Simon and Kate were married on Sunday!

These two English majors had a gorgeous multiple day destination wedding in Rapid City, South Dakota. Words quickly became the unifying theme of the weekend, with books and scrabble letters as part of the decor, an impromptu sharing of kind words around a camp fire, and a lovely sermon on the wedding day all about their love of words.  I’ll blog about the extra activities tomorrow, but today, we’ll focus on the wedding…and what a wedding it was!

Simon and Kate wanted a formal, elegant wedding that was approachable and they achieved just that.  From the clean design of the invitations By Jessie Kay that included just a touch of playfulness, to the sleek black tie attire in a downtown park setting, the wedding was simply stunning.  Baby’s breath, hydrangea, and antique books served as decor, and Kate’s gorgeous Carolina Herrera gown wowed the crowd.

We started the day off with the rehearsal and a delicious brunch at Calvary Lutheran Church, and then it was off to Planet Hair for the ladies to get their hair done.

Kate got her special Starbucks drink!

Back at the church, both groups got spiffed up and had a good time doing so!

We loved how low key Simon and Kate were!  The whole day was easy breezy and calm.  After their first sight, we grabbed some pictures outdoors.  Seriously, check out that DRESS!  And Simon, you look pretty good, too 😉

Kate has the most beautiful eyes!  And her dress was so lovely.  The details of the stitching, structured layers on the bodice, and the fashion forward back detail were stunning.

Simon channeled his inner James Bond in this Vera Wang tux and gave his groomsmen, ushers, and dads super hero cuff links.

The wedding party joined us outside.  The maids wore J.Crew to perfection and had sweet bouquets made by Kate’s Granny.

Time for the wedding!  This group of bridesmaids was such a hoot, they are all very close cousins and their relationship was so fun to observe.  They were constantly helping each other out with their makeup and dresses while telling stories of their adventures together.

Simon and Kate had a lovely service.  A detail that I really liked was that they let their readers choose their own readings, and it was a total surprise to the couple.

In the afternoon sun, guests arrived at Main Street Square in downtown Rapid City for the reception.

The book centerpieces kept guests busy…(this may or may not have been a staged photograph)  😉

A delicious dinner was served by Catered Two Productions, along with some refreshing libations, and then it was time for speeches, cupcakes, and dancing.

The couple asked guests for their favorite Beatles song, and the Austin Buescher Band made sure to play as many as they could!

The sun set, the fountains turned on, the band was playing, the night was warm and still.  People were relaxing and drinking by candlelight watching others dance like crazy, and Simon and Kate were all smiles.  It was a lovely day.

Simon and Kate, we can’t thank you enough for welcoming us into your life for this day.  We had such a fantastic experience and hope you enjoy your sneak peek! (and please don’t judge my run on sentences and overuse of adjectives!)  😉