Guy and Allison really know how to throw a wedding. And not just any wedding – a completely glamorous, vintage-inspired love-fest smack-dab in the heart of St. Louis. Think a sophisticated color palette, luxe details from Rogue Events and Design and perfectly crafted florals from Stems. All captured in mesmerizing images by Erin Stubblefield, this is sooo worthy of a trip to THE VAULT. See you there.
From the Bride… I will never forget the moment Guy kneeled down and pulled out what can only be described as the most beautiful vintage engagement ring a girl could hope for. From the moment we met I knew he was an old soul and from the very beginning our love had a timeless quality that seemed to transcend generations. The first time I saw his charming smile at a University of Missouri football tailgate hosted by his fraternity my freshman year of college I knew he was the one… my old soulmate! We fell fast and hard for each other in a whirlwind of laughter and selfless companionship. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Guy had become my best and truest friend. On our third anniversary, Guy asked me to be his wife – and the rest is history!
We took our vintage-inspired engagement photos on The University of Missouri campus where our love story began. We were enamored with how classic and ageless the photos turned out and decided to stick with our elegant vintage theme from then on. It was important to us that our wedding guests felt as if they had been transported back in time to an age of elegance and glamour, but with every comfort of the modern day. We toured nearly every historical venue in St. Louis looking for the perfect places to celebrate our marriage. Rooted in our traditional values, The Old Cathedral of St. Louis, which was built in 1834, was an obvious choice for our Catholic marriage ceremony. Father Dennis Stehly, a Monsignor from my childhood parish, agreed to preside and The Rosewood Ensemble, a string quartet and vocalist, created the perfect quintessential ambiance for our friends and family. Portraits of my deceased grandfathers were displayed near the altar, which was a special touch that made me and my family feel as if they were there with us. I had never felt more beautiful in my life than I did on that day thanks to Bliss Beauty Bar and my doting bridesmaids! While waiting with my dad for our double door entrance into the Cathedral, I will never forget telling him how I felt nothing but excitement in that moment – I had zero nerves!
Speaking of my dad, he surprised us with a vintage Rolls Royce to ride away in! The rest of our wedding party and families rode to the reception in a trolley. First, we stopped at The St. Louis Public Library – where all of the greatest love stories are kept. As wedding gifts to each other we had exchanged small leather bound books where we had written 100 things we loved about each other… so this photo destination was the perfect choice. Out of nowhere, it started to rain (which Guy said he was thankful for because he had heard it meant good luck for newlyweds)! Our cocktail hour and reception were held at St. Louis Union Station Hotel, which first opened in 1894 and is now respected as a National Historic landmark. The Grand Hall, where we held our reception, boasts 65-foot ceilings and a beautiful stained glass Tiffany and Co. masterpiece above the double staircase. Another one of our favorite memories of that night was waiting to be announced with our bridal party at the bottom of those stairs. I have known all of my bridesmaids since I was in preschool and Guy’s relationships with his groomsmen can be described as nothing short of brotherhood. It was then, in that moment, that we looked at each other and knew how impossibly blessed we were to have them and each other.
The reception space took my breath away when I saw it for the first time. A specialty table featuring childhood photos of Guy and me in gold frames was a special touch that I’m glad we included. STEMS Florist not only supplied us with impeccable bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages, but also created incredibly beautiful centerpieces with ivory and champagne roses and rosettes. It was important to us that our guests were able to see each other across the table and enjoy each other’s company – so we decided on tall gold candelabras and short trio arrangements alternating throughout the space. The room was sprinkled with candles in a variety of gold and mercury glass votives. Ivory linens, gold chargers, champagne overlays, and elegant place settings completed the tables. In lieu of wedding favors, we made donations in each guest’s name to The Alzheimer’s Association – a charity that is near and dear to our hearts (we both have had a grandparent affected by the disease). We used a photo book filled with vintage photos of St. Louis as our guest book – this was perfect because we now have it on our coffee table and can read well wishes and messages from our wedding guests whenever we’d like.
STEMS also supplied a gorgeous garland for our head table and the perfect cake topper for our wedding cake. We designed our wedding cake ourselves during a road trip to visit family a few months before the wedding and thanks to The Cakery Bakery our vision became a reality! Five tiers of sweet sugary goodness made with homemade vanilla – our cake featured a buttercream rosette base, two champagne tiers with delicate vintage piping, and two ivory tiers with gold ribbon. It tasted just as amazing as it looked! It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable four-course meal supplied by St. Louis Union Station. Guy was very involved in the tasting portion of our wedding planning and I have to admit that he did a fantastic job. In addition to a wonderful spread of cheeses and crackers, vegetables, fruits, and passed hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour – the first course, a baby greens and fresh berry salad in a cucumber wrap with a maple vinaigrette, was served by white gloved waiters as a dazzling high-definition light show was projected on the arched ceilings of the venue. Looking around and seeing all of our closest friends and family in absolute awe as they stared up at the ceiling was the moment we knew that all of the planning had been one hundred percent worth it.
The St. Louis Big Band provided a jazz quartet to accompany our cocktail hour and a 20-piece ensemble for the reception. Guy, my dad, and I had taken dance lessons during the months leading up to the wedding and were excited to start the party off with the waltzes we had practiced for the past couple of weeks. Guy and I were serenaded by Joe Mancuso, the St. Louis Big Band wedding singer, who performed our song “All the Way” by Frank Sinatra. I loved the way my Oleg Cassini gown flowed as he spun me around the dance floor! My dad and I danced to The Missouri Waltz – the official state song of Missouri that is most often associated with our alma mater The University of Missouri. Last but not least, Guy and his mom picked things up with Ella Fitzgerald’s “Our Love is Here to Stay”.
Free flowing champagne and a top-shelf open bar fully stocked with cigars guaranteed a night full of never-ending conversation, fun and laughter. The band eventually switched over to a DJ, also supplied by the St. Louis Big Band, and ended with a late night Panera station. Katie from Rouge Events was the perfect coordinator and Erin Stubblefield Photography captured every priceless moment flawlessly. The whole day went by in the blink of an eye. We woke up the next day and suddenly the weekend’s events felt like a dream. The best part? I got to marry the love of my life! If I could give any advice to future brides, I would say don’t worry too much about being trendy, trends come and go but your love (and your wedding photos) are forever! Always imagine things from your guest’s point of views. If you’re like us and have a majority of your guests coming from out of town you want to make sure you are treating them to an unforgettable event that represents your values and tastes. Lastly, I highly recommend making your gifts to each other on that big day something personal and heartfelt. We will have those little leather books for the rest of our lives and can read them whenever we want or need to. Something like that means so much more than a store bought gift!
Photography: Erin Stubblefield Weddings And Portraiture | Floral Design: Stems | Cake: The Cakery Bakery | Stationery: Kleinfeld Paper | Ceremony Venue: Old Cathedral | Reception Venue: St. Louis Union Station | Bride's Shoes: De Blossom | Rings: Forbes Jewelers | Bridesmaid's Dresses: David's Bridal | Hair + Makeup: Blissfully Beautiful Bride | Groom's Attire: Calvin Klein | Groomsmen's Attire: Calvin Klein | Transportation: St Louis Trolley | Coordination + Design: Rouge Events And Design | Wedding Dress + Veil: Oleg Cassini