We’ll never get over Yeni and Ansel’s wedding day! Yeni’s vision was to bring the French countryside into the heart of Kansas. And to create an amazing experience for her guests, and she definitely succeeded. With details like colorful florals, elevated details, our favorite reception dress change of all time, an ice cream cart, and late-night pizza, their wedding was filled with personal touches that were both elegant and a ton of fun.

Before we dive into the details, make sure you check out their vendor team below!

Venue: The White Barn

Photographer: The Axmanns

Catering: Thyme & Thyme Again Catering

Bar: Xclusive Events

DJ: Another Dimension

Decor: Event Elements

Florist: Free State Flora

Makeup: Karly Huysman

Hair: Stacey Watkins, Sugar Salon

Photo Booth: Lamphouse Photo Booth

Ice Cream Cart: Salted Creamery

Mariachi Band: Mariachi Los Reyes de Wichita

Shuttle: Triple B’s Express

Dress: Alice In Ivory

Alterations: Arthur & Lucca

Yeni spent the night in the venue’s attached bridal suite after their rehearsal dinner the day before. And then she and her bridesmaids spent a slow morning together getting ready on-site. It’s the perfect space to get ready on your wedding day, with plenty of space and all the amenities you could possibly need.

Patience from The Axmanns captured their personal details with a gorgeous flatlay! Yeni opted for a fold-out invite that was minimalist in function. But still packed a lot of personalization with an elegant floral motif.

We’re obsessed with Yeni’s take on the matching pajama trend. Her bridesmaids wore matching sets complete with feather cuffs, and Yeni wore the best colorful PJs of all time!

Yeni looked stunning in her gown from Alice In Ivory and altered by Arthur and Lucca, both in Chicago. We love the power of a modern body-hugging gown that’s been altered to perfection! Details like the buttons that ran halfway down her skirt and a plunging neckline and back made this look like it had been designed just for her.

A hot pink dress for the mother of the bride? Yes, please!

After getting dressed, it was time for Yeni and Ansel to share their first look. We loved seeing Ansel’s reaction to his beautiful bride!

They also shared private vows during this time. We love it when couples opt to do this. Because it really helps you center the day on the person you’re marrying and committing your life to… And it’s a great opportunity to say the vows and jokes you might not want to share with everyone!

As a wedding coordinator, one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to never settle for your wedding venue! We always urge our clients to pick a location for their wedding that they absolutely love. When you invest in a space that’s already beautiful to you just the way it is and that you feel excited to be in, it makes everything so much easier. Yeni and Ansel chose their venue wisely! These indoor portraits that they took in the bridal suite are so stunning.

Ansel looked great in his blue suit, which he accented with a floral tie. It was the perfect attire for a summer wedding!

Can we take a moment to appreciate Yeni’s bouquet? Free State Flora knocked it out of the park! The purple, blue, hot pink, orange, and blush-toned blossoms came together to form a magnificent palette. And the shape was a perfect mix of classic, modern, and whimsical.

The Axmanns are known for their masterful use of light in photography, and we can’t get over how glowy and gorgeous Yeni and Ansel’s portraits are.

Yeni’s veil is one of my all-time favorites! You can’t go wrong with a dramatic cathedral-length veil (ahem, it’s your wedding day!), and hers was stunning with floral appliques that cascaded from the top to the bottom to meld with an intricate design around the hem.

This bridal party took cues from two of our favorite attire trends! The bridesmaids wore mixed-tone blue dresses of different styles that came together beautifully, and the guys wore black suits that allowed Ansel to stand out in his blue one.

While the bridal party escaped the hot summer sun and cooled off in the air-conditioned venue, we prepped for the ceremony. Yeni had the ceremony seating arranged like a runway, and at the end was a hexagon arbor accented with some more gorgeous pieces by Free State Flora!

We’ve got a lot of questions about how the runway-style aisle worked out, and we have to say that we LOVED it! Everyone got to see all of the special moments that happened during the processional. No one had to crane their necks or shift around to see everyone walking down the aisle or for Yeni’s entrance. The guests were saying they enjoyed it too!

A benefit we didn’t expect from the runway seating was that Yeni and Ansel’s guests were a prominent part of each photo. Instead of seeing the backs of a bunch of chairs, you see all the people that love these two and are cheering them on in their marriage!

