Jenna Lang

Formerly Eat Drink Pretty

Real wedding: Katie and Drew, September 2010

I may be biased but this is, by far, my favorite real wedding post yet.  My sister Katie and her husband got married on September 3rd in an intimate, outdoor ceremony on the banks of the Mississippi River in Hastings, MN.

A lot of people think/assume that my sister-in-law Nikki of Lovely Scribbles and I influenced the look and feel of this wedding, but in reality the vision and everything coming together was 100% my sister.  She wanted to make this wedding her own and she did exactly that.  Every detail was DIY and budget-conscious.  She did an amazing job.

My sister was going for a black and white picnic/chic wedding.   She wanted it to be small and intimate, close family and friends only.  Since Katie and Drew’s day I have a special place in my heart for small weddings. There is something so sweet and…I don’t know, organic-feeling than larger weddings?

Photo credits to Sarah Elizabeth Photography, unless otherwise noted.

{Photo credit: Eat Drink Pretty}

{Photo credit: Eat Drink Pretty}
Katie was a calm and happy bride the entire day.  I was impressed with how relaxed she was and how much she really just took in the day.  The ceremony was outdoors and unfortunately the weather was not the best.  In Minnesota you never know; it could be 95 in early September or cold and rainy.  Well, we got cold weather but not only that, really harsh winds.  Wind-advisory style winds.  And a very gray, cloudy sky. I’ll admit, I was freaking out internally about the weather.  I wanted the day to be perfect for my sister and I wanted her dream of an outdoor ceremony to come true.

But we all know you can’t control the weather so we made the best of it and everything ended up being just fine.  It was chilly but we still took tons of outdoor photos and we just succumbed to the wind as it blew my sister’s hair all over the place.  The wind had no chance, my sister was one of the most beautiful brides I’ve ever seen, hair wind-blown and all.

The ceremony and reception venue was at Schaar’s Bluff in Hastings, MN.  It sits on top of the Mississippi River with open prairies, fields, woods and flowers.  It is a stunning venue and very unique.

Katie and Drew took photos in the field surrounded by lush greenery.
One of the most special things about this wedding was that Katie wore my wedding dress.  She added the black sash, which I loved.  The white flower in her hair is from Etsy seller Rustic Cowgirl.

Katie and Drew’s programs were DIY.  Thinking it was going to be warm on their wedding day, they made fan programs.  The programs were made with a mason jar stamp and a heart cutout.  They were awesome and matched the invitations.
I made this heart garland to use as a prop in photos.
Light, airy baby’s breath bouquets made by Nikki of Lovely Scribbles.  Katie bought baby’s breath from Sam’s Club for $8 per bunch.  These are very easy to make, you simply need baby’s breath, floral tape and ribbon.

Nikki also was the day of coordinator and executed the details including the set-up, ceremony and tear down flawlessly.
Katie and Drew kept the wedding party small (that’s me on the far left).  Katie’s best friend, Dana was the Matron of Honor and her husband Dan was the Best Man.  Drew’s brother was the groomsman on the far right.

{Photo credit: Eat Drink Pretty}

Katie and Drew made tons of bunting for their wedding.  One strand hung from the ceremony arch.

It was a bit chilly for lemonade and iced tea…but again, Katie and Drew were assuming their wedding day would be warm.  The drink stand was located near the ceremony.
Katie used mason jars throughout the decor.  Medium-sized jars hung from white ribbon on the ceremony chairs with baby’s breath.

A very happy couple.

The cutest little flower girl, Sidney.  She is Dana and Dan’s (the Matron of Honor and Best Man) daughter.  She wore a black and white dress with an adorable headband to match.
It’s little Sidney’s one year birthday today!!!

Katie rented black and white gingham linens from Midway Party Rental.  Centerpieces were large mason jars filled with baby’s breath.  The table numbers were in a white frame from Ikea for .99 cents each.
A large chalkboard displayed the menu which was casual picnic food catered by Green Mill.  The meal was delicious.
Guests found their seat with name cards wrapped around mason jars.  The jars were used to drink from and they held a note from the couple that informed the guests of a donation made to the MS Society.
Delicious cupcakes from Rivertown Cakes located in Hastings, MN.  These cupcakes were as tasty as they were and gorgeous.
Katie asked Nikki to paint cake toppers to match her and Drew’s outfits.  They are a little mini bride and groom!  So cute.

{Photo credit: Eat Drink Pretty}

Carrot cake cupcakes with a tiny red heart (the little red heart was seen throughout the decor, including the invites and programs).

Nikki did the calligraphy for the placecards and table numbers.
A s’mores table for later in the night (the venue had a bonfire pit).
Katie loved the idea of an interactive photo wall so Drew had his dad create one.  I know photobooths/walls with mustache sticks may seem overdone but guests go crazy for it.  Everyone had so much fun taking photos in this all night.
The clouds cleared up later in the evening and the sky was a lovely blue.  Isn’t the venue gorgeous?
My sister and I.  I absolutely love this picture of us.
Katie changed into a short, white dress after the ceremony.
S’more time!

A perfect couple had a perfect wedding, so happy for them.  Congrats to Katie and Drew!!!

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  5. This is such a fabulous wedding! I love the little red hearts that were infused throughout…very, very sweet and charming. And, to know you guys pulled this together in a short timeframe is even more impressive. Kudos to Katie & gang!

    Reply

  6. Katie looks AMAZING and so happy!! I love all the little details about this wedding including the incredible outdoor setting!

    Congrats Katie & Drew!!

    ~Nicole

    Reply

  8. What a beautiful wedding and stunning couple!!! I love all the pics and decor!! I actaullt got to have some of her decor used at my engagement party which I loved!! Congrats to the happy and lucky couple!!!

    Libby

    Reply

  9. I know this might sound like blog babble, but I honestly, seriously, with all of my heart think this might be my very favorite "real wedding"! It's so intimate and thoughtful, every detail perfectly placed. And I love that she wore your dress. 🙂 Congrats to the newlyweds!

    Reply

  14. Everything about Katie's wedding was just so sweet and cute!! I was blown away by all of the details Katie put together, and it was such a fun day to be a part of. 🙂 Thanks for the beautiful post, Jenna!

    Reply

  15. What an endearing and beautiful wedding! Love all of the ideas and how the couple is adorably happy! Yeah Katie and Drew!!

    Mel 🙂

    Reply

  20. I love this post! The wedding was beautiful as was the bride… Additionally, it is so incredibly sweet that your sister wore your wedding dress – how precious! Looks like a lovely lovely day 🙂 Congrats to your sis!

    Reply

  21. Jenna, I've been dying to get over here to tell you how much I just LOVED reading about your sister's special day. I know how much she means to you and how excited your family was for the wedding. She looked absolutely beautiful and how sweet that she got to wear your lovely gown! She looks so in love in each photo and at peace. What a joyous celebration!! xoxo

    Thanks for sharing her big day with us!! xo Trish

    Reply

  23. I also love this outdoor ceremony. It is very unique to have the wedding on the river banks. My best friend also had her wedding outdoor. It was the happiest wedding I have ever attended with a Homestead theme. Her Louisville wedding planner is really good in creating something unusual to us “urbanistas”. The wedding DJ (Louisville, KY.) also set up the mood at the reception. It was fantastic!

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