Allison + Jacob’s Wedding Day Pros

Photographers, Cambria Shelley at the wedding and Suzanne Corum-Rich capturing the construction of the floral | Videographer Jackson Media Co. | Ceremony & Reception Our Heritage Family Farm — Est. 1864 | Caterer, The couple prepared the food, plus a large cheese board from The Cheese Shop that was served on an end-grain cutting board made by the groom | Floral Barnswallow Flowers, day of help from Indie Floral Design | Hair Stacy Syroka | Makeup Ivy Boyd | Cake Glorious Desserts | Dessert French macarons and bonbons, Patisserie 46, Minneapolis | Wedding Dress The White Room, Minneapolis, Brand: Laure De Sagazan | Menswear Badowers | Stationery Invites: Minted.com, DIY for programs, menus, and place cards | Jewelry Cooks Jewelry, Iowa City

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

Meeting the one, on the land you love.

Allison and Jacob grew up in Iowa and have strong ties to their family farms. It was even part of how the two met and fell in love.

While Allison was home visiting her parents, her mother suggested they visit a neighboring farmer's woodshop to see a few new pieces he had created — Jacob's woodshop, to be exact. While this was not an effort in match-making by Allison's mother, the two clicked and continued to find ways to see each other. They spent as much time as they could together, and soon, a two-year long-distance relationship took off.

The couple knew this was the year they would be married, so they were very thoughtful in the way they did it. They decided to decrease the guest list to immediate family only. With a smaller guest list, "We had more time to 'be'," expressed Allison. They turned their wedding into an intimate experience and brought connections from their families, farms, and the land they grew up on.

You can be sustainable and earth-conscious on your wedding day

While family played a big role in the couple's day, it was also important for them to be friendly to their natural surroundings and to have as little impact on the environment as possible. The piece of land they stood on, had a small portion mowed to accommodate the ceremony and guests, which would soon return to native grasses. Even the floral arch was created so that birds and other wildlife could use it for nesting in the coming months. They used Allison's grandmother's china, which meant less trash and a beautiful way to incorporate a family heirloom. So much of their spirit lead them to find items from their family, using the farmland they grew up on and their D.I.Y. nature to create the exact day they wanted.

As their plans started to take shape, they began working with Barnswallow Flowers to plan and create the incredible floral installations. They did not have to look far from home to work with Barnswallow. Owner, farmer, and visual artist Meredith is also Allison's sister. The goal of having a sustainable wedding is precisely the mission Barnswallow lives by. Being kind to the earth runs in the family. Having flowers on the farm was part of the girl's lives growing up.

Vendor Spotlight: Barnswallow Flowers

To hear Meredith, of Barnswallow Flowers, speak about her passion for farming and floral, you'll see why you will want to work with her! She and her team will plant the flowers you want at your wedding and harvest them at the optimal time. Talk about care! Local and seasonal is best, so your flowers aren't traveling more miles than your guests, and using earth-friendly practices keeps trash and pesticides off the land. It's easy to see why shopping local and locally grown can make a big impact on the environment and growers in the community.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Meredith Nunnikhoven: Visual Artist, Barnswallow Flowers Co-Owner | Kerrilyn Nunnikhoven: Farmer Florist, Barnswallow Flowers Co-Owner | Jessica Marino: Indie Floral Design, Floral Designer | Sherilyn Nikkle: Farmer Florist | Dan VandeVort: Farmer Florist and additional locally grown floral | Installation Photographer: Suzanne Corum-Rich

Find Meredith and her team at Barnswallow Flowers.

Having helpful hands from friends, family, and wedding pros makes all the difference.

While so much was D.I.Y., they couldn't do it without their carefully chosen wedding pros. "All our wedding vendors were incredible people to work with. They were very prompt in communication and handled the onset of the pandemic gracefully," Allison told us. And they couldn't have done any of it without the help and support of their family and friends. A simple example was the friends who picked-up and drove the food from an hour out-of-town, wrapped in blankets and in coolers to keep everything at its best. "Such thoughtful touches. To these amazing people, we are eternally grateful." The reception table was set with pressed ferns, antique honey jars from Jacob's grandparents full of more beautiful flowers, and we can't forget the bottles of Chateau Boswell from Allison's Napa Valley vineyard, where she is a winemaker.

The evening ended with candlelight twinkling, children playing around the farm, and the couple swaying to soft music in the moonlight. It was everything Allison and Jacob imagined it would be, surrounded by the people and the land that they love.