Jarrett Prairie Center, Byron, IL Wedding | Michael & Kayla

Jarrett Prairie Center, Byron, IL Wedding

Getting caught up on some more blogging with Michael and Kayla’s wedding from last August!

The day started out a little sketchy weather-wise as I pulled into their venue (see photos below), but mercifully the rain cleared within minutes of my arrival giving us a lovely midwestern summer day. I was so thankful for their sake since they had planned an outdoor ceremony. More importantly, their day was filled with their closest friends and family gathered around to celebrate their marriage. It doesn’t get any better than that! Kayla kindly shared some of her own thoughts about her day, so make sure you scroll through to read them all!

Engagement Photos

Hair: Haley Zuberbier
Makeup: Sara Furath
Flowers: Sam’s Club
Wedding Dress: Maggie Soterro from Hi Beautiful Bridal
Bridesmaid's Dresses: Azazie
Suits: Men’s Warehouse
Getting Ready, Ceremony, & Reception: Jarrett Prairie Center
Officiant: Bridget Johnson
Caterer: Machine Shed
Cake: Nothing Bundt cakes
DJ: Three14 media

The Dress:
I didn't have a particular dress style or even preference on where to get it. I had originally made an appointment at David's Bridal but the day of the appointment my nephew was sick which meant my sister couldn't go. Fate has a funny way of working out because I am very glad I didn't go to the appointment because it led me to Hi Beautiful Bridal in Rockton. I cannot say enough good things about Emily (the store owner) and this dress shop. She made me feel so special in what I chose and it was so tailored to my preferences. My mother and sister actually chose the dress hanging up that I wore. It was a fitted dress that hugged my curves and had just simple beading, very much me. As for accessories, the earrings I wore were pearl and the ones my mother wore on her wedding day. The necklace was also a single pearl and had been worn on both my mother ‘s and grandmother’s wedding days. I am so grateful they lent me these and hope to be able to pass this tradition down.

The Suit:
I went with a plain white button up shirt with gray slacks and a gray vest. The most important part of the outfit were the cuff links my sister gave me the night of the rehearsal dinner that have a picture of my dad on one, and on the other his handwritting.

How They Met:
It is actually a funny story. We officially met winter of 2017 when we matched on Tinder and began talking (weird for me to admit that but here we are). We went out on our first date and got to talking and realized that we had actually met before. Back in either 2015 or 2016, we danced together at a local fair concert. It is still weird to us that we met years prior to us connecting and hadn't even realized it. We officially started dating in February 2018 and moved real quick because we moved in together in June of that same year where we have lived ever since. We have always sort of known that we were meant for each other and that getting engaged and married would eventually follow suit. Finally, Mike proposed to me in the comfort of our own home with our dog with a ring that he had remade from his great grandma.

The Venue:
We wanted a simple wedding venue. Nothing too serious or fancy because it's just not who we are as people. We were looking into parks, barns, anything within our budget when we stumbled upon the Jarrett Prairie Center in Byron. Again, we lucked out when it came to our venue. Everyone that helped us was so incredibly nice and I will recommend them to anyone. The scenery is beautiful for pictures and it was everything we wanted.

The Ceremony:
We had our ceremony on the deck at the venue overlooking the prairie (beautiful by the way). We didn't want a very long ceremony so we kept it short and sweet. We loved what our officiant said about how love is selfish while also being selfless. I think Mike being able to walk down the aisle with his mom and uncle was very special to him and I know to his mom.

The Decor:
The reception décor was mostly DIY. I tried to incorporate a lot of things that we could use in our own home as décor or that could be repurposed. I always had seen brides in the past having the sell massive amounts of wedding stuff and tried to limit that with our wedding. I wouldn't say that there was a particular theme. Maybe rustic greenery. I think that in the end the venue spoke for itself. It was beautiful because of the natural beauty of the prairie. Where we held our reception was in their banquet room which was just redone and it was gorgeous.

The Photographer:
I actually was researching photographers in my area and found Chrissy. I read her about me on her website and instantly clicked with her mission on photos. I dispise posed pictures that are forced and always in one stance so we wanted someone who could candidly capture our moments. We booked Chrissy for our engagement pictures to break the ice and see if this was someone we wanted to photograph our wedding. Needless to say we were hooked and couldn't have made a better choice!

The Party:
The party was great! Our DJ was PHENOMENAL! Again another vendor we were blessed to find. I love to dance and just being able to dance with all of my family and friends was great. A true celebration.

The Honeymoon:
We had an annual camping/fishing trip to Minnesota planned before we even got engaged. So I suppose technically that will be our honeymoon. However, we do plan on taking a vacation just the two of us soon, possibly next year.

What they’d have done differently:
I think in an event like this you always wish that things could go differently. The timeline, the food, the dancing. In the end though, I don't think I would change anything. We are finally married and had an amazingly lovely day together shared by our closest and most beloved friends and family. What more can you ask for?

Advice for couples currently wedding planning:
I think that my biggest triumph with this wedding was standing up for myself and voicing what Michael and I truly wanted. So I guess that is my biggest piece of advice. If you and your future partner do not want to do something, be your own advocate and do not do something soley based on what others expect of you or the event. Oh and have fun!