Ansel’s sister officiated their ceremony, and it was so beautiful! They had family members read passages that were meaningful to them as a couple, and each part of the ceremony was chosen with care.

I don’t think we’ll ever get over how beautiful this ceremony was!

One of the best photo ops you can get on your wedding day is sharing a kiss when you’re halfway down the aisle. If you want to grab it, make sure you talk about it with your fiance beforehand and practice at your rehearsal!

After the ceremony, guests walked up to the barn to enjoy cocktail hour on the patio. We placed a table in front of the barn doors to show off their guestbook and family photos!

Mariachi de los Reyes played as Yeni and Ansel walked down the aisle together and played throughout cocktail hour. We decorated the wooden cocktail tables with florals left over from the rehearsal dinner, and Thyme and Thyme Again created a pretty charcuterie spread for guests to enjoy.

We lit all the candles inside before opening the doors for guests. Seeing Yeni’s vision for her day come together was so wonderful! She wanted to evoke a French countryside feel in the space, and we think she nailed it.

She used beige linens on the tables, which felt more upscale than regular white or black, and Event Elements created elegant place settings with gold utensils, chargers, blue satin napkins, and glassware. We used 3 different centerpieces that alternated between hurricane trios with pillar candles, covered taper candle trios, and stemmed floating candle hurricane trios. Each one was accented by lovely brass bud vases by Free State Flora that added a pop of color to the overall design.

For the sweetheart table, a family friend built them a draped and backlit backdrop with faux greenery. We accented the front with mixed candles. Free State Flora added a eucalyptus garland. And we repurposed one of the pieces from the ceremony altar to sit at the front of the table. It was perfectly romantic!

For their grand entrance, the bridesmaids and groomsmen entered as two big groups while Yeni and Ansel took center stage! We not-so-secretly prefer doing grand entrances this way. We all know the guests really just want to see the bride and groom! Especially if you have more than 4 or 5 people on each side, this is a great option so it doesn’t feel like this reception event isn’t being dragged out.

After the grand entrance, Yeni and Ansel gave a short welcome speech to set the tone for the evening, and dinner was served! This was our first time working with Thyme and Thyme Again Catering, and we were very impressed. The food was absolutely delicious, and their service was remarkable!

After some very heartfelt toasts filled with laughs and some tears, it was time for Yeni and Ansel to share their first dance as husband and wife. It was such a romantic and sweet moment, and these photos capture it perfectly!

One thing we really appreciated about Yeni was how intentional she was when selecting music for each part of her day. All of the songs for their key moments (the ceremony processional, grand entrance, and dances) were new to us. But each of them told a story and had so much meaning to them!

Here’s a tip for you: start working on song selections early on in the planning process so you have time to find ones that are a perfect fit for you. Don’t be tempted to go with staple songs that are played at every wedding. Make choices that reflect your own love story and feelings! If you need some suggestions to get you started, check out our blog post with song ideas for your parent dances.

Once the dance floor was underway, Yeni snuck away for a few minutes to execute the BEST reception dress change we have ever witnessed. Anyone who knows Yeni knows that she’s incredibly cool and has amazing style, and her reception dress reflected that! The ruffles definitely brought the party vibe.

Soon after she re-entered, it was time for dessert! Yeni and Ansel weren’t huge cake lovers, so they brought in the Salted Creamery ice cream cart from Newton. The owner Kendra makes the ice cream by hand, and it was so delicious! All the guests were so excited to try it, and it was a huge hit.

Another Dimension and Xclusive Events kept the party going hard all night! The dance floor was packed until the very end.

Another fun detail from this day? Yeni and Ansel wanted pizza as a late-night snack. So we ran to a pizza place down the road to bring back a bunch! Guests were sharing pizza boxes around the whole venue, and it gave them an extra energy boost to close the night out strong. If you want to add a fun surprise for your guests at your reception, you can’t go wrong with pizza. They always love it, and it’s super cheap and easy to get!

Yeni and Ansel, we can’t thank you enough for asking us to be your wedding coordinator and execute your wedding. We’ll never forget how much heart and soul you put into this day, and your intentionality with each detail inspires us! You hosted such a beautiful gathering and threw one heck of a party. We love you and wish you all the best for your marriage in the years to come!

XOXO,

The Radiantly Curated Team