I want to start out this post to say I just love Becky and John so much. Not only did they have a super fun day planned at the Pilgrim Chapel and Tom’s Town Distilling Company, but they are the kindest humans on this planet.

Getting ready at the courtyard marriott in downtown kansas city wedding

I absolutely loved watching them interact with such kindness to each other and everyone who was part of their day. There’s not a bridezilla bone in Becky’s body. She treated everyone with love and appreciation. John, although also kind, needed a bit more encouraging when it came to portrait time. In the words of Becky: “thank you for coaxing smiles out of my curmudgeon.” No problem at all Becky 🙂

Wedding portraits at the Nelson Atkins Museum

Becky and John have a story that is very different than most. They had actually been married, divorced, and then reconnected a couple years ago. Several parts of the day actually poked fun at their long history. In fact, John had a special inscription on the inside of his ring. Becky was not allowed to look at it until after the ceremony. It said “One more time…”

Adding to the one more time theme, Becky changed dresses halfway through the Tom’s Town wedding reception and even wore the same shoes as she wore during their first wedding. This was a surprise to John.

The whole day was so true to them as a couple. Instead of traditional centerpieces, they chose to have books at each table. Becky and John wanted to share their favorite books with their guests so these were free to take. I went home with a Harry Potter book. Score! For party favors, they handed out chocolate and gin. Instead of having a full dinner, they served mac and cheese along with some appetizers. So delicious!

Pilgrim Chapel wedding ceremony Kansas City

Thank you so much Becky and John for allowing me to be part of your day. I loved getting to know you over the past year. We had a blast during your engagement session and your wedding was just as entertaining! I appreciate you both so much!

Note to future couples: if you have mac and cheese at your reception, you will quickly become my favorite couple. Well, even without the mac and cheese, Becky and John are pretty cool. But seriously, feed me mac and cheese.

Here’s your full preview. More to come shortly!!!

Venue: Tom’s Town Distillery

Floral: Collections Floral Design Studio

Cake: Rosciglione Bakery

DJ: Levity Events

Hair and Makeup: The Salon

Catering: Affordable Elegance Catering

Invites: VO Handmade

Planning: Cherished Moments

Photography: eGolden Moments

– Hear from the bride –

Share your inspiration and the atmosphere you’re creating for your wedding:

We wanted the ceremony to feel spiritual, which is why Pilgrim Chapel felt so right. We’re putting a few pumpkins outside, but other than we’re not decorating. We love the simplicity.

For the reception, John let me have free rein. Incorporating the books was my favorite part, but I also wanted touches of fall, like some cloth pumpkins on the cocktail tables and signage and decorative leaves on the seating chart and cake tables. October is my favorite month of the year, and while I wanted to personalize the centerpieces with our love of reading, I also wanted to include a nod to autumn. We want people to come in, visit, enjoy the food, have a dance or two and truly feel like they can relax.

Share how (or why) you chose your wedding venue(s):

We chose Pilgrim Chapel for the simple beauty. The pictures online really caught us, and when we stepped inside the chapel, we knew. We felt very peaceful and it was easy to picture saying our vows there. It’s perfect for a smaller wedding.

What is your most valuable piece of advice you can share with future couples planning their wedding?

Have fun with it! You’re getting to marry the love of your life. It’s easy to get caught up in centerpieces, invoice due dates and seating charts, but if you ever find yourself getting stressed, focus on your favorite parts for awhile or just take a break.

The other piece of advice I wished I had followed the first time and definitely did this time: make it yours! If that means simple and no fuss, do it. If that means creating a stunning centerpiece that fits your budget and represents you, do it. I cut so many corners the first time. This time, I focused on the details that really mattered to me (like our centerpieces) and let other things go that were outside of our budget or just not that important to us (disposable, elegantly folded napkins).

What was your favorite part of the planning process?

Finding the books and creating the names for the tables! It was so much fun for both of us to pick out our favorite books and then decide what we wanted to name our tables after.