November 1, 2017

Tower Grove Piper Palm House Wedding

Megan + Ian Megan & Ian’s Tower Grove Piper Palm House Wedding How they met // The Love Story Ian and I met 10 years ago. He likes to say that a mutual friend introduced us. I like to say that an ex-girlfriend of his thought we would get along great and introduced us. (It’s […]

Megan + Ian

Megan & Ian’s Tower Grove Piper Palm House Wedding

How they met // The Love Story

Ian and I met 10 years ago. He likes to say that a mutual friend introduced us. I like to say that an ex-girlfriend of his thought we would get along great and introduced us. (It’s funnier that way.)

The Venue

Piper Palm House was the first venue that we walked into that felt like it could really lend itself to a tiki bar wedding. It is beautiful and is lined with palm trees, so it was halfway decorated already! Also, the patio out front is so nice for people to gather and talk.

Décor + Details

Ian and I discovered a love of tiki bars accidentally on a road trip to Chicago. We ended up at Hala Kahiki which has been open since the 60’s and is still in the family. We liked the bamboo walls, the tiki mugs, and the colorful drinks. It was just a nice way to relax and talk. We wanted that same kind of feel for our wedding. A lot of our guests were from out of town and we wanted them to feel like they were on a real vacation and not stuck in a banquet hall.

What She Wore

I wanted a dress with sleeves so badly! My grandmother pulled this one off the sale rack at David’s Bridal and I tried it on to humor her. It was the right one for me. It has a short train, that got stuck on anything I walked past, and a nice v-neck. (Think Morticia Addams in white!)

What He Wore

Ian wore a light grey tux from Men’s warehouse. Green is his favorite color, so the ties and pocket squares were green. We thought the light grey looked more summery.

The Ceremony

We wanted short and sweet! We knew we couldn’t write our own vows because we are cryers. Our rabbi was so great and really interested in including our guests in the ceremony. We just couldn’t have been happier.

Music // Reception // Party

I think tiki bar-themed sums it up! Cocktail umbrellas and flamingo straws in every glass. Centerpieces with tiki mugs and little pink flamingos. Lots of color and palm trees, and just a fun party. Tiki bar culture in itself can be problematic, as it stems from colonialism and the fetishization of Polynesian cultures. We tried to be very mindful of that and stick to the mid-century aspects of tiki culture that we enjoy; mugs, cocktail umbrellas, palm trees, and pink flamingos. We used some leis as decoration, but not in the intimate gesture of putting them on people, as it would be traditionally used in Hawaiian culture. I did a lot of reading up on it and could go on. That is probably not what you were looking for!

All of the songs played on the dance floor were requested by guests on their RSVP’s. We really wanted this party to be about our guests having a good time.

The Photographer (Jaimie!)

I got to be in charge of the photos. Ian and I are not terribly photogenic. We know that. We just don’t enjoy being in front of a camera. I did not come across any other wedding photographer in this region that has the eye for light and composition that you do! I also prefer more candid photos that are not posed. You were a dream to work with and your ability to make us comfortable when we were feeling uncomfortable was fantastic!

Advice to Couples Planning Their Wedding

Start with a solid fleshed out budget and make sure you put in enough for a really good photographer, like Jaimie. A good friend of mine cheaped out on her photographer and was very unhappy with her photos.

Also, don’t fight about silly things! The important thing about your wedding day is that you are pledging yourselves to splitting a pizza and salad at restaurants for the rest of your life. Don’t let linen colors distract you from what’s important. No one, probably not even you, will remember what color your napkins were.

Hair & Makeup: Jana Mankunas at Salon Prive