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This grey and purple wedding in Nebraska was picture perfect in every way. Matt & Ellen are the sweetest couple and as you can see; head over heels for each other too! Ellen was nice enough to share some of her thoughts about her wedding day. She gives some great advice to brides who are planning their weddings. Enjoy!
Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
A: It was really important to my husband and I that our day was unique to us and our tastes. For us, that meant keeping some of the more traditional aspects, and ditching some of the traditions that didn’t suite us. Our ceremony was in the church I grew up in, and incorporated so many of the people most important to us. We had a full band serenading the ceremony with music by The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles. We wanted our
wedding to have a soft romantic vibe, which is why chose to decorate with lots of candles and have a 6pm ceremony as opposed to earlier in the evening.
Q: Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A: Pretty much all of our decor was DIY! My maid of honor is incredibly crafty and she helped my mom and I make most of our decorations. We made pew bows out of tulle, ribbon, and lavender. We purchased fabric to make our own table runners and made a backdrop for our sweetheart table using shower curtains, string lights, and pvc pipe. We strung outdoor lights from the ceiling of our reception venue, and hung foam balls covered in purple flowers from each of the windows. Our table decor included vases of many shapes and sizes, most of which were purchased at thrift stores.
Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A: The overall style of our wedding was soft, romantic, and classic. We opted for all white flowers and greenery, which we purchased in bulk and arranged ourselves (with the help of our family and bridesmaids). Because we did it ourselves, we were able to have so many fresh flowers at a fraction of the cost, and I felt they added so much to our table decor and the overall design of the ceremony and reception. Each bouquet and boutonniere was handmade and unique, and helped to represent us and our unique tastes.
Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A: What was most important to us was the personal touches we added to the day to make it our own. We placed childhood photos of my husband and I at each of the tables, and had personalized Hershey’s kisses at each table for guests to enjoy. We skipped the traditional wedding cake and opted for a frozen yogurt bar instead! Those small touches helped to make the day feel more personal to us and ended up being my favorite details to plan as well.
Q: Let’s talk fashion. How did you choose your wedding day look? How did the groom? Describe both looks in detail.
A: I knew I wanted a ballgown with lace and tulle, that just felt so romantic to me. Once I picked the dress that helped to guide the look for my husband and his groomsmen. We opted for a more casual look, having the groomsmen wear a shirt and tie with no jacket. My husband wore a jacket, and I’m so happy with how that turned out. The men wore ivory shirts because my dress was ivory, and we went with a medium gray. We actually purchased the pants and shirts instead of renting them, which helped to ensure that it was exactly what we wanted and the fit was great for everyone. We purchased ties for the groomsmen so all the ties were different, representing them in some way, while still fitting the color palate for the wedding. I knew I wanted my bridesmaids to wear different dresses, so I simply sent them some inspiration and suggestions and let them pick what they loved. That ended up working so well because each dress represented each person so well, and everyone was happy with the way they looked. I love how this look photographed, and am very happy with the decision to do this instead of having all the women wear the same dress.
Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A: We met through some mutual friends when my husband was in grad school and I was teaching. We started dating pretty soon after. About a year into our relationship my husband moved to Denver for a job (about 7 hours from where I was) and we were long distance for the next year of dating. It was a huge challenge but in the end helped to ensure we were great communicators and brought us closer together. After 2 years of dating he proposed in front of a fountain in New York City. We were there visiting my brother, and were off on our own exploring. He wrote me the sweetest note about why he loved me and how he knew I was the one for him, and as I was reading it he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was the sweetest moment that I will never forget.
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A: I was so excited for our first look. We did this outside before our ceremony, with just us and Meghan, our photographer. It was such a special moment that helped to ease my nerves and make me so excited to get the ceremony started. During our ceremony our pastor read aloud letters we had written to each other about why we wanted to marry each other. Hearing Matt’s letter for the first time made me so happy and in that moment I felt so loved. I will never forget those words.
Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
A: Hire a photographer who will help! Meghan was so eager to help us create a timeline for the day, and help with many of the major things that I had no idea how to do. Take the time to add personal touches to your day, don’t get caught up in following tradition or doing what you think other people will want, do what is important to you, because in the end it is your day and it should happen exactly as you want it to.
[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1512341843153-638013cd-a62c-1″ include=”31877,31878,31879,31880,31881,31882,31883,31884,31885,31886,31887,31888,31889,31890,31891,31892,31893,31894,31895,31896,31897,31898,31899,31900,31901,31902,31903,31904,31905,31906,31907,31908,31909,31910,31911,31912,31913,31914,31915,31916,31917,31918,31919,31920,31921,31922,31923,31924,31925,31926,31927,31928,31929,31930,31931,31932″][vc_column_text]A note from the photographer: Matt & Ellen’s wedding took place in Lincoln Nebraska, where the two of them are from. After a relaxing morning at the salon with her ladies, they headed off to the church to finish getting ready. They chose the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus as a beautiful location to have a first look, check out their wedding bands for the first time, and then take a few minutes to just hang out together. Shortly after that they were joined by their wedding party to snap a few photos, including one of the most entertaining photos I might have ever taken. Then we headed back to the church to get them hitched! After a very emotional ceremony, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, it was time to party. These love birds met at a local bar in Lincoln called Duffy’s, so while the guests were making their way to Chey Hay for the reception, the bridal party had an obligatory drink to celebrate their union. The reception was full of amazing food, lots of laughter, and even some fro-yo!
Photographer: Spencer Studios//Reception Venue: Chez Hay//Calligrapher: Cora Calligraphy//Dress Store:Elegant Occasions //Culinary: Jilly Bean Ice Cream//Equipment Rentals: Nostalgia Rentals//Hair Stylist:Salon Chic//Makeup Artist:Spa De Da//Ceremony Location: St. Paul Methodist Church//[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
