Crystal + Brian | Howling Moon
THE PLANNING
Crystal and Brian had a vision for their September wedding at the beautiful Howling Moon and we were more than happy to help pull everything together! The couple, along with their maid of honor, met with our owner for various in-person and Zoom planning meetings throughout the months leading up to the wedding. Sierra, the MOH, was a big help with planning for the couple and their 150 guests. It was a great time working with the 3 of them! As the wedding day approached, their lead coordinator for the day, Mikayla, took over to finalize the details.
THE MORNING
When the wedding day arrived everyone was eager to begin celebrating with the happy couple! The bridal party arrived throughout the morning to get ready on site. Emily Miller joined the ladies to perfect their hair while each of them did their own makeup. Although we love our professional makeup artists, it can also be great to let your ladies do their own makeup the way they know they like it (especially if you are looking to stick to a tighter budget)!
While the ladies were getting ready, the RE team of Mikayla and Marissa arrived on site to begin setting up decor and greeting vendors. The couple opted to use a few small items from the RE decor inventory throughout the space, so we made sure to deliver those upon arrival as well!
When the gals finished their hair and makeup, it was time to get dressed! The bridesmaids were in beautiful maroon dresses while the guys wore gray suits with ties and vests that matched the bridesmaids. The groom wore a deep maroon suit which we loved! Crystal slipped into a stunning strapless gown with a deep v-neck. She looked absolutely stunning!
As everyone completed the finishing touches of their looks, Holly Shuldheisz Photography led the bride outside to her groom who was waiting for the first look. After sharing a sweet moment together, they made their way around the venue for a few portraits. The wedding party then joined them to capture group shots in front of the barn. This was such a sweet group!
THE CEREMONY
As the day progressed, 5:00 quickly rolled around and it was time for the ceremony! We placed our unplugged ceremony sign on one of our easels near the venue’s wine barrels which marked the entrance to the ceremony site. The couple rented a circular arch from Rustic Charm Rental and had Buffalo Floral add a couple boho vibed floral pieces onto it. The scene was so beautiful!
To make it even more special, the groom’s daughter played violin to start off the ceremony. Between the two of them, they have 6 children. It was important to the couple that each of them were involved, so they chose to have all of their kids walk down the aisle and stand by them at the altar. The bride had her youngest son as the ring bearer and the groom’s daughter was the flower girl. Crystal then had her two older sons escort her down the aisle, trading off halfway down. This was such a sweet way to join their families together, and you could tell each of the kids felt so special! The couple then shared a sweet ceremony with their families and friends before sealing their love with a kiss!
THE RECEPTION
The couple wanted their reception to be less traditional and lean into an open house dining style. We absolutely loved this idea and their guests did as well! Right after the ceremony, the guests were met with their dinner - food trucks! Butcher Salt Food Truck provided appetizers that were placed on a table in the bottom of the barn. Meanwhile, guests enjoyed meals from Butcher Salt Food Truck and Del Sur Empanadas! This was a non-alcoholic wedding, so the couple didn’t have to worry about booking a bar service separately from the food trucks.
There were various tables set up inside and outside for guests to eat and mingle at. The decor was kept simple with mason jars filled with sunflowers. During this time guests were invited to sign the Jenga guest book and play a wide variety of yard games including giant Jenga and our yard game rentals!
As the sun began to set, Holly Shuldheisz Photography pulled the couple aside for a few beautiful golden hour photos. We love how romantic and elegant they turned out!
Then it was time for the next food truck - dessert! What’s The Scoop Ice Cream Truck served up some delicious varieties of ice cream which guests loved (plus they made for some fun photos)! The bride and groom also opted to get a cutting cake from Something Sweet by Maddie Lu, which looked just as delicious!
As the night progressed, everyone made their way to the upstairs of the barn for the couple’s sweet first dance to Can’t Help Falling In Love. Instant Request then got the party going by playing some great music and keeping the dance floor lively!
The RE team then began cleaning up the decor to ensure that everything would be ready to go home with the couple at the end of the night. Adding our clean up package is super helpful so that you or your loved ones don’t have to worry about cleaning up after the festivities come to an end!
The night wrapped up with a sparkler exit! We helped line everyone up, then Holly Shuldheisz Photography snapped a few fun photos of the couple exiting their beautiful wedding day.
Crystal + Brian, Rustic Elegance had so much fun bringing your wedding day to life! It was truly such a fun and special day.
Big thank you to Holly Shuldheisz Photography for sharing the amazing images from this day with us!
VENDORS
Venue: Howling Moon
Caterer: Butcher Salt Food Truck / Del Sur Empanadas
Decor / Rentals: Rustic Elegance / Rustic Charm Rental
DJ: Instant Request
Florist: Buffalo Floral
Photographer: Holly Shuldheisz Photography
Dessert: What’s The Scoop Ice Cream Truck / Something Sweet by Maddie Lu
Hair: Emily Miller
Coordinator: Rustic Elegance
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol