Tonight on the blog we visit, Tracy and Ryan in St. Louis where the talented Irish Eyes Photography captured their stunningly rustic and beautifully elegant wedding that paid homage to the groom's dedicated service as a firefighter and their love for each other. Keep reading as we chat to Tracy and Ryan and find out all about the lead up to their wedding, their planing tips and of course the all-important wedding day.
Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day?
Ryan and I first started dating in the Fall of 2012. With that being said, we knew that we wanted a Fall-October, laid back-informal wedding. As we started planning away, we came to the decision of having our ceremony outdoors and chose our friend Chadwin as our Officiant. We shopped around and fell in love with the Event Lawn-roof top of the Ameristar Casino, St. Charles. Throughout our planning, we prayed and hoped all along for gorgeous weather. Little did we know, it would be a day to remember, even more so. A record high on October 14th and an interview by Channel 5 news! Wow! So cool! A little sweat, but we all survived!! Even my makeup!!!
Let's talk about wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
The ceremony was traditional, elegant and very beautiful! Our florist took care of all of the decorations for the ceremony, which were also carried into the reception. A ton of our entryway decorations at the reception was taken place by the Mother of the Bride and her best friend, who is the owner of Irish Eyes Photography. We cannot thank them enough!! Our seating chart was our DIY project, which turned out amazing, elegant, and rustic, all in one!
We are huge flower lovers, so tell us, what were the florals like at your wedding?
We chose real flowers. The florist was extremely helpful in guiding our selections. We stuck with ivory, champagne and pastels, with dusty roads of greenery. These carried throughout the bridal bouquets, centrepieces and ceremony arbour. The flowers definitely played a huge role in our wedding. There were a ton of them! White roses, white dahlias, pink carnations, ranunculus, young seeded eucalyptus, and curly willow-grapevine for our arbour.
Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favourite parts of your wedding?
My husband is a Firefighter at the City of Ladue, so I wanted to cherish his profession and add a small touch of what he loves to do, to our special day. We had fire-themed cookies that were made by the lovely, Sweet Sugar Love. They were "FIRE" so good!!! Loved by everyone!!
Let's talk about fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
From the very beginning of our wedding planning adventure, I, the bride knew that I wanted a gorgeous and elegant look! My second stop at Clarice's Bridal was the one that won me over! I chose Ivory! I walked out of the dressing room, twenty dresses later, feeling like a Princess! My husband is very easy going, so he did the smart thing and just listened to his bride with his colour and style of the tux. We chose a light grey tux, metallic grey tie to bring in the "elegance" and topped it off with some sweet, shiny brown shoes! All which came from Savvi Formalwear.
How did you meet and please tell us all about the proposal?
Mutual friends set us up on a blind date. It was love at first sight! After four years of dating and being in love with myself and two precious daughters, "his buddies", Ryan finally felt the urge to tie the knot and keep us. I would say that he put tons of time and thought into his proposal because it was every bit of perfect! He proposed to me during sunrise in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. He had a friend plant a "message in a bottle" on the beach which I stumbled upon. Inside was a note from Ryan expressing his love and affection for myself and daughters, which ended with his proposal. He dropped to one knee, cried and I said, "Yes!" after being in Shock for about five minutes!!
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
We had so many memorable, cherished moments that took place in our special day. Our favourites were holding hand to hand behind a door, reading each other's letter from one another! Seeing each other for the first time and giving my girls "Ryan's step-daughters" their rings as a promise to always love, tickle, snuggle and be there for them!! Tears of joy, oh my!!
Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
When planning your special day, make a budget, smile and try not to stress! It seems almost impossible to do, but it's the truth!! All the small things that you'll want to get worked up about, don't let them bother you! Everything always works out! At the end of the day, you're husband and wife and that's what matters the most. Enjoy it, love it and treasure it! A happy marriage is about three things; making so many wonderful memories together, forgiving when one makes a mistake and promising to love and never give up on each other!!
MEET THE TEAM:
Photography: Irish Eyes Photography
Venue: Foundry Art Centre
Floral Design: Misty's Enchanted Florist
Stationery: Megan Kohler Design + Photo
Catering: Russo's Catering
Cake Artist: Sweet Sugar Love
Bridal Couture: Clarice's Bridal
Bridesmaid Attire: White Traditions Bridal House
Rings: Lordo's Diamonds
Groom and Groomsmen's Attire: Savvi Formalwear
Transport: Fun Tyme Limousine