Oh wow, are we fans of vintage delights and timeless romance like the love between today’s sweet couple, Alex + Ian! They were engaged on their one-year anniversary of dating — he proposed with her grandmother’s wedding ring in the house where Alex grew up! After 7 months of planning, these two celebrated with a wedding rich with deep greens, antique finds, and most beautiful of all, a love for the ages. It was important to the couple that family + friends be involved on every level, and once they found their dreamy estate venue, that’s exactly what happened.
Alex shares: Salisbury House & Gardens in our hometown of Des Moines, Iowa was the perfect venue for both the ceremony and reception. We both love history and hunting for vintage or antique treasures. Everything about the day was so beautiful and personal. My friend, Hannah, did my makeup. My bridesmaid, Mercedes, designed our invitations and my wedding night lingerie. My friend, Brittany, did all of the calligraphy on our invitation envelopes, as well as all the lettering on signs for the day. We both worked on the music playlist which our friend DJ’d with speakers my dad provided.
A photographer herself, Alex knew Kristen Marie Parker would deliver photos that captured all the emotion of the day–in fact, Kristen was the first person she contacted after A + I got engaged! And she wasn’t wrong; the photos are gorgeous! Let’s have a look, shall we?
You know we love ourselves some green wedding shoes! These strappy velvet beauties are from ASOS.
The grounds are stunning, these two are stunning…obsessed!
Shelly Sarver Designs crafted a vintage-inspired bouquet filled with garden roses, eucalyptus, and soft colors.
Alex wore a custom Juliet cap veil by Agnes Hart, designed in the style of fashionable bridal looks in the 1920s. Is anyone else thinking of Mary in Downton Abbey??
Okay, gentlemen: we love this color for a suit! Ian’s is from Top Man and he wore a Brackish Bowtie for a hint of vintage inspiration. Dapper to the core.
Doesn’t Alex look stunning?! We love how her vintage curls compliment her Mikaella Bridal gown from Schaffer’s Bridal–utterly timeless.
We see you, ladies. Lookin’ fierce! And all the shades of green are so good. These jade gowns are from ASOS. Inspired? We rounded together a few of our favorite pieces, inspired by Alex + Ian:
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Our ceremony was incredibly emotional. One hundred of our closest friends and family filled the beautiful common room at Salisbury House—there were so many tears. We walked down the aisle to “Ave Maria,” played on the violin by my 16-year-old cousin. My grandfather passed away 8 months before the wedding and “Ave Maria” was always a favorite of his.
Our friend, Jake, officiated our wedding. He made the whole ceremony so personal. He asked our parents to write us letters which he read aloud. Ian and I wrote our own vows and read them to each other, crying the whole time.
You guys, those tears! So sweet.
One of the best memories of the day was looking around at dinner and seeing all of our loved ones together. It was June in Iowa but the temperature was 77 degrees without humidity. We didn't have a seating plan, everyone sat where they wanted. We served Indian food, our favorite.
Alex + Ian collected over 100 brass candlesticks from various thrift and antique shops to use through out the estate. So classically beautiful!
This moon backdrop was a DIY by the couple!
A completely regal dessert table: One of my closest friends is behind Dust Bowl Bakery; she created a pumpkin + dark chocolate stout cake with cardamom frosting, several bundt cakes, and lemon lavender cake.
This topper! So absolutely perfect!
A + I celebrated with a first dance to “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones.
This photo…so romantic!
My advice for anyone planning a wedding would be to delegate! I am a control freak and wanted to do everything myself, but things got a lot less stressful when I was able to ask for help. Ian was the best support system and we were able to split up planning duties. He made a lot of great decisions and that took so much stress off my back. Planning a wedding in 7 months might not be the right decision for everyone, and I certainly questioned myself a few times, but when the wedding day came, I felt an incredible calmness the entire day. Everything was perfect because we all did it together.
What an incredibly special day with so much sweet emotion radiating from these love birds! All our best wishes to Alex + Ian!
photography: Kristen Marie Parker // venue name: Salisbury House & Gardens, Des Moines, Iowa, USA // florals: Shelly Sarver Designs // wedding dress: Mikaella Bridal Style #2016 // wedding dress boutique: Schaffer's Bridal // hairpiece: Custom by Agnes Hart // bride's shoes: ASOS // bridesmaid dresses: ASOS // groom attire: Top Man and Brackish Bowties // groom's ring: Joseph's Jewelers // paper goods: Mercedes Blomberg // calligraphy: Brittany Long // catering: Taste To Go // cake: Dust Bowl Bakery // desserts: Dust Bowl Bakery // officiant: Jacob Blomberg
