A Peek Inside My Wedding Day

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

I promised that I’d share an inside look at my wedding, and today it’s here! Here’s a peek at some of the details from our big day in July.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

Mark and I got married on July 6, exactly one year after another very big day in my life. I didn’t realize when we booked the date that it was also Queen Mary’s wedding anniversary, but that seems like a pretty good coincidence, doesn’t it?

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

I wanted a very classic, simple, and timeless look for the wedding, and my dress was a big part of that. I chose a gown from Jenny Yoo that was light and airy. The ivory tulle dress was really comfortable and easy to move in, and I loved the way that the off-the-shoulder neckline looked. (Crown Princess Victoria’s gown was my inspiration for that part of the dress!) My bouquet of ivory roses and gardenias was matched to the dress.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

I decided early on that I didn’t want to wear a veil or a tiara, but I definitely wanted to wear a beautiful piece of jewelry in my hair. I bought this leafy gold comb from Anna Marguerite, a brand owned by an independent jeweler in New Zealand. I love the way it tied in with the rest of my jewelry and the botanical theme of our decor. (And, since my name is Lauren, I’ve always been partial to laurel leaves!)

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

For my earrings, I chose a pair of jade drops that I inherited from my late grandmother. They were a really special way to remember my dad’s parents on the wedding day. The earrings were originally made in the ’60s or ’70s in Hong Kong, and they weren’t in fantastic shape when I inherited them. I asked my jeweler, David Kodner, to refurbish their gold setting for my wedding day, and I absolutely love the way they turned out.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

I also wore a sentimental piece of jewelry from my mother’s family. It’s become a tradition for all of the brides in our family to wear my great-great-great-grandmother’s wedding band. Magdalena brought the ring with her to America from Germany, and it’s passed down through the generations since. It was really special to be able to wear it on my wedding day!

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

I also had “something new” as a part of my jewelry. I wanted a little extra sparkle, so I bought this crystal and gold-plated bracelet from a Canadian brand, Olive + Piper. I thought it fit perfectly with the rest of the pieces I wore.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

My most important jewels on the day were, of course, my engagement and wedding rings. Both of these were made for me by David Kodner. My engagement ring features a European-cut solitaire diamond in a gold setting. My wedding band was designed to coordinate with it; it has small diamonds in a millegrain gold setting.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

David Kodner also made my husband’s classic white gold wedding band.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

My gorgeous bridesmaids wore bright navy blue dresses, and of course I had to buy them some jewelry to accessorize.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

I bought jade and gold pieces for each of them to coordinate with the color scheme and to go with my own jade earrings. I thought they’d be a really beautiful way to remember the day.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

We had an awfully good looking wedding party, didn’t we?

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

Our wedding was held near St. Louis in Columbia, Illinois. We chose a venue that recently opened: Main Street Abbey. It’s a former nineteenth-century church sold by a parish that needed a newer building, and it’s been renovated for use as a venue for weddings and other celebrations. I was so thrilled to be able to have our wedding in such a beautiful place.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

The location made the entire day feel extra special and grand.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

We also had our reception at Main Street Abbey, and their staff helped our catering company quickly transform the room while our guests had cocktails in the Abbey’s outdoor pavilion.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

We kept the reception decor simple and easy, with candles and greenery on the tables instead of big floral arrangements.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

The space was perfect for dinner and dancing. We had right around 150 guests, and they fit perfectly in the room.

(Photo taken by KC Photography; the copyright belongs to us, and the photo may not be reproduced)

So there you go — that’s a little peek inside my recent wedding day! I hope you enjoyed the pictures, and I’ll pop a few links to some of our vendors below. If you’re getting married in the St. Louis area, I’d definitely recommend them!