It was Valentine’s Day weekend when StyleBlueprint’s Lauren Uebele and her soon-to-be-fiancé Joe decided on a quick getaway to their favorite place: Rosemary Beach. The couple had been dating for about 10 months, quickly falling in love and into a relationship — so seamlessly, Lauren laughs, that she didn’t even know Joe was her boyfriend until he introduced her as such to his friends. After a few days spent relaxing in the sun, the two walked towards dinner at Cowgirl Kitchen. Lauren noted that Joe had seemed a little off, but she never would have guessed what was coming.
In fact, it was Lauren who suggested that they venture to the boardwalk for the sunset. Joe nudged Lauren ahead of him, resituated the ring into his pocket, and nervously followed her to the view. As the sun set over the water, the two turned their gazes towards the houses on the beach. Joe asked Lauren, “Would you want to have a house like that one day?” Lauren, the detail-oriented gal that she is, responded, “Which one?” He laughed and asked her to marry him with big plans for beach houses and forever together.
Lauren and Joe spent the rest of the evening celebrating, keeping the good news to themselves for just one night. They enjoyed what Lauren swears was the best pizza of her life, followed by celebratory cocktails and dancing at Baytowne Wharf. The next day, they called and FaceTimed family and friends from the beach to share their engagement announcement.
The two married in Lauren’s hometown of Kansas City on August 18, 2018, and wove family traditions and heirlooms throughout the day. Lauren shares that the day itself was surprisingly relaxed. “I started the day by getting breakfast and coffee for my bridesmaids, and I actually wanted to help decorate for the reception.” Instead, the bride and her bridesmaids got ready together at the reception venue with Lauren popping down a few times to check in on the decor, as she had planned the entire wedding herself. “I loved it. It was so much fun, but I could not have done it without my day-of coordinator and florist, Shelley Rundberg. She completely saw my vision and put it all together.”
After Lauren slipped into the dress of her dreams and put on the finishing touches, her dad popped in with one last wedding day accessory. Lauren’s mom and dad gifted her a shining diamond pendant necklace to wear around her neck. The diamond was originally from her maternal great-grandmother’s engagement ring, and it had then been passed down to her mom as stunning stud earrings. Now, Lauren and her mom have matching pendant necklaces. It was her sentimental “something new” (to her!) on her wedding day, carrying a piece of her great-grandmother and her mother down the aisle.
The most surreal part of the day, Lauren tells us, was the few minutes after the bridesmaids left the room and before she and her dad made their way down the aisle. “It was the church where my parents were married, too, so it all started to feel real in the moments right before he and I walked down the aisle.” The two shared a tender moment together, and then it was time to make her way to her groom.
The couple exchanged vows, ones they had selected together, line-by-line. In front of 147 guests, they became Mr. and Mrs. Joe Cummings and excitedly set off to celebrate with their closest friends and family.
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Mission Theatre held the evening’s festivities, where the bride’s mom, grandmother and great-grandmother grew up going to the movies. The couple chose a venue that held sentimental value and also offered a stunning backdrop for dinner and dancing. The soaring ceilings and eye-catching chandeliers allowed Lauren to focus on her favorite wedding planning detail: the flowers.
Shelley filled the room with an earthy and boho design of eucalyptus, garden roses, privet berries and Lauren’s favorite, anemones. And they didn’t just adorn the tables and fill the bouquets. Above the head table hung a jaw-dropping floral chandelier that was the focal point of the entire room. Lauren shares, “The head table design was my favorite of the entire day. We rented the farm table and had flowers and candles and the floral chandelier and a scroll with our new name. My dad made this big light-up ‘C’ for us with the help of friends. It was huge and special, and that was probably my favorite thing.”
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Lauren envisioned an elegant celebration with thoughtful, beautiful details, but not so fancy that people couldn’t enjoy themselves. “We wanted people to have fun and let loose,” she tells us. The couple’s first dance to “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green started the party, and the dance floor was filled all night long.
“Some of my favorite memories from the day include being goofy with Joe on the dance floor together with our friends and family,” Lauren says. The couple shut down the party, too, as two of the very last dancers to depart. “We didn’t want to leave,” Lauren laughs. Their enthusiasm for the celebration was matched only by their excitement for a lifetime of dances together.
Cheers to you, Lauren and Joe! Thank you for sharing your special day with us.
Resources:
Photography: Alli McConnell Photography
Church: Old Mission United Methodist Church
Reception venue: Mission Theatre
Videographer: Ryan Dake (friend of the bride)
Bride’s gown: Eddy K from Breeze Bridal in Columbia, Missouri
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Adrianna Papell from Nordstrom
Bride’s hair: Megan Liles @ Studio M Salon
Makeup: Dani Jo Bell Makeup Artistry
Bridal party hair: Tamara Lee at Coco’s Style Lounge
Groom’s & groomsmen’s formalwear: The Black Tux
Invitations: Basic Invite
Flowers and day-of coordination: Shelley Rundberg Couture Wedding Flowers
Catering: Brancato’s Catering
Ceremony music: Cathy Solsberg & Casey Shields (family of bridesmaid)
Reception entertainment: Platinum DJ KC
Cake: Dolce Bakery
Ice Cream: Betty Rae’s
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