Ashley, College Professor, Freelance Graphic Designer and Artist & Devin, Account Manager
Photographer: B&B Portraits
One sentence sum-up of the wedding vibe: A colorful and creative event that reflected our interests and values: great food, great music, lots of laughter (and some tears, too) with our family and closest friends.
Soundtrack for reading: “Without You” by Eddie Vedder (Alternate soundtrack for reading: “Underneath It All” by No Doubt)
Other cool stuff we should know about
The ceremony was a true reflection of our love of family. We didn’t want an overly religious ceremony, but we wanted our closest family members to be a part of it. Using a Lutheran ceremony as a template, we chose readings, prayers, and blessings that were universal across beliefs and had our siblings and parents read them. Our pastor also included the letters that Devin and I wrote to one another, which helped explain our love to our guests and provided some laughter during the emotional ceremony.
The things that brought Devin and I together were our life paths, interests, and strong connections to family. We lived in three of the same cities before meeting and have lived in two cities together. That is how I came up with the theme “The Tale of Five Cities.” Throughout the wedding, we incorporated details from the cities and described our connections to each place. We worked very closely with our event designer, Hillary, to get the wedding we really wanted. Since the event was so connected to our backgrounds and families, Hillary developed a design plan that worked in elements from our lives. Each table at the reception was represented a spot that either Devin or I, or both of us, had some connection to within the selected city. The food also described the five cities: each item for the cocktail hour (including the beers) and dinner were connected to a specific place.
As an artist and designer, I couldn’t help but make a bunch of stuff on my own. Since I have the summers off as a college professor, I was able to design, illustrate, and produce all of the printed materials, signage, and gift items. I also hand-painted our cupcake toppers, ring bearer box, note card box, and a few of the table decor items. My mom and I had some bonding time while assembling and mailing RSVP cards and invitations, making program fans and ribbon wands, and putting gift bags together. Yes, all of this was a ton of work, but it was SO worth it. All of those personal touches helped to make the wedding a true reflection of my husband and me.
Favorite thing about the wedding
My favorite part was the dancing. The band learned two songs to play while Devin and I had our first dance, as well as special requests for the father-daughter and mother-son dances. Then, as soon as the first dances were over, my mom and her sister were the first out on the dance floor. We got to dance to some of our favorite music with our favorite people. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a later curfew at the venue!
