Kansas City Loft Wedding

Every time we see a wedding from Steven Michael Photography, we’re constantly in awe of his incredible images. Susan and Brandt’s Kansas City loft wedding was full of classic touches of pink, green, and white, and effortlessly blended classic elegance in an industrial setting thanks to the talents of Eco-Posh Events and Shackelford Botanical Design.

From the bride, Susan: From the beginning, we knew that we wanted our wedding day to be relaxed, stress-free and a simple celebration of our love. It was important to us that we enjoy each and every moment and just have fun! That meant not having any aspect of the day be too formal and putting our focus into playing music reminiscent of our early relationship, dancing, delicious food that everyone could enjoy (we offered vegan, vegetarian and meat options to make all guests feel comfortable) and wine from some of our favorite California wineries. At the beginning, we did not have a theme in mind, but as we started making decisions on the venue, flowers, food and decor, everything fell into place. I couldn’t believe how it all came together in the end. Everyone told me that would happen, but it was hard to believe until I saw it for myself. The moment that I walked into our reception venue and saw all of the small pieces put together, I almost cried… it was perfect!

Bouquet recipe: Ranunculus, dahlias, stock, garden roses, hydrangea, astilbe, dusty miller, blush pink blooms with a touch of peach and yellow.

I loved the idea of using chalkboards for signage. We had a hard time finding chalkboards that were the size and look that we wanted so Brandt decided to make them. He used plywood, trim, stain and chalkboard paint all purchased at a home improvement store and built them within a matter of hours. It was exactly what we had in mind! We told Aimee Brodbeck (the signage designer) the theme for our day and she was able to come up with the seating chart, guest book sign, “bride” and “groom” chair signs and name/date sign designs. We loved the way everything turned out! She also made our place cards. The initial wreaths were handmade by the groom’s mother using wooden letters, ribbon and moss from a craft store. Very easy to make! We used clear, empty wine bottles with a slit in the cork (and backs of leftover invitations) for table numbers. We glued two invitations together and printed the numbers on the back. They actually came out better than expected.

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? When we first got engaged, we got a lot of questions about what the theme of of our wedding would be. I could never answer that question because I didn’t know. Our advice is for couples is to decide on the venue (pick something that feels true to the relationship) and then start making small decisions one at a time. Even by picking a style of cake that you like, you can start to guide yourself in a style direction that is right for you. Also, once you make a decision, don’t second guess yourself. You will always see something different that you could have done, but go with your first instinct and then lock it in. If you keep changing style decisions, you may always be questioning what you could have done differently!

See Also

European Charm and Timeless Beauty in this Historic Salubria Editorial

Wedding Music:
Reception Entrance: “California Love,” Tupac
First Dance: “Is this Love,” Bob Marley
Processional: “You and Me,” Lifetime (Instrumental version)
Mother/Son Dance: “Close to You,” The Carpenters
Father/Daughter Dance: “Love and Happiness,” Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris
Last Dance: “Time of My Life,” Dirty Dancing Soundtrack

Wedding Location: Kansas City, MO / Photographer: Steven Michael Photography / Day-Of Coordination: Erika Piquant of Eco-Posh Events / Florist: John Shackelford of Shackelford Botanical Design / Ceremony Venue: First Presbyterian Church, Liberty, MO / Reception Venue: The Urban Event at The Historic Firestone Building / Wedding Dress: Watters “Chantelle” / Veil: Glamour Closet / Wedding Shoes: Badgley Mischka “Lacie” / Earrings: Aqua for Bloomingdales / Bracelet: J. Crew / Hair: Angi Ouderkirk / Makeup: Jennifer Conroy / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew / Groom’s Suit: Nordstrom / Caterer: Salt Catering Kansas City / Wedding Cake: Ace’s Cake Shop / DJ: DJ Johnnie Cross / Signage Design: Aimee Brodbeck / Wedding Invitations: Evie Davis / Videoographer: Nick Miller Films