the sun began to shine through.
It was the gorgeous blue skies that came in that led to one of our most memorable memories of our day. Shortly after the ceremony, all our friends and family members paraded through the ceremony, dancing and playing instruments with the band that played “Anything for my Baby” by KISS.
When choosing the vendors we’d like to partner with, we were attentive to finding companies that we believed to have the same values and could be a part of the fun and fun vibe we wanted to create.
Jake of Two Birds Photography was previously a photographer for the weddings of two of Elisa’s siblings. It was an easy choice that he was asked to document the events of that day.
He’s a pot of creativity and a keen eye for detail with a charming personality that is able to calm even the most nervous or anxious people.
Starship Salon brought in a group of four and a coordinator who was responsible for all the makeup and hair of the bridal celebration. The makeup employed was cruelty-free and vegan as well. The salon reuses almost every item, thus reducing its carbon footprint to a minimum.
Elisa has had a long-standing connection with the talented and fun staff and the owner, Starship. Starship, and they provided a breath of fresh air both in the meticulous planning stages and during the actual wedding day.
Another standout event was the live group Gussied, who performed for the reception and cocktail hour. The bluegrass and bluesy band can cover nearly every tune in such a thrilling manner that it’s hard to recall how the original song sounded in the beginning.
The band was able to prepare three songs for the ceremony, and they were quick to shift to plan B as the rain started to pour in, which required the removal of the electronic equipment.
In the end, there’s no way this wedding would have been anything less than perfect without the incredible group from Heritage Prairie Farm at our side.
The wedding venue, the farm grounds, and the reception tent were stunning. The staff were amazing to collaborate with. Without the initial meeting with the Coordinator, Melisa, and almost immediate online contact via Basecamp with other team members, it is impossible we could have been as well-organized as we were on the day of the wedding.
The chef on site, Brett, cannot go, not mentioned either since we have guests who are still, six months after the wedding, who are still talking about our wedding reception.
We worked with the chef to create our ideal meal made from scratch. No, whatever the nebulous or specific our requests were, we were never denied. The staff at the farm is professional and friendly and a master at throwing a great celebration.
