I was inspired by Meg’s wedding in Little Women. The ladies arranged flowers the morning of, while the guys played beach volleyball. Since we were in my hometown and surrounded by friends with various skills, it truly felt like we had a village behind us, using their unique talents to pull together each element of our day. That made the whole process even more special.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
(E+C) Chase currently plays for the Chicago Bears as a tight end. He enjoys playing guitar, doing crosswords, and hanging out with friends and family. Emma is a graphic designer by trade, but enjoys reading, the outdoors & recently, pottery. Together we enjoy going to the movies, cooking, taking our dog on walks. The simple life!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
(E) We first met at a Christmas party during our first semester of college. I noticed Chase right away, he is quite tall with auburn hair. We were brought together by our mutual best friend (his mom made our wedding cake), and ended up racing barefoot around the house before the night was over (I won).
(C) We ran into each other a second time at a party after Christmas break, I think we laughed the entire time. It was so effortless.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
(E) I realized pretty quickly that I could marry him – the way he made me laugh. I felt understood by him. And wanted to spend all my time with him. That really hasn’t changed.
(C) I remember having a long call with her in the summer a couple months after we’d first met. We spoke for hours while I drove back to college. After hanging up I realized there was no one else I’d rather spend my life talking to.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
(E) He proposed on our middle school football field, where we had our first date, on his birthday! It was such a surprise and couldn’t have been more perfect for us. We got married a year later on the same day.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
(E) I spent my college years freelancing as a wedding photographer, so I was aware of the typical timeline & routine of a wedding day. Because of that experience, I was able to have a perspective on how quickly the day goes by, which allowed me to be selective on how we would fill our time with the people we love. We decided to have the wedding in my parent’s backyard. I wanted it to feel grounded, simple, honest, and fun. I was inspired by Meg’s wedding in Little Women. The ladies arranged flowers the morning of, while the guys played beach volleyball. Since we were in my hometown and surrounded by friends with various skills, it truly felt like we had a village behind us, using their unique talents to pull together each element of our day. That made the whole process even more special. It was such an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
(E) We were happy to splurge on the live band. Music is a big part of our lives and central to the way we spend time with our friends and family; Chase usually pulls out his guitar at some point during every get together. Our band learned each of our first dance songs, which made it feel even more memorable & authentic to us and our families. We also had a group of elderly people play ukulele’s as we walked down the aisle, the whole thing felt pretty surreal.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
(E) The night before our rehearsal dinner, there was an unbelievable downpour. Our ceremony was up on a hill in our parents’ backyard, but the reception and rehearsal dinner were across the street under a tent in the park. Weeks before, one of our neighbors told us about how the park had flooded 20 years ago and connected to the lake across the street. Since then, draining systems were put in place & we had never seen it gather so much as a puddle. But the rains came, and a lake formed. All the tables, chairs, generator, dance floor, sat in two feet of water. My dad, brothers, uncles, and friends spent the entire day sub pumping the park out so it would be ready to use for the reception. We ended up moving the rehearsal down the road to another local park. Our people came through and saved the day. Although, we briefly contemplated telling our guests to pack a swimsuit.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
(E) I planned to order a dress online, but my family was visiting Charleston and my aunt wanted to go to a shop for fun. So, a couple hours before our flight home, they were able to let us stop in to try some on. I immediately noticed one on the rack, tried it on, and knew it was what I wanted. I carried it home with me on the plane! For the guys, I really wanted brown suits, Western, 70’s style. Which was pretty difficult to find. We ended up finding what we were looking for in my hometown, it was nice to take care of that locally.
Ceremony location: Our Parent’s Backyard / Reception location: Summer Circle Park, local park / Photographer: Nicole Fladebo, @the.fladebos / Videographer: Jack Sarcone, @jacksarcone / Celebrant: My childhood pastor, Clint Loveall / Entertainment: Retro Gold, @theretrogoldband / Styling: Bride / Planner: Glenda Moeller, a friend of the family / Flora: Myself & my girlfriends. Wholesaled flowers thanks to Glenda! / Catering + Beverages: Local Mexican restaurant, Don Jose in Estherville Iowa. Bartender was a local friend / Cake: My mom’s best friends, Coral & Sarah / Stationery: Graphic design at Noon Swim Club, @noonswimclub / Registry: Zola – gifts mostly from Crate & Barrel / Bride’s Dress: Modern Trousseau, @moderntrousseaucharleston / Groom + Groomsmen’s Attire: Evans / Engagement Ring: VRAI, @vraiofficial / Wedding Bands: Holden, @holdenrings / Reception Shoes: Boot Barn, @boot_barn_official / Earrings: Handmade from a local jeweler with freshwater pearls – Spirit Lake Silver & Gold, @spiritlakesilverandgold / Makeup: One of the bride’s girlfriends / Hair: Heather from Euphoria Salon, @euphoria.salon_ / Fragrance: Rosie by Rosie Jane, @byrosiejane / Bridesmaid Dresses: DISSH, @dissh
