A week ago, we were just at the beginning stages of wedding planning. Researching venues, photographers, & videographers and trying to narrow down a date was still the task at hand. Since then, we’re excited to say that we’ve been made great progress in our wedding plans!
First off, we found a photography team (husband & wife), who happen to be friends of a friend. They’re awesome people and it’s an easy decision to choose them to photograph our big day. Their work is consistently beautiful. The feelings are mutual, as the vision of our wedding is exactly what they love to shoot.
Second, the photographers recommended a videography team (also husband & wife) who do incredible work. As far as we’ve seen, they’re one of the best in the midwest. We met up with half of the team and talked weddings & videography. He couldn’t believe we were asking him what gear he used. ;) Again, it was easy to imagine him as part of our big day. He also loved our non-traditional approach to our wedding and our plans fit in well with his style.
Finally, we visited the restored historic barn venue in the Middle of No Where, Missouri. I think that’s the beauty of it. In a small town in Missouri, it is truly a hidden gem. We met with one of the owners, a retired art teacher, and she impressed us from the start. With a warm welcome, she showed us around the barn and property. It didn’t take much and we were sold! The vision that her and her husband have carried out on the land is amazing. You have to see it to believe it.
Their barn is built to host parties, weddings, or really any type of small event. There is a small, climate-controlled area of the barn with a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom — a perfect spot for a bride to get ready. Out one door of that area, you will walk onto the porch which overlooks a lake and the land beyond it. The lake has a handmade boat on the dock – just dying to be used for photos. ;)
Outside the other door, you walk into a “breezeway” and can head up the stairs to the loft. The loft is beautiful – already set up with a sound system, tables & chairs, a bar area, built-in lighting – it’s the perfect spot for drinks and dancing. By the way, they built their tables from the old wood in the floor of the loft. It’s also lined with windows to let the summer breeze flow through on a nice evening.
There’s a flat lawn area in front of the barn, where we will hold the ceremony. It is surrounded by fields of grasses and wildflowers. In fact, the whole land is full of all sorts of vegetation. Their goal is to restore the land to it’s natural state. We didn’t see it today, unfortunately, since it’s the middle of winter. But we can just imagine the beauty of it all in the summertime. A photographer’s dream. A bride’s dream, for that matter.
We’re already throwing around all kinds of ideas. The owners are open to almost anything, and want to help us out in any way to make their property shine. They also have a guest house that they rent out that we can use!
Oh, and the date? Mark your calendars (official ‘save the date’ coming soon) — Saturday, August 25, 2012. The date is set and the venue is booked! We’re on our way to being married. :)
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