Today, we’ve got a stunning wedding that combines an organic feel and an urban setting.
Cordelia & Cale were married at Wunderkammer Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The gallery was the ideal canvas for the informal celebration with foliage, and the talented photographers Evan and Emily from Perregeaux were there to capture the details.
We’ve always loved it when couples choose to reflect the style, interests, and everyday lives of their team at their wedding. Cordelia and Cale did exactly that.
Cordelia wanted to keep things personal, so she chose to use her home’s color scheme, select her grandfather’s favorite restaurant to cater, customize the playlist with their favorite songs, and even make her dress from her mother’s wedding gown.
There’s so much to love (and steal!) about this chic, modern wedding. It has a beautiful bouquet, handmade stationery, and many DIY elements that are cool and creative. This stylish, modern marriage is full of ideas to steal.
The Story of Our Proposal
We met through mutual friends in college. We dated each other for six years before we got married!
I thought that since Christmas 2014 was approaching quickly, we would not be engaged in 2015. Cale had been hiding a ring in his apartment since October!
Cale’s cousins and I planned a weekend getaway for the winter. We rented a small cottage in northern Michigan. We arrived on a Friday evening. While Kate and I were shopping for groceries, Cale informed his cousin, Jon of his plans, to propose Saturday on our hike.
We woke up Saturday morning, had breakfast, and, most importantly, had coffee together. Jon let Kate know about Cale’s plans. We planned our hikes and the places we would visit. We dressed in warm clothing. Kate’s request that I wear something I would like to be photographed wearing was a bit strange, but Kate is a photographer, and it was normal. We grabbed our camera and left.
We visited some amazing places and took incredible pictures. The three of us would stop at each location, and they would decide if it was a good spot to “do something” while I would just enjoy the view.
We continued to Leland in Michigan, a small fishing village. It was so cute! We all walked onto the huge piers. All you could see were the lake and snow. It was peaceful and COLD. Jon and Kate started to walk down the dock, and I followed.
Cale grabbed me by the hand and said, “wait!” Take my picture. I laughed because Cale hates taking pictures and also because he’s a jokester. I then took his photo. He hugged me and said, “I love You,” and I laughed and replied, “Ya, I also love You”. I turned my back for a moment and took a picture of the water disappearing into the sky.
When I turned around, his 6’2″ body was not where I expected to find it. The world was frozen as he was on his knees. I wasn’t sure if I had dreamed.
I finally realized that he had asked, “So will you marry me?”. When I touched the box, I realized that it was real. Cale always makes me laugh, so I laughed. Then I realized that I had to say yes. Then I said yes!
The whole thing took only two minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. When I looked up, Kate was taking pictures and crying while Jon was beaming from ear to ear. It was truly perfect. It was perfect.
We also called my biological father, whom he asked, as well as my parents, whom he asked in September. We told his parents to be quiet and called them. We then turned off all of our phones.
We spent the evening playing games, drinking Champagne, and spending time together. It was perfect. In the morning, we would tell others, but that evening was all about us.
Our Wedding
I never dreamed of getting married as a little girl. Cale was the first boy I wanted to hold hands with in public.
I spent a lot of time looking at weddings in different blogs during the first couple of years that we were dating, including this blog! Each time I heard a great song or one that we liked, I saved it for our wedding. Pinterest was launched, and I began collecting images of the things I wanted.
As a guest, a violinist, a photographer, and a caterer, I attended many weddings. I have seen everything from high-end weddings to weddings in gymnasiums.
I was able to realize that being true to myself and to my partner is the most important thing about planning your wedding.
Cale and I are from simple families. I was raised eating home-cooked meals, having meaningful conversations, and making things myself. No matter how much I wanted it, we were not children attending black-tie events.
When it came to planning our wedding, my goal was to create the feeling of a party in our own home. I wanted to serve the food and beverages we eat and drink every day. I tried to cook with olive oil and fresh herbs because I do. I wouldn’t say I liked chips and pop, nor did I want prime rib with caviar.
We created playlists based on our favorite songs. Our wedding was limited to 120 guests. We chose simple, classic details that reflected who we are as a couple and how we live our lives on a daily basis.
