Guest Wedding Blog from Kelsi Kliethermes Photography
Classic Quartz, White, and Deep Green Wedding at Lakeside All-White Venue, Excello, Missouri
“You’ve never seen a love like this - so honest and so intentional.” Kelsi Kliethermes
You may be asking yourself why we’re blogging about a sunny July wedding when we’re only days away from Thanksgiving. Point taken; but also consider that brides who are getting married next summer are likely just really getting started with their detailed wedding plans. There’s so much that goes into planning a wedding and any chance we get to highlight uniqueness we love to do it. We feel that sharing those ideas will help our future couples and ignite some creativity. This blog has been adapted from Holly and Erik’s wedding photographer, Kelsi Kliethermes Photography, because she explained so beautifully how their first look was so unique and intimate. The following is what Kelsi had to say on her journal:
“Several weeks before Erik and Holly’s wedding, Holly emailed me to let me know that they had chosen to experience a first look moment on their wedding day. This didn’t come to a surprise to me, as many of my couples choose to forego tradition and have a first look; however what she said next melted my heart: “I'd like to do a father-daughter first look on the dock overlooking the lake before I go to meet Erik, and afterwards I would like for my dad to escort me to meet Erik for our first look moment.”
I have never seen a first look so meaningful and symbolic, and yet it makes so much sense. As a daughter, the man that we should love first is our father, who in turn gives us away to the love of the rest of our lives on our wedding day. I loved everything about Holly’s vision for this portion of her wedding day.
So after walking down the stairs from the bridal loft, all dressed in white - a radiant bride, Holly embraced her father who was waiting for her on the dock next to the blue-green lake. After a brief moment, Holly’s father quietly took her in his hand with a soft smile on his face and escorted her to her groom who was waiting in a grove of shade trees beyond the golden open field. When Holly said Erik’s name, he turned around and smiled and said, “Hello!” As Holly’s father officially gave her away to her husband-to-be, Holly and Erik quietly read special letters that they had written to one another, shedding a few tears, and enjoying a moment of solitude with one another before they would exchange their vows later in the day.”
“The heat index for the newlyweds special day were well into the 100 degree Fahrenheit mark. Lucky for them, their amazing and accommodating venue owners completed a lovely shaded all-white pavilion the evening before their wedding, making it an easy decision to switch their ceremony site from the sunny open field to the cool, upscale pavilion.”
“Amelia and Steve went above and beyond for my wife and I when we had our wedding here a couple of weeks ago. Our wedding fell on one of the hottest days of the year. We were really concerned, because the best option for us considering the size of our wedding was to have it outside. The pavilion was under construction, and it was not supposed to be ready. But Steve woke up at 4:30 the day before to put the finishing touches on so that our wedding could be shaded - without us requesting. Neither of us are from Macon and many of our guests had to travel at least an hour to get to the wedding. We have gotten many compliments about the venue and wedding in general, and I believe our guests quickly realized why we chose this venue. A big thank you to Emerson Fields for helping make our wedding day special!”
Erik, groom.
A couple more highlights from Kelsi:
“Holly and Erik are great fans of the St. Louis Blues, so what better way to toast to the first day of their marriage than with a golden bottle of champagne embellished with the Blues’ historic 2019 championship win!
Mr. and Mrs. Reese delighted their guests after dinner with a lively dance floor managed by a fantastic DJ and MC. The music never stopped, and neither did the dance moves of their guests!”
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Reese! Bless your marriage!
Photographer: Kelsi Kliethermes Photography || Venue: Emerson Fields || Rentals and Florals: D-Zines by T || Bridal Boutique: Breeze Bridal || Bridal Gown Designer: Lillian West || Jeweler: KT Diamond Jewelers || HAMU: Brooke Stenefjord || DJ and MC: James Bachman with DJ Shark Attack || Catering and Bar Service: 4 Points Catering || Cake and Sweets: Cake Stand - Kirksville, MO.