In the middle of this winter wedding wonderland, Forest Park stood out as a tropical oasis, with lush greenery and bright natural light, as it hosted one fabulously celebratory ceremony for these lovebirds. Turner Creative captured the colorful occasion before heading outside for stunning portraits of the newly married pair in the snow; see all the lovely locales right this way!
From the Bride… We met at Farm Aid in 2009 in Saint Louis; Randy was at the concert from Phoenix and I am from Saint Louis, and we had our first date in Phoenix a few weeks later. We have been to Farm Aid together each year since we met. Last year at Farm Aid 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Randy proposed with the help of several Farm Aid staffers. We will attend Farm Aid 30 in Chicago this September which will mark our seventh Farm Aid together(we have a few pictures with our Farm Aid Bandana from our engagement session and from our wedding day on the bus)!
Forest Park is the place I first told Randy I loved him. It is a very special place for us both. We loved the natural light and greenery in the Jewel Box and we needed an indoor venue for the February date we selected. We loved the style of the statler ballroom and the features with the marble floors and walls and the ornamental plaster ceilings. I recall watching the snowfall from the gorgeous windows in the room during our reception.
Our wedding was inspired by the classic and elegant feel of a navy, gold and ivory color palette with Southwest accents in florals. Randy is from Arizona and we spend a lot of time enjoying the desert Southwest. We incorporated succulents into the florals (Flowers to the People-Bridget Weible)
and my sisters (Bridesmaids) chose their own gowns in navy.
We had some special touches and traditions that we incorporated into your ceremony/reception:
-Randy is quite the foodie and loves most things “hot and spicy.” The groom’s cake was a hot sauce bottle!
-We displayed photos of our parents and grandparents’ wedding days at the reception.
-The unity candle we lit was the unity candle my parents lit at their wedding 40 years ago.
-My friend Maggie gifted me a lavender-scented heart pillow to bring me calm while getting ready for the wedding and I held it close. My sisters gifted me a monogrammed shirt with our wedding date and “i do”
-My late grandma Charlotte’s wedding band was incorporated into my bouquet
We love our wedding photos! We were blessed with a gorgeous snowfall on our wedding day. I remember being so excited walking down the aisle and upon seeing Randy I paused and felt a peaceful calm surround me. The snow coming down outside. Simple and beautiful. I loved sharing each moment of the day with Randy and snuggling close to him for warmth when we were getting our pictures in the snow.
We purchased the Meet Me in Saint Louis design by Rachael Brightfield and with the help of my sister and brother-in-law, printed gift tote bags for our out of town guests filled with our local favorites: Billy Goat Chips, Schlafly Beer, and Fitz’s rootbeer. Guests were also able to take home votive succulent centerpieces from the tables as favors!
Photography: Turner Creative Photography | Floral Design: Flowers To The People | Wedding Dress: Pronovias | Cake: The Cakery | Ceremony Venue: Forest Park | Reception Venue: The Aspen Institute At Wye River | DJ: Millennium Productions | Groom's Attire: Savvi Formalwear