A Romantic Fall Wedding at the Missouri History Museum
Kara & Tim were married last November in a beautiful ceremony at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Edwardsville, followed by the most stunning reception at the Missouri History Museum. We had SO much fun designing the day with Kara and her mom Debbie! It’s been a while since I’ve done a Q&A with one of our brides, so I was excited to get Kara’s take on the planning process and seeing her wedding vision come to life!
Kim: How would you describe your wedding style?
Kara: Our wedding style was a formal event with an antique and classy ambience. It was upscale yet inviting and romantic.
Kim: What was the most important element of the day for you as you were planning? For Tim?
Kara: My most important element while thinking and planning was how I wanted to remember Tim saying his vows to me. I wanted to make sure I was 100% focused on him. Not thinking or worrying about anything else. The planning was finished; it was time for just him and I.
Tim: I wanted to make sure I absorbed everything during the day. Take in every moment and make it a memory.
Kim: What was your favorite moment from your wedding day?
Kara: My first favorite moment was with my Mom in the morning while getting ready. I always dreamed of this day and planning it with her was a dream come true. We had so much fun. On the morning of my wedding I could tell she was trying to keep it together, but the second she helped me put on my wedding dress, she was in tears. It was a special moment that I’ll never forget. My second favorite moment was seeing Mason for the first time. He looked so handsome and so proud to be my son. My third favorite moment was my Dad meeting me downstairs in the church and seeing me for the first time. He was speechless. Walking down the aisle with him was exactly how I pictured it. Him cracking jokes to make us both less nervous and telling me how beautiful I was, how great everything looked, and how proud he was of me. Fourth…Tim…seeing him at the end of the aisle was something I dreamed of and it was finally here. He looked so happy and handsome. I kept thinking to myself, “it’s finally here and it’s everything I imagined and more. The people, the flowers, the music, my entire dream had come true.” Fifth, when Lisa and her team revealed the History Museum to me, I was in awe. I could not believe how beautiful, classy, stunning, and breathtaking it was. I cried. It was so amazing how they took everything I imagined and planned out and put it to life. It was so so beautiful. Lastly, the dances, the speeches, and all the people that joined us for our day, I was so thankful. I truly felt like the luckiest woman alive.
Kim: What was your favorite floral element of the day?
Kara: It's so hard to choose ONE! My bouquet was SO SO SO gorgeous! And the columns at the Museum…ahhhh! I would have to say though, my favorite was our tall centerpieces on the head table. Lisa and her team worked SO hard to fulfill my vision of these full, tall, beautiful pieces. It was perfect!
Kim: You trusted us to create several unique elements for your reception, like the floral cuffs on the History Museum columns. Since this was unique to your wedding there wasn’t a photo you could see beforehand. Did you have any hesitations?
Kara: Omgosh! The columns…absolutely not! There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that they wouldn’t look great! As soon as they mentioned it in our walkthrough of the museum I was hoping they would be approved because I wanted them so badly after they created that vision.
Kim: How did the reality live up to your expectations?
Kara: The reality of it all EXCEEDED my expectations. It was EVERYTHING and MORE than I ever expected.
Kim: You had an amazing reaction to the reception space when you first saw it! Do you remember what you were thinking?
Kara: I just couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it all was and how every little detail that I envisioned was there. Everything was perfect. Everyone always says, “make sure you just keep telling yourself that all the planning is over, just enjoy the day because not everything will go perfectly." But they were so wrong. Everything was perfect. It was an exceptional day. One of the best of my life, truly.
Kim: Why did you choose Belli Fiori?
Kara: I chose Belli Fiori because of their attention to detail in the pictures that I had seen of their work. I am a very Type A person and I knew if I didn’t have someone like that to work with, it wouldn’t work for me. Then after I met Lisa for the first time, I was shocked at how much time she spent with me. How passionate she was about it. She truly cared about making everything perfect for you. And then meeting her entire team…I knew I was in good hands and could trust them. It was the best decision and I would recommend them to anyone, first thing when asking for advice for a wedding. We’re already waiting to book them again for when my sister gets married!
Kim: Do you have any advice for couples that are just starting their planning process?
Kara: Take a deep breath. Decide the basics first: when you want to get married, where, and the style of your wedding. Then book the major things and the little details will fall into place. On your wedding day, remember it’s about you and him. Remember the little things you said to one another during the day and write them down later. One of my favorite things to do is to go back and read them. Enjoy your guests and DANCE!!
Kara & Tim, thank you for trusting us with your wedding vision; it was such a pleasure working with you on your dream day! We wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness!
Vendor Love
Photography: L Photographie | Day of Coordination: Proposing Dreams | Ceremony: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church | Reception: Missouri History Museum | Paper Goods: Cheree Berry Paper | Cake: The Cakery | Band: Push the Limit | Hair & Makeup: Emily Miller | Dress: Town & Country Bridal | Catering: Butler’s Pantry
Belli Fiori - St. Louis Wedding Florist