Beautiful Wedding

Just a quick tease of some of the fun that we had with the wedding at Cedar Ridge Winery last night with Maria and Michael!

Real Weddings | One-Year Anniversary

One year ago today, my husband Chad and I were married!  Both our ceremony and reception were held at Cedar Ridge Winery in Swisher, Iowa.  I grew up in Cedar Rapids, and Chad and I met at The Univ of Iowa in Iowa City, and Swisher is just about exactly half-way in-between the two cities, so it seemed a perfect location.  I can't believe it's already been a year - looking back on our wedding, we could not have been happier with anything.  We really did have amazing vendors, and now I'm even working for Cynthia and her company, something I did not see coming!  Life is crazy sometimes.

Our photographers, Sb Photography, are a husband and wife team who do stunning work.  Photography was one of my priorities, so I did a lot of research finding the right one for us.  Samantha and Stephen are so easy and fun to work with, and one of the things I loved about them is that on our day, they almost disappeared into the background.  This allowed them to get some really great shots of everything that was going on, not just all posed photos.

My bridesmaids and I got ready at Tru Salon & Spa in Coralville - I have been going to Tru for multiple years now, and they always do such amazing work.  We also got ready at the salon because photos were to take place downtown Iowa City immediately after.

We started off with pictures of just the girls, and then met up with the guys ... Chad and I did a first look separately from everyone else.  I would absolutely recommend a 'first look' to anyone getting married.  I completely understand not wanting to see each other before that special moment coming down the aisle, however doing it beforehand took off so much of the pressure, and some of my absolute favorite shots from the day were from before the ceremony.  And, you do still get that special moment walking down the aisle, I promise!  

After photos downtown Iowa City, we headed up to Cedar Ridge for family photos and a little bit of down time before the ceremony.  

The cake topper was the same one used by my parents!

Our flower girl, Ava and I out at the winery.  

We knew we were taking a risk by having our ceremony outside, but the weather turned out to be perfect.  [Hard to believe with the temp only being in the 50s today!  Iowa weather.  Sigh.]  Our officiant was not only the pastor I grew up with, but he's also a very good family friend, so our ceremony was that much more extra special.  Our guests were seated in a semi-round arrangement, which made us literally surrounded by our family and friends.  

After the ceremony, our guests were able to relax and enjoy the great weather during the social hour.  There was, of course, wine from the winery, as well as hors d'oeuvres.  Meanwhile, Chad and I went off with our photographers to get a few more photos around the winery.  This time was great because it allowed Chad and I to spend a little bit of time together after the whirlwind of the day and before the reception.  

Then, of course, the reception!  We were so happy with the work Cynthia and her company did, and this was prior to me working for Cynthia, so I feel I can say that without bias!  The whole day went so smoothly and it such a relief to be able to concentrate on our day and not setting up all the decor.  In the past year, Cedar Ridge has now built an actual permanent structure, so the tent is no longer.  In addition to the wedding cake, my grandma also made multiple flavors of homemade cheesecake, which was not only delicious, but was also a personal touch for our day.

[The photo above was actually taken my dad so we could immediately use it for our thank you notes]

Overall, we were so happy with everything on our wedding day - we can't believe it's already been a year, and it's always fun to look back at photos and relive the whole experience!  

Our Wedding Notes - 

Ceremony & Reception Location | Cedar Ridge Winery

Photography | Sb Photography

Videography | ProVideo

Wedding Planning and Decor | Special Events, LLC

Florals | cynwhd b designs

Rentals | UBetts Rental & Design

DJ | Ultimate Entertainment

Bakery | Village Cup & Cakes

Catering | Chef Mickeys

Hair & Makeup | Tru Salon & Spa

Stationery | Lotus Moments

- Emma L. Barden

Real Weddings | Emma and Chad

Last fall, we had the privilege of working with a wonderful couple; Chad and Emma. Their wedding was set in a beautiful vineyard at that perfect time of the day when the sun just starts to be romantic.

Samantha Bender was the photographer that shot this gorgeous wedding. As you can see, her work is suburb and it was a joy working with her. Samantha is not one of those photographers that are "in your face," but rather works with the moment, capturing images and manipulating the light to give everything that she shoots that perfect artistic edge. To be honest, you hardly know that she is there, and then this perfect picture comes from what you thought was a lost moment. She truly is an artist.

Chad and Emma opted for a romantic evening dinner, so since their Ceremony and Reception were at the same place, they decided to do a later Ceremony outside. The vineyard has a rock patio that was perfect for the bridal party while their guests were seated around them. I love doing Ceremonies in the semi-round as it lets the couple be surrounded by the love of family and guests.

Their Reception was held in a tent on the property.  We added drapery, lights and Chinese Lanterns to decorate the ceiling as well as beautiful linens and decor.  You would never know that we had to weight the tent down with big boulders found on the property because of the blowing wind.   I don't know how many times we replaced tablecloths and chargers!

Congratulations Emma and Chad!  Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day.

We added elements of silver and black to a purple color scheme.  The flower balls that graced the top of the centerpiece vases, also graced the top of the Ceremony stone pillars, giving color and texture to both spaces, yet carrying a central theme throughout.

Emma had menus and thank you cards made that gave their guests a glimpse of what was to come.  It was a fun evening and one that we were honored to be a part of.

Emma and Chad's Wedding Notes ~

Ceremony and Reception Space - Cedar Ridge Winery | Caterer - Chef Mickey's Catering | Photography - Sb Photography | Rentals - UBetts Rental & Design | Florist - cynwhd b. designs | Bakery - Village Cup and Cakes | Music - Ultimate Entertainment | Event Planning - Special Events, LLC | Invitations - Lotus Moments