It’s all pure romance with today’s candlelit loft wedding captured by Ashley Crawford Photography. The couple included so many sweet and special details into their day to make it truly theirs. And I love that they stopped by the bride’s grandparent’s house after the ceremony to visit their loved ones who were unable to make it!
Before getting married, I lived in downtown Omaha in an industrial loft. I loved the modern feel of that space and wanted to incorporate it into the reception. Founders One Nine was formerly a warehouse in downtown Omaha before it was converted into a reception venue. It still maintains the character of a quintessential industrial space in Omaha’s Old Market, complete with original exposed brick walls and concrete floors. Our goal was to create a sophisticated, romantic atmosphere where our guests could celebrate in style. The color palette of blush pink, ivory, and gold created a romantic and inviting atmosphere. The use of multiple chandeliers, drapery, and candles transformed the industrial space into a glamorous yet modern ballroom.
I had my ring bearer pillow made out of a lace from the baby bonnet I wore when my parents brought me home in from the hospital when I was born. The pillow also incorporated lace flowers from the hat my mother wore on her wedding day. I also used ribbon my mother’s wedding hat to wrap by bridal bouquet. It sounds odd now to think of a wedding hat but my mom got married in 1978 and hats were in style for weddings back then.
I have two favorite moments from the day. One is the “first look” that we did in the main aisle of the church. We did it before the ceremony before all the guests arrived. It was a very private, intimate moment. My groom burst into tears when he saw me and it was a beautiful and joyful experience. It was a great way to spend some time focusing on each other and soaking up the meaningfulness of the day before the day got busy with guests arriving.
My other favorite moment was visiting my grandparents in between the ceremony and reception. My grandparents are 93 years old and they had their 69th wedding anniversary the same week as my wedding. Unfortunately, due to some health issues, they were not able to attend my wedding. I did not find out there were not coming until the day of the wedding. We had planned to stop at a bar and enjoy some drinks with our bridal party in between our wedding and reception. Instead, we took our party bus on a detour and went to my grandparents’ home. It was incredibly moving to see them on my wedding day and get to share a few moments with them even though they could not join us for the whole day. I am very close with my grandmother and it meant the world to me that my groom was willing to take time away from our fun plans so that I could share my day with her.
We wanted to include all of our bridal party, along with their significant others, at the head table. With seven bridesmaids, seven groomsmen, and four ushers, that was no easy challenge. We opted for a family-style head table, which consisted of pushing three sets of rectangular tables together. A seamless look was created with the bridesmaid bouquets, monet candle holders, and rose petal runners down the center of the table. We sat at the head of the table with our family and friends sitting along both sides. All in all, we fit 31 people at the head table. A pair of two-tiered crystal chandeliers hung over the table to add a touch of romance.
The one request Partick had for the reception was Nothing Bundt Cake, his favorite type of cake. Their two-tiered white chocolate raspberry Nothing Bundt Cake was dripping in delicious cream cheese frosting and covered with ivory and pink roses. Gold votive candles and two floral arrangements of hydrangea and roses stood on either side of the cake. The cake display glowed in romantic candle light and added some drama to the center of the room. Guests enjoyed a variety of flavors of cupcake-sized bundt cakes stacked on two large cake towers.
We wanted to ensure that guests of all ages had a night to remember. Special touches to add to the frivolity of the reception included a do-it-yourself photo booth backdrop, complete with silly hats, oversized sunglasses, and mustache props, a custom Snapchat filter, two sets of bean bag toss boards set up in the lawn on the outdoor patio, and a late night nacho bar. My groom and his brother built a hardwood back drop for the do-it-yourself photo booth. We provided the backdrop and the props and our guests were able to use their phone cameras to snap their own photos. We had a wedding hashtag that guests used to post their photos to Facebook and Instagram. The groom also built bean bag toss boards for the outdoor space at our reception. We put our monogram on them and guests were able to play bean bag toss out on the grass.
Photography | Ashley Crawford Photography | Ceremony Venue | St. Cecilia’s Cathedral | Reception Venue | Founders One Nine | Florals & Decor | Blooms & Bouquets | Cake | Nothing Bundt Cakes | Catering | Catering Creations | Groom’s Cake | Bliss Bakery | Invitations | 89 Invites | Linens & Rentals | United Rent All | Videography | Complete Weddings & Events | DJ | DJ JAB | Gown | Sotterro & Midgley from Schaffer’s Scottsdale | Hairpiece | Percy Handmade | Veil | Paloma Blanca | Shoes | Cole Haan | Bridesmaid Dresses | Bill Levkoff | Hair & Make Up | Creative Hair Design | Flower Girl Dresses | BHLDN | Groomsmen Attire | Jos. A. Bank | Bride’s Rings | William Thomas Custom Jewelry | Groom’s Ring & Watch | Borsheims | Transportation | Ollie the Trolley | Second Shooter | Roland Massow | Film Processing | The Find Lab
