Foundry Art Center Wedding and Reception

From the photographer:

Erica + Dj’s daughter, Davina, pretty much stole the show whenever she was around! This was my first surprise daddy-daughter first look, and it was just as adorable as you’d think!

Every detail of the day was carefully planned so their families and friends would have an amazing time celebrating with them. Having their grandmothers marry them was not only personable, but also unique. Their reception was a somewhat non-traditional format, but kept things relaxed and low-key.

How you met // The Love Story

A marriage starts with love, and even more importantly, a friendship between two people. Waking up in the morning next to your best friend, thinking about them throughout the day, being excited to tell them every piece of news you hear, and having a love for the same people, places, and interests is just the beginning of what makes us perfect for one another.

We began dating in 2008 and after our first phone call lasted 4+ hours we knew there was more to us than just a friendship. Talking and being together every day, growing through life’s transitions, and knowing we would always be there for each other strengthened our love.

After moving in together in 2014, we adopted our first two children, twin boys, Presley and Stan at the age of 8-weeks. They gave us a glimpse into parenthood and in return, we rightfully spoiled them. Routine walks, trips to the dog parks, monthly BarkBox subscriptions, nightly belly rubs, and being held until they fell asleep are just some of the ridiculous, but completely necessary things we do to keep their tails wagging. By the way, Presley and Stan are dogs…. maybe we should have started off with that!

In 2016, we found out that our crash course in parenthood two years prior was going to be put to the ultimate test as we were expecting a daughter. Davina Paige was born May 20, 2017, and has brought so much love, happiness, and joy into our lives than we could have ever expected. Parenthood has changed our lives, but only for the better. Our love and friendship have grown stronger, we still wake up (only much earlier) next to each other every morning, still think about each other throughout the day, are still excited to tell each other everything, however, now it’s mostly about something new Davina has learned!

Our lives have grown together since 2008, and continue to do so with every conversation, exploration, and laugh along the way.

Your Venue

As we started the process of looking for a venue, I did the most “bridal” thing I could do. I spent 3 hours researching every venue within an hour from us, changed my mind and decided to have a destination wedding, then a court house wedding, and then calmed down and rationalized my decision making process. We knew we wanted some place that allowed us to have a ceremony and reception in the same location, we wanted natural lighting, and also a place that was close to home and had a unique feature. The Foundry Art Center in St. Charles became our spot. It was originally an old train car factory that has been recently converted into an art gallery. It’s high ceilings and large space gave an open feel and really allowed us the freedom to decorate as we wanted.

Décor and Details

My engagement ring is a custom pear/diamond shape in rose gold which became inspiration for our theme. Everything from our card design to the favors at each place setting had this shape and color. The decor within the reception space consisted of rose gold, candles in clear vases, and greenery. We wanted to bring in some natural elements with the greenery but also keep a feeling of warmth with the lit candles and rose gold charger plates.

What she wore // The Dress

In my online searches, I knew what I wanted. I needed an a-line, spaghetti strap, lace, v-neck, and low back dress. Well, my sister found an incredible dress Frew’s Bridal – except it was about 10 sizes too big and had a high back. It was the last Alfred Angelo dress they had in that style and as a bonus, it had a blush underlay to give the dress a pink hue. In my alteration journey, I came across a fairy godmother named Peggy from Custom Alterations in Valley Park, Missouri. I walked into her shop drowning in extra fabric, unrealistic expectations, and a short deadline. She didn’t even hesitate to say, “no problem. If this is what you want, we will make it happen. We will make your dress perfect for you.” And she did just that. She completely recreated my dress with a custom back and fit. I loved that the dress went with the theme of the wedding and that Peggy and her team took a vested interest in making sure I was comfortable and happy with every change.

What he wore // The Tux

Dj went with a black, slim fit, single button tux with bowtie and no vest. We wanted to keep the look classic while also staying within “some” type of budget and chose to use Savvi Formalwear.

The Ceremony

We knew we wanted the ceremony to be personal and to be inclusive of those close to us. There’s a song we both love called, A River Runs In You. Our family friend, Ellie, is an all-star pianist prodigy (who is totally taking wedding reservations) – she learned the song and played it as we walked down the aisle. Our daughter was also a flower girl and both of our grandmothers married us. Hearing their words of encouragement and support brought a personal touch to the ceremony that was close to our hearts. Overall we both felt really comfortable during the ceremony and during our vows to one another. One of my favorite parts was when the ceremony ended and we walked back up the aisle holding our daughter. It felt amazing to be married and to see her happy and waving to our family and friends.

Music // Reception // Party

Anytime either of us have gone to a wedding, the reception is what really stood out as being memorable (as a guest). Because of this, we wanted ours to memorable in this way as well. Our food was broken down into 5 rotating stations throughout the evening and consisted of all of our favorite foods (salad, grilled cheese and tomato soup, a mashed potato bar, quesadilla bar, desserts in shooter cups, and pizza and toasted ravioli). Overall our goal was to have delicious food, flowing drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere – I think we accomplished it to the best of our ability!

Your Photographer // Why Jaimie is Awesome!

You’re hands down, a one of a kind, astonishing photographer. From our initial meeting, we knew you would be the one to capture our wedding. You helped to make us feel comfortable and your inspiration aligned with ours every step of the way. By having a styling session, we were able to take the stress away from trying to find outfits for our engagement shoot. And by doing an engagement session, we were able to learn your style and get comfortable in front of the camera prior to the wedding. The day of the wedding, you were a constant who kept us in line and on schedule. You took the thinking out of the day which was a huge relief. I’m typically the person who prefers to be in charge, plan every detail, and know what’s going on at every moment, however, we immediately trusted you to take over and it was the best decision we could have made. You were relaxed during the day of the wedding which in turn kept us relaxed and free to enjoy our day! Thank you!

Advice to couples planning their wedding

Start with a budget, go to Pinterest and use it as a guide. Feel free to include your groom in the decision making process, but I found it easier to plan the wedding details and allow him to plan out what he and the groomsmen wear and the details of his bachelor party. It was a much easier this way! At the end of the day, he didn’t have a preference of the napkin color or flower choices; he cared about being there that day with me and our daughter.