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Joe & Jen Photography
Carly and Adam’s journey to their dream wedding begins and ends with good friends. They met at work in Madison, Wisconsin, and Carly says that without the involvement of a co-worker, the rest may not have been history. “One of my work friends said that my soulmate had walked through the door,” Carly recalls. She and Adam had an instant spark, and the relationship took off.
A year and a half later, Carly accepted a job in Minnesota, and the couple knew they would need to make some big decisions. They started looking at rings together, opting for a custom-designed pink sapphire. Adam began planning an elaborate surprise proposal for an upcoming vacation, but in the end, that really wasn’t their style. The week before their trip, Adam got down on one knee with a Mrs. Box.
Their simple, intimate bond set the tone as they planned the big day. The couple’s first decision was to return to their roots and have the wedding on Carly’s family farm in Bird Island, Minnesota. While the venue was a no-brainer, it also meant that they were starting from scratch, as there was no pre-set vendor list to work with, and it would be challenging to find vendors who would travel to the farm.
Carly and Adam took these difficulties in stride, remaining positive as they pulled off their perfect farm wedding. “I felt like whenever someone said no, I ended up in the right place,” Carly says. The rural landscape in June provided them with a natural backdrop of sprawling fields for the ceremony, complementing Carly’s vision of organic greenery. For the reception, they cleared out the tractor shed and filled it with eucalyptus and soft yellow candlelight. “We were trying to create a warm and intimate setting, even though you were in a big shed,” Carly says. “It was seeing the farm in a whole new light.”
The details were important to them—from the big protea blooms to Adam’s bright-blue suit—but they cared most about creating a holistic experience for their loved ones. “We did little things throughout the day to make sure that everyone knew they were so important to us,” Carly says. They paid homage to their roots, planting a unity tree with dirt from each other’s family farms and providing kegs of Spotted Cow as a nod to Adam’s Wisconsin upbringing. The ceremony had few seating options so that guests could draw closer as they stood around Adam and Carly, and during the reception, guests were encouraged to experience different wines and cake flavors from neighboring tables. “We really did want people to just feel the love.”
- Photographers: Joe & Jen Photography
- Videographer: Laura Sukowatey
- Flowers: Blessings & Blossoms
- Ceiling Draping/Linens: Laurie's Design
- Tables, Chairs, & Benches: Ultimate Events
- Catering: This Little Piggy Catering
- Bundt Cakes: Nothing Bundt Cakes
- Cheesecakes: Muddy Paws Cheesecake
- Rings: Robert Foote Jeweler
- Invitations/Paper: Empress Stationery
- Officiant: Janet Griffing
- Hair: Alicia Mack from Salon Intrigue
- Makeup: Small town Beauty
- Bridal Gown: Luxe Bridal Couture
- Groomsmen/Groom Suits: Heimie's Haberdashery
- Ties: BoomBowTie on Etsy
- Bridemaid/Groomswomen Dresses: Wedding Shoppe