Authentic Rustic South Dakota Wedding
As I caught Ross, the groom, in a quiet moment before the pictures began, I asked if he was happy with how everything had come together. He told me it all exceeded their expectations and was so much better than they had even dreamt. I shared with him that much of the success of the day was due to how well he and Jenna had prioritized from the very beginning. The two of them were a perfect example of investing in the details that truly mattered to them and those elements that captured the uniquely personal details of their love story. Everything else that wasn’t that important, we scaled back or cut out completely. This not only saved them money and headache, but more importantly, it meant that they truly loved every detail of their day. I always ask my couples in an after the wedding questionnaire, “What element of the day was part of the planning, but ended up being insignificant on the day?” In a perfect world, the couple would say, “Nothing!” I want every piece of the wedding, from décor to dessert to reflect their love story and vital to their celebration. For Jenna & Ross, we captured this completely.
Since it has been trending for a couple of years, when Jenna told me that she wanted a “rustic, farm” style for her wedding, it didn’t come as any surprise. What set her apart was the fact that this time, it truly made perfect sense for her wedding to Ross. They met while working in an agriculture setting, and have continued to work together for the past several years. The fact that I was raised on a farm was just a bonus to help me understand their vision, since I knew just how much of themselves they put into their work. For many people, a job is just a job, but for those working in the ag world, it is a part of who they are and a testimony of how much heart they pour into every day. We reflected this heart in their menu choices, the style of the floral, and the custom details-like monograms burned into the wood slabs and antique glass insulators for the table décor.
I am a big believer in giving credit where credit is due, so I do have to share a couple of other factors that allowed us to create this perfectly personalized day for Jenna and Ross. One of the factors was time. If you want my professional opinion on the perfect length engagement, I always say, 1 year. It allows for plenty of planning time, without paying for rush fees and without missing out on your preferred vendors. It also means that you don’t have years and years to over-analyze and build unnecessary details into your wedding. Too many brides spend hours of extra energy adding details to their day, just because they have the time to do so. More time is not always a friend to wedding planning.
The other vital factor that allowed for Jenna & Ross to have their dream wedding experience was me! I say that not to toot my own horn, but because Jenna and Ross were planning their wedding from long distance. Having a local planner to contact vendors, attend meetings, and speak on their behalf was imperative for them. Their absolute trust in me and the excellent communication between all of us was the other magic ingredient in making sure that I could help produce the wedding they were envisioning. I share with all my couples that our relationship with each other is so important to a successful event. My couples need to trust my expertise, while at the same time feel like I am on exactly the same page with them for every detail of the day. Open, clear communication and a genuine camaraderie is the basis for every good client/planner relationship.
Vendor Team
Planning & Decor: Plan to Party -Cake: The Cake Lady -Catering: Tony’s -DJ: I Do Entertainment -Floral: The Flower Mill -Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse -Transportation: Stellar Limo -Venue: Summit Events Hall -Rentals: ABC Rentals (ceremony chairs) -Photography: Solis Photography
