Countless weddings were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, from cancellations and postponements to cutting guest lists by 90% which is what this bride and groom did to keep their original wedding date. What started out as a tough decision, turned into an intimate backyard garden wedding, practically planned by the bride’s mom with overflowing blooms by Ebb & Flow Florals which transformed the space. Photographed by Jessica Bedore, you can feel the sweetness from start to finish, even from the local custard shop!
From Jessica Bedore Photography…During a season of extreme uncertainty when many couples were choosing to postpone their wedding day, Margaret and Tim were faced with a choice they never thought they would have to make. After spending a year planning a grand garden affair with 200 of their closest friends and family members, COVID made those dreams impossible only weeks before their wedding date. After hearing the news that they could no longer host their wedding day as expected, the pair had to make a hard decision – whether to move forward with a different version of their wedding day while keeping their original date or postpone until months later.
The decision was really hard for Margaret and Tim, but after several phone calls with their vendor team, they chose to keep their original date in early June and host a smaller, more intimate wedding in Margaret’s parents’ backyard. Luckily, Margaret’s parents were up for the challenge of turning their gorgeous backyard into the perfect scene for an English-garden-inspired dinner.
Margaret and Tim and so many special touches planned, and we loved photographing all of the thought that was put into this day. Family heirloom wine glasses were on display as well as bottles of Cabernet from one of the family’s favorite Napa vineyards, Far Niente. As a surprise to the bride and groom, Margaret’s parents had a congratulatory message written on the sign for their favorite local custard shop Zesty’s Frozen Custard, walking distance from where the bride and groom grew up. Later that evening, after the cake was cut, guests were treated to an ice cream bar from that very same shop. Such a fun end to the day!
Highlights from this day as a photographer were the gorgeous tent and stunning flowers by Ebb & Flow Flowers. The all-day forecasted rainy skies that turned a beautiful golden color at dinner made our hearts sing and reminded us what wedding days are all about – celebrating the pure, undeniable love that couples have for one another, and that their families have for them.
From the Bride and Groom…Even before the pandemic, our wedding planning wasn’t a straightforward process. With Margaret in medical school in Omaha and Tim transitioning careers, planning a wedding in Wisconsin was challenging. We knew we wanted a summer garden wedding vibe from the beginning, but that dream became a big challenge leading up to the wedding as the scope of the pandemic became more and more clear in late spring. Despite our original plan fitting (mostly) within local restrictions by late June, we made the hard decision to move the reception to Margaret’s parents’ home, minimizing the guest count to keep everyone safe.
Our budget went a lot further under the new circumstances. The back yard and tent were transformed into an almost magical garden thanks to our incredible florist, Sunny from Ebb & Flow, and we got to plan the menu of our dreams through The Runaway Spoon since our guest list was only 10% of what we had originally planned. We had incredible vendors who we trusted completely, and their creative skills made the day exceptionally beautiful.
Ultimately, it was a team effort to make the day happen, and we relied on our families a lot to make sure that the details came together. From Tim’s family hosting the rehearsal dinner at their new home and his sister spending three days preparing their backyard, to Margaret’s dad booking us a tent only 48 hours prior to the wedding day when the forecast called for rain, so much of what made the weekend special was not in our original plan. We are really grateful for Margaret’s mom especially, for picking up a lot of the slack leading up to the wedding, as it was such a transitional time in our lives. Since the wedding wasn’t at a venue, there was no staff or planning support, so Margaret’s mom truly became our coordinator!
We have been through a lot of change and challenges together since we started dating our first year in college! We’ve done long-distance, a couple of cross-country moves career changes, medical school and so much more, so planning a wedding during a pandemic was just another thing on a list of unexpected turns for us. We are so grateful to have been able to celebrate safely with our loved ones!
Photography: Jessica Bedore Photography | Flowers: Ebb & Flow Flowers | Brides Shoes: Everlane | Catering: Runaway Spoon | Lighting: Dream Lighting | Tent Rental: Elite Tent Rentals | Bridal Gown Designer: Anne Barge | Bridal Jewelry: Mejuri | Bride's Reception Jumpsuit: Lulus | Film Scans: The Find Lab | Groom's Tux: Bonobos | Groomsmen Tuxes: The Black Tux | Hair/Makeup: Sparkle Darling | Ice Cream: Zesty's Frozen Custard | Invites: Zola | Rentals: Vintage Farmhouse Tables