One of our biggest recommendations for YOUR wedding is to add in elements that are really all about YOU. Yes, the magazine weddings where everything is just so are beautiful to look at, but they don’t always give you much of an idea of who the couple is. Subbing in a new bride and groom would still work just as well, because there was nothing overly unique and personal about THAT wedding. So if you have something unique to YOU, that tells more about your story, we say put that in the plans! Carly and Jamie did just that, on a cold October afternoon at 8th & Main Event Space in Grandview, MO. The couple curated a beautiful mix of blue, purple, and black to create an enchanting evening, complete with some masks, costumes and a lot of dinosaurs.

Carly and Jamie had known each other for quite some time as they attended chiropractic school together. After 4 years of being together, they were ready to walk the rest of their lives together. So when the time came for them to share their first look in their wedding attire, Carly was more than ecstatic to meet her groom in the room where they would get married a few hours later.  

Carly looked gorgeous in her long sleeve plunge lace dress. The train of the dress flowed downward carrying the details of the lace with it. This dress was complemented by Jamie’s classic black suit with the custom astral tied and suede black dress shoes.  

One of our favorite things about Carly is that at one point before studying chiropractic medicine, she had studied paleontology. She had an obsession with dinosaurs and wanted to incorporate them into the wedding in some way. Carly had asked me if we could recreate a photo of the wedding party running away from a T-Rex. Of course, we had to oblige, mostly to see the fun “terrified” faces of a wedding party running away from something that was not actually there. It made it even more fun when (in the final photo) the bride and groom were the ones they were running from.

When it was time for the ceremony, Carly and Jamie sealed their vows by tying a knot with two different cords to signify their strong bond to each other. It was a beautiful ceremony to celebrate the love between the two of them.

After the ceremony, we went back out where the sun came out just in time to enjoy some couple’s portraits. The beautiful golden hour was the perfect way to end the formal part of the day and start the party. This time was used for Carly and Jamie to get away from the festivities a little and enjoy the first of many intimate moments. Carly and Jamie were just a ton of fun and really enjoyed this time together.

As we started the reception festivities, the wedding party got to walk in with masks on in order to “get into the holiday mood.” Of course, this also meant that Carly and Jamie were walking in with their dinosaur masks.

When it came time for the toasts, the best man had a rousing speech. He acted as the stand-in for the several groomsmen who were not able to travel from Canada due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There was not a dry eye in the room as the best man explained how much he and his friends loved Jamie and how they are so proud of who he is and the husband he is going to be for Carly.

The rest of the evening consisted of the formal dances with parents, drinks on the patio by the fire, cutting the cake and an incredible faux grand exit. Carly and Jamie had an incredible reception spent with people that they love and that love them.