Auna + Bryan’s Wedding Day Pros

PREMIER HEARTLAND WEDDING IDEAS VENDORS 

Event Planning & Decor Design Mostly Becky Event Group 
Bartending Your Private Bar 

ALL VENDORS
Photography Missie Lafrenz Photography | Photobooth The Good Co. DSM | Extra Rentals Borrow My Vintage and Unique Events | Ceremony & Reception Venue Salisbury House and Gardens | Hair Pure Salon Aveda South Ankeny | Invites Zola | Cake Ami’s Cakes | Ice Cream The Outside Scoop | Accessories Modern Dress | Catering Gateway Market | Jewelry Jared by James Allen | Floral DIY from Hobby Lobby | Officiant Bryan’s cousin Wilfredo Ortiz

See all the vendors we LUST for, that can help you with your big day!

For Auna and Bryan, the perfect wedding day was an intimate, romantic celebration with their closest family and friends. With a lot of love and care, they created a day that honored their journey as a couple and was filled with the joy of their married life to come. 

The couple was first introduced through mutual friends in high school – but those high schools were miles apart, Bryan at the Colorado School for the Deaf, and Auna at the Iowa School for the Deaf. Even with the distance, they decided to keep in touch, and their friendship grew into a closer, stronger “official” dating relationship. 

Bryan decided to propose during a trip to Hawaii when the couple was celebrating his graduation from Drake University. They hiked to the top of the gorgeous Kuli’ou’ou Ridge Trail when Bryan got down on one knee. 

“When I looked over at Bryan holding a ring: I screamed, I cried, I shouted, I said YES! A perfect proposal,” Auna remembers. 

The wedding day vibes were straight from the pages of a mythical European storybook. The couple wanted to pull off a soft, romantic feel that drew upon inspiration from nature – and we say, mission accomplished!

The ceremony and reception were set on the lawn of the gorgeous Salisbury House and Gardens in Des Moines – where a stone facade and backdrop of changing leaves set the perfect tone. Their floral and decor pulled in natural elements like wood and macrame, with a color palette of rich reds, light browns, and dark oranges. 

Auna and Bryan worked with Mostly Becky Event Group throughout their planning process, which helped make their whole day come to life seamlessly! They also had fun DIY-ing some decor with many trips to Hobby Lobby and the help of family. 

The couple kept their guest list on the smaller side, with around 80 of their closest friends and family joining for the big day. Many of their inner circle of Deaf friends traveled from every corner of the country – Alaska, Florida, Texas, California, New Mexico and New York – to be a part of the special day. 

“With a smaller guest list, we were able to spend time with each of our guests all night long,” Auna says. “It truly made it special and unforgettable and feel like us.” 

Drinks, sweets, and a photobooth were also a standout part of the reception! They had the Your Private Bar team serving up drinks, The Outside Scoop Ice Cream truck for an extra sweet treat, and a groovy photobooth set inside a retro Volkswagen bus. 

“Our wedding day was almost a 10-year milestone since we first started dating,” Auna explains. “Enjoying journey with such a special group of people was incredibly personal and unique.” 

Congratulations, Auna and Bryan! Your wedding day truly was a romantic and cherished celebration of where you’ve been and where you’re going.