For Ciera and Devan, having an outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception was high on their priority list. However, with a May wedding in Kansas, the weather can be unpredictable. Ciera loved the flexibility of Fulton Valley Farms, as they offered an inside ceremony should inclement weather arise. Thankfully, there was no need! Their open air wedding was full of love and sunshine for their special day.
Ciera didn't want an "overly rustic" feeling to her wedding, which made Fulton Valley a perfect choice. Their color palette of blues, ivory, and silvers kept their wedding theme classic, complete with muscle cars and fun backdrops for photos! Also included were the beautiful colored string lights that gave their nighttime reception an ethereal glow.
When it came to picking out a wedding dress, Ciera was a bride who had a sharp idea of what she wanted. "My dress was fairly simple," she said. "I didn't want anything poofy, strapless, or with lace. Instead, I wanted something that was going to be comfortable and easy to move in. My ideal dress was going to have an open back and small detail. The dress I ended up choosing was similar to what I had pictured in my head."
"I tried on five or six dresses and only visited Dress Gallery," Ciera said of her experience. "I got the dress the first day I went. I'm normally really indecisive, so I didn't want to go to too many places and give myself too many options. Plus, I knew from my friends' experience that I wanted to purchase at Dress Gallery. Jillian has a great eye for locating things that fit your style but will also look great on you!"
Ciera was a superwoman and planned the majority of her wedding herself. Utilizing Pinterest, Facebook wedding groups, and friends & family, she kept organized and focused on her vision to see everything come to fruition. Some of her advice? "Get a videographer! For real. I can't even tell you how many times I have watched our wedding highlight video. It is the perfect reminder of how great our day was. It's something I'll get to cherish forever and have to show our future children." (To take a peek at Ciera & Devan's highlight video, click here!)
Also important to remember on wedding day is Ciera's next piece of advice - don't stress! "You're not getting married for the wedding. You're getting married for the relationship. Even if you spill something on your dress, lose the ring (which momentarily happened with my husband's wedding band on our big day - luckily it was found in the grass hours later!), or forget something, you're still getting married to the love of your life at the end of the day."
Ciera wasn't the only #DGGirl in her wedding party, either - all of her bridesmaids and her flower girl also became #DGGirls as well! We love it when brides trust us with making their loved ones look at beautiful as possible standing next to them. Ciera chose matching classic cornflower blue chiffon dresses for her girls, which made her ivory and silver accents really sparkle! She picked up her accessories and headbands from our jewelry department, too! Look at this GIRL SQUAD GOALS.
When we asked Ciera her favorite memory from her wedding, even she was surprised at the answer. "My favorite memory by far was our first dance. It's funny because I thought that I wouldn't like this part that much (I'm not a big dancer and first dances always seemed awkward.) But our DJ moved our dance floor outside and told everyone to gather in a circle around us while we did our first dance. Instead of everyone sitting and chatting, everyone was surrounding US and watching as we danced. The combination of being surrounded by friends and family while also being outside as the sun set made this moment super emotional for me. I have never felt so happy and loved in one moment."
Congratulations to you both, Ciera & Devan! Thank you so much for including Dress Gallery in your wedding day; it looks absolutely beautiful!
All photos are courtesy of Bartel & Wendling Photography.
Stay tuned next week for our next featured bride!