Danielle and Andrew had a beautiful barn wedding at Abella, but not before a long awaited engagement! We’ll set the scene so you can understand why everyone was just a little extra excited for this wedding day.
The couple met back in 2011 at a college black light party. When Andrew mentioned he met a girl at a party to his parents, they were not too convinced. However, as soon as they met Danielle they absolutely loved her and knew that she was the one! Fast forward 9 years later, Dani decided that they should do their first Christmas card together. In October of 2020, the couple headed to Wildwood Park to get a few Christmas photos taken of the two of them with their first born child (aka their adorable dog Dakota)! In the middle of taking photos, Andrew got down on one knee and popped the big question and Dani said yes! After the proposal, the couple took a moment to themselves and walked down the trail. In the middle of the woods they were met with a picnic and champagne for them to celebrate!
Once the wedding day actually arrived, the couple had been together for 11 years. As you can imagine, everyone was very ready to celebrate the lovely couple that they had known and loved for many years!
Dani and Andrew are very outdoorsy people and enjoy sitting outside in front of the bonfire (so this engagement photo is a great representation of them)! That being said, it was very important to the couple that they had an outdoor ceremony and venue that allowed them to enjoy the outdoors. Abella offered this without giving up any of those classy wedding vibes we know and love!
The ladies started off their day at the Running Aces Hotel to get ready while enjoying breakfast and mimosas. Spa Beauty Agency arrived bright and early to perfect everyone’s hair and makeup (which turned out amazing). By noon, the entire wedding party was at Abella to meet Wild Trail Studio for getting ready photos and the first looks! The guys put on their suits from Milbern while the ladies got their Azazie dresses on. Dani then slipped into her stunning gown from The Wedding Shoppe. While this was going on, the KUE team began prepping the outdoor ceremony space and reception area.
The rest of the morning consisted of wedding party photos and the arrival of a very special guest! Doggy Social picked up the couple’s dog, Dakota, and was in charge of the pup for the remainder of the day. This is super helpful for couples who want to involve their dogs in their wedding day, but don’t want to have any guests (or themselves) look after them.
As the ceremony time arrived, guests were shuttled to the barn wedding venue via MaryAnn’s Tours. Upon arrival, they got onto a shuttle provided by Abella to travel to the ceremony site. Prior to getting engaged, Dakota started to love carrying things and bringing them to mom and dad. This provided the perfect opportunity to have their pup be the ring bearer in their ceremony (and Dakota did amazing)! Once the wedding party made it down the aisle, we closed the doors and fluffed the bride’s dress. When she was ready we opened the doors and she made her way down the aisle with her father and step father. The ceremony was officiated by Liz Rae & Co who did an amazing job making it both sentimental and lighthearted. The couple also did a unity ceremony that included a pine tree to symbolize their love for Christmas. They had members from each side of their families gather water from symbolic locations in a special container to water the tree with. We loved this special twist on the tree unity symbol! The couple then shared their first kiss as husband and wife before leaving the ceremony as a happy little family.
We had messaged the Abella team (who was waiting back at the barn) right before the wedding ceremony ended, so the shuttle was waiting for guests right on time. Everyone made their way back to the main venue building to enjoy an outdoor cocktail hour with drinks served up by Fusion Events and snacks from Popped Corn. Everyone enjoyed yard games and socializing in the beautiful summer weather. The KUE team grabbed the ladies bouquets that were made by Hy-Vee and placed them on the head table for some added decor which was the perfect touch (and also sustainable)!
As dinnertime arrived, we began directing guests to take their seats inside the barn for the wedding reception. Once everyone was seated, the wedding party did a fun grand entrance which led directly into the couple’s first dance. After a welcome speech and a blessing, it was time for Marna’s Catering team to serve everyone’s delicious meals. During dinner, guests were able to utilize the kissing menu. This was a paper that listed various things that guests could do in order to get the couple to kiss. It was such a fun way to get guests involved and keep them from clinking their glassware all night long!
Guests then made their way over to the dessert table that the KUE team had set up to grab mini desserts from Hy-Vee. Knowing that they were all going to go quickly, we set aside one of each item for the bride and groom to ensure they were able to indulge in the delicious treats!
The night wrapped up with Instant Request keeping everyone on the dance floor, guests enjoying bonfires on the beautiful evening, and Wild Trail Studio taking the couple out for stunning sunset photos. It was truly a beautiful day filled with so much love and support for the lovely couple!
A final shoutout to our vendor team for the day!
Venue: Abella
Getting Ready Venue: Running Aces Hotel
Officiant: Liz Rae & Co
Photographer: Wild Trail Studio
Florist: Hy-Vee
Bakery: Hy-Vee
Caterer: Marna’s Catering
Bar Service: Fusion Events
Transportation: MaryAnn’s Tours
DJ: Instant Request
Pet Attendant: Doggy Social
Poporn: Popped Corn
Hair / Makeup: Spa Beauty Agency
Bridal Gown: Wedding Shoppe
Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie
Suits: Milbern Clothing
Planner: Keyed Up Events
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol
