Colorful Whimsy at Les Bourgeois Winery
When it come to whimsy, this Missouri wedding reigns Queen. It's a personality driven affair full of creativity and color. Lots and lots of color. And can I just say that the Bride's headpiece is quite possibly my most favorite thing ever. It suits her gorgeous vintage look and this wedding to a t. See the full day captured by Lindsey Pantaleo right here.
From the Bride... Our wedding day was something I had thought about for a long time since Larkin and I were together for 8 years before tying the knot. We wanted something sweet and genuine that showed off our personalities and my love for design and creativity. I loved the planning process and enjoyed adding elements that were truly one of a kind. The style of our day was whimsical, sophisticated, and a little sassy.
We currently live in Toronto, Canada, but we’re originally from the Midwest. We always thought it would be nice to have our celebration in Rocheport (population 243) because it’s such a charming town full of Bed & Breakfasts, with galleries, antique shops, and even a blacksmith. Many guests stayed within three blocks of each other. The mayor baked our pizzas at the general store for the rehearsal dinner, and together we walked down the cobblestone streets before walking down the aisle. We chose to have the wedding a couple miles up the road at Les Bourgeois Winery. The bluff top overlooking the Missouri River was an ideal ceremony location, showcasing how truly beautiful Missouri can be. The rustic terrace inside the winery served as the setting for our quaint reception while Ironweed, a local bluegrass band, provided the tunes on the bluff for the ceremony and cocktail hour. In designing the invitations, I was inspired by the venue, and I really wanted to emphasize its location on the river. We served pies from our favorite shop in our hometown, which was special since we spent many date nights chatting over a slice of chocolate cheesecake.
For the florals, I had something a little different in mind. While in college, I worked at Poppy, a jewelry and art boutique in downtown Columbia, Mo. It was there that I met another artist and now dear friend, Lili Johnstone of D’fy. She made every single paper flower for our wedding by hand. She spent months and hundreds of hours making these one of a kind masterpieces into bouquets, centerpieces, and everything in between. I am so thankful for her hard work, and I admire her persistence on this project! As you can imagine, planning a wedding from another country had its challenges, but knowing Lili was in charge was such a huge stress reliever.
I wanted my dress to be something comfortable that was easy to dance in since I knew we’d be breakin’ it down all night! There is a dress shop called The Brides’ Project in Toronto. They sell gently used, donated gowns, and all of their profits go to various cancer charities. I loved this idea! I ended up finding a discontinued style that I had pinned, and it was truly meant to be. I was alone at the shop (which is a house filled with dresses), so I frantically texted my mom and best friend for reassurance before the purchase. The sweet high-low gown perfectly framed my mint heels. I topped it off with a sparkly blush shrug from BHLDN and a custom fascinator from Lilliput Hats in Toronto. The beautiful bridesmaids chose their own dresses, and despite the fact that we had never all been in one location until the day before the wedding, everything coordinated perfectly.
For the groom, we went with J Crew for a stylish sophisticated look. Larkin wore a brown Ludlow suit and a chambray tie. The groomsman chose their own outfits as well, which were mismatched with suspenders, ties, and bow ties. They were totally charming. Lili also made their matching boutonnieres out of paper.
We were so grateful for our friends and family who helped on the day of the wedding. I learned to release control and trust that things would turn out perfectly, and I’m so glad I did.
There were so many favorite parts of the day. From the first time we saw each other to having a quiet moment in the vineyard after the ceremony, to the loving toasts and the performance of an original song by the groomsmen at the reception. Of course, it’s hard to top seeing my grandfather dance to Ke$ha! It was so special to be together with everyone we love in one location, dancing the night away. The day was truly magical.
We currently live in Toronto, Canada, but we’re originally from the Midwest. We always thought it would be nice to have our celebration in Rocheport (population 243) because it’s such a charming town full of Bed & Breakfasts, with galleries, antique shops, and even a blacksmith. Many guests stayed within three blocks of each other. The mayor baked our pizzas at the general store for the rehearsal dinner, and together we walked down the cobblestone streets before walking down the aisle. We chose to have the wedding a couple miles up the road at Les Bourgeois Winery. The bluff top overlooking the Missouri River was an ideal ceremony location, showcasing how truly beautiful Missouri can be. The rustic terrace inside the winery served as the setting for our quaint reception while Ironweed, a local bluegrass band, provided the tunes on the bluff for the ceremony and cocktail hour. In designing the invitations, I was inspired by the venue, and I really wanted to emphasize its location on the river. We served pies from our favorite shop in our hometown, which was special since we spent many date nights chatting over a slice of chocolate cheesecake.
For the florals, I had something a little different in mind. While in college, I worked at Poppy, a jewelry and art boutique in downtown Columbia, Mo. It was there that I met another artist and now dear friend, Lili Johnstone of D’fy. She made every single paper flower for our wedding by hand. She spent months and hundreds of hours making these one of a kind masterpieces into bouquets, centerpieces, and everything in between. I am so thankful for her hard work, and I admire her persistence on this project! As you can imagine, planning a wedding from another country had its challenges, but knowing Lili was in charge was such a huge stress reliever.
I wanted my dress to be something comfortable that was easy to dance in since I knew we’d be breakin’ it down all night! There is a dress shop called The Brides’ Project in Toronto. They sell gently used, donated gowns, and all of their profits go to various cancer charities. I loved this idea! I ended up finding a discontinued style that I had pinned, and it was truly meant to be. I was alone at the shop (which is a house filled with dresses), so I frantically texted my mom and best friend for reassurance before the purchase. The sweet high-low gown perfectly framed my mint heels. I topped it off with a sparkly blush shrug from BHLDN and a custom fascinator from Lilliput Hats in Toronto. The beautiful bridesmaids chose their own dresses, and despite the fact that we had never all been in one location until the day before the wedding, everything coordinated perfectly.
For the groom, we went with J Crew for a stylish sophisticated look. Larkin wore a brown Ludlow suit and a chambray tie. The groomsman chose their own outfits as well, which were mismatched with suspenders, ties, and bow ties. They were totally charming. Lili also made their matching boutonnieres out of paper.
We were so grateful for our friends and family who helped on the day of the wedding. I learned to release control and trust that things would turn out perfectly, and I’m so glad I did.
There were so many favorite parts of the day. From the first time we saw each other to having a quiet moment in the vineyard after the ceremony, to the loving toasts and the performance of an original song by the groomsmen at the reception. Of course, it’s hard to top seeing my grandfather dance to Ke$ha! It was so special to be together with everyone we love in one location, dancing the night away. The day was truly magical.