Real Wedding: Emilie + Toby
Emilie and Toby were married on New Year's Eve in a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Kansas City, Kansas, the same place as her sisters, parents and grandparents. The ceremony was followed by a quick jaunt around some iconic places in the city, and by what has to be one of the most fun receptions we have ever seen at Mission Hills Country Club; filled with dancing, sparklers and all-around awesome! Our anna bé bride looked amazing in her Carrie gown by Hayley Paige, paired with a Primrose hair pin by Jennifer Behr, a Katie veil by Sara Gabriel during the ceremony, and a truly fabulous and festive NYE hat during her reception. See the fantastic photos by Nick Allen Photography below:
Our bride shared a firsthand account of her big day with us and a bit of advice for future brides:
We got married in my hometown of Kansas City and rang in the new year with our family & friends. I had always wanted a winter wedding so we choose New Year's Eve because it felt like the perfect night to celebrate our wedding and bring everyone together for one big party. I'd say the style of our wedding was classic with a touch of modern elegance since the majority of the celebration was after sundown we got to incorporate a lot of candle light and sparkle! We chose a color palette of navy, metallics and black with touches of pink/red in the flowers. Toby and I both agreed we wanted to get everyone together for a feast, extravagant drinks and tons of dancing.
We were married by my Uncle in the same church as my sisters, parents & grandparents and even used a portion of my parents ceremony in ours. I wanted to take advantage of some iconic Kansas City spots so we took pictures at a Julep in Westport before the ceremony and did portraits on the Country Club Plaza before heading to our reception where we had a cocktail hour followed by dinner. Toby is from Kentucky so we honored that by hosting a Kentucky Bourbon bar and Bourbon Balls after dinner. I can't thank my florist enough for the gorgeous arrangements and the band did an amazing job of keeping everyone on the dance floor. After we rang in the new year my parents surprised me with a snow shower! Since it was frigid that night but clear skies they had a snow machine brought in so I could cap the night with everything that I always wanted at my winter wedding. I love my dress it was a the perfect choice with just the right amount of sparkle and sass (as Jessica suggested when I was trying dresses). I was comfortable in it all day even into the late late night after all of the dancing!
Advice to brides.....don't forget what this is about - the celebration of love. Put your stamp on the day even if it's as simple as a cheesy hashtag....people will remember the personal touches. Ask for help because people always want to help the bride! Choose a dress that's sassy but still your style and if you're lucky you'll get a great stylist at Anna Be like I did who knows your style better than you do! And finally something obvious that many of us forget: take care of yourself - you have a lot of talking to do, pictures to take & dance moves to break out so drink lots of water, eat and don't drink too much champagne!
Wedding Dress: Carrie gown by Hayley Paige
Bridal Accessories: Primrose Hair Pin by Jennifer Behr, Katie veil by Sara Gabriel
Photographer: Nick Allen Photography
Venues: St. Luke's Lutheran Church and Mission Hills Country Club
Bridesmaid, flower girl & Mother of the Bride dresses: Bella Bridesmaids in Kansas City
Tuxes: Black Tux
Florist: Branches & Twigs
Hair-Stylist/Salon: BeChic
Makeup: BeChic
Stationary: Little Yellow Leaf
Transportation: Overland Chauffeured Services
Band: KC All Stars
Rental Decor: Much of the rentals including candlesticks, table numbers, sequins runners/covers & gold flatware were from UltraPom (they are national service)
Linens: BBJ in Kansas City
Caketop: Better of Wed (Etsy)
Gold Horns: Party Presentation (Etsy)
Confetti: Pom Love (Etsy)