Preparation
It was providential that Megan and Nick should cross paths on their first day as students at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine—it was nearly 30 years to the day that Megan’s parents met in the same auditorium on their own first day at the revered medical school. But fate wasn’t done with them yet. “In a class of 120 students, we happened to be assigned to the same small advisory group of five; the same anatomy bay; and all the same classes,” shares Megan. “I couldn’t get away from the guy if I tried!” All jokes aside, a romance felt inevitable and truly meant to be—so when love led to an engagement, the couple was ready.
Although their plan to wed before hundreds of guests was thwarted by the pandemic, the pair was able to exchange vows on their original wedding date in an intimate ceremony. Fast-forward a year, and their follow-up event for 400 people had to be reined in due to lingering county restrictions in addition to safety apprehensions. “Out of concern about our guests traveling and gathering in large groups, we cut our guest list in half,” says the bride—which was no easy feat. But with the numbers finally settled, the couple turned their attention to selecting a venue—and realized that there was no place like home. “Nick, my family, and I toured dozens of venues in St. Louis, and all of them were gorgeous,” says Megan. “But I felt nothing could compare to what I could imagine for my parents’ home and land.”
With a garden vision in mind and the seemingly endless assistance and skills of Kate + Co, the pair transformed the family’s residence into a fairy-tale of flowers, custom structures, and signature colors. Most of all, they cherished the opportunity to reaffirm their vows before their nearest and dearest in such a meaningful locale—one that was as meant to be as their love story.
With the couple’s garden theme in mind, Cheree Berry Paper & Design created the the invitation suite using floral details and the couple’s signature blue-and-purple color palette.
The couple put together welcome bags for their “favorite party animals,” including some essentials and local treats—like hand sanitizer and gooey butter cake—to help loved ones “celebrate, hydrate, and recuperate.”
Hours before the bride’s 11 attendants preceded her down the aisle, they enjoyed lounging in coordinating pajamas as they got ready for the big day.
Megan’s full Pnina Tornai wedding dress was beautifully embellished with 3D floral appliqués and the lightest of feathers. “My mom started crying!” she says of the moment she put on the gown, which was customized to the bride’s specifications.
Delicate sweet pea, ranunculus, garden roses, and waxflower composed the bridal bouquet, which was asymmetrical in shape. Trailing clematis vine softened the edges.
Bridesmaids wore Jenny Yoo for Bella Bridesmaid dresses in varying silhouettes, all in matching gray-blue hues.
Nick was extremely taken with his custom tuxedo created by Tailored Gent in St. Louis. “There were 50-plus different measurements!” Megan says. Each groomsman was gifted a matching, custom-fitted tux, which resulted in a handsome, cohesive look.
The tent where the ceremony was held was a dreamy vision of white designed around a central, expansive aisle lined with flowers in shades of subtle green, soft ivory, and subtle lavender.
The ceremony included a plant display for the couple; the parents of the bride and groom completed a watering ritual—to signal their children’s union—at the altar.
Festive Couture Floral created the floral displays that lined the aisle. The neutral arrangements, filled out with plenty of greenery, were accented with pops of purple.
For her walk to the altar, the flower girl donned a dress by Doloris Petunia and held onto a miniature bouquet with delicate garden roses and sweet peas.
After the couple recessed back down the aisle, guests raised chilled glasses of Dom Pérignon—hand selected by the bride’s father—for a joyous Champagne toast.
Among the outdoor cocktail hour offerings were fresh hand-shucked oysters—a nod to the couple’s connection to the East Coast.
Two signature drinks were served up at the full bar: This first was an old fashioned, smoked to order, in honor of Nick.
As for the second? Megan’s favorite gin fizz drinks were poured into blue coupes and served on branded trays.
The couple had Coors beer on tap for their guests.
At the close of the cocktail hour, loved ones were invited to enter the reception tent through an escort card “garden.”
Loved ones found their table assignments on paper butterflies and dragonflies that were embedded into the fresh flowers.
Each butterfly featured a short motivational quote in honor of Megan’s mom, who is known for sending her favorite phrases to her kids.
Thousands of wisteria stems were suspended from the tent’s rafters and immediately captured guests’ attention as they entered the 12,000-square-foot space. Lounge areas were sprinkled throughout; the chic furniture groupings offered guests places to gather.
Amazing floral displays, also by Festive Couture Floral, were placed on every surface, including atop a custom bar that was built to reflect one of the couple’s signature wedding colors: perwinkle. The shade was an exact match to the back of their big-day invite; their signature vine wallpaper marked the center of the station.
Gorgeous mirror-topped tables stretched across the tent. Floral chandeliers were interspersed with crystal iterations that sloped down from the white fabric overhead.
Round tables were draped in luxe purple-and-white patterned linens. Elegant chairs, flatware, and rimmed stemware added additional glamorous touches of gold.
Lavender-hued blooms dotted the lavish, creamy floral arrangements, including those that spilled gracefully over select tabletops in a cascade of white orchids.
Settings of china layered over chargers with gilded edges were topped with linen napkins tied with pristine white ribbon. Booklet menus told of the meal to come.
The couple shared a kiss during the first course: a chilled corn soup topped with cream and edible flowers (caviar was also served tableside).
The pair’s 7-foot wedding cake—“Mom said she wanted a big cake, so we went big!” says Megan—designed and baked by The Cakery Bakery boasted a number of flavors, including banana-cinnamon, chocolate, and yellow cake with raspberry filling and chocolate chip cake with vanilla cream.
A swag of fresh flowers—that began with a topper of white orchids, calla lilies, and ivory roses—picked up color on the way down courtesy of sweet peas, hydrangeas, roses, and more in shades of blue, purple, lavender, and blush.
Tucked away in the back of the tent, a dessert garden, which was designed to be an immersive experience, awaited guests. Five different cakes—created to look as if they were growing among the blooms—were offered, and chefs in coordinating attire made nitrogen-infused ice cream to order.
Megan and Nick took their first dance to “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, courtesy of music by Contemporary Productions.
For the bride, the ensuing family dance party was the highlight of night. “My family took a nontraditional approach to the parent dance,” she says. “We played Taylor Swift’s ‘Never Grow Up,’ and my father, mother, and two brothers all took a turn dancing with me. It was very special, as we are a very close family, and I felt this represented that!”
Photography, Mike Cassimatis Photography Wedding Planning, Event Design, and Coordination, Kate & Company Flowers, Festive Couture FloralVideography, Blueberry CreativePortrait Lounge Photographer, Banga StudiosStationery, Cheree Berry Paper & DesignMusic, Contemporary ProductionsRentals, The Aries Company; BBJ Linens; Casa de Perrin; Décorum; Jacob Co Creative; La Tavola; Mahaffey Event and Tent Rentals; Revelry Event Designers; VIP Restrooms; Weinhardt Party RentalsWedding Dress, Pnina TornaiBride’s Accessories, Pnina Tornai veil; Jimmy Choo shoes;Bridal Salon, Kleinfeld BridalReception Outfit, EtsyHair and Makeup, Amanda Dunavant for DanielleStyle Bridesmaids’ Dresses, Jenny Yoo for Bella BridesmaidMother-of-the-Bride Dress, Badgley MischkaMenswear, Tailored GentsFlower Girl’s Attire, Doloris PetuniaRings, Simons JewelersCake, The Cakery BakeryDesserts, Bijoux Chocolates; Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolate; The Cakery Bakery; Loria, STL Cake PopsTransportation, JED TransportationGuest Accommodations, The Ritz Carlton Saint LouisValet Parking, Midwest Valet ParkingCatering, 23 City Blocks Catering
