Quinn and Patrick set out to celebrate their “I Do’s” by throwing an elegant dinner part for family and friends at Magnolia Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. They enlisted the major talent at Lovestruck Weddings + Events who created a modern celebration with details that were heavily inspired by Kelly Wearstler, the bride’s favorite designer (and one of ours too!) We love the layering of textures and natural elements—the effect is edgy and cool but still totally inviting. Megan King Photography was on had to capture all the details of the day with her lovely fine-art film photography.
What made the wedding special and unique?
When planning our wedding we both wanted the evening to be reminiscent of an elegant dinner party. Since we were in our 30’s we were more interested in having a good time with our guests and less about monograms and slide shows. I loved the idea of having the whole evening in one location for its ease to our guests, so the Magnolia Hotel was perfect. The hotel setup made made it easy for the ceremony to flow right into cocktail hour then dinner and dancing. We still have people telling us how relaxed and fun our wedding was and that’s what matters to us!
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I found my gown at a & be bridal in Minneapolis, MN. My sister-in-law lives in Minneapolis so my mother and I took a trip up there to shop with her. I knew I wanted something timeless, elegant and no fuss but I also wanted to try on a range of designers and styles since this dress was going to be something to remember! I ended up finding a Nicole Miller gown that I didn’t want to take off! It was a stretch silk, cowl neck, form fitting style with pin-tuck and ruching detail and a train that flared out from the knee. It reminded me of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s iconic wedding dress and with my husband’s Kennedy-like hair I knew it was the perfect fit.
What were some touches added to make it personal?
We had so much fun working with our wedding planners. The girls at Lovestruck were able to personalize our look better than I could have imagined. My favorite designer is Kelly Wearstler so when I mentioned playing with abstract patterns and bold metallic colors like hers they pulled out all the stops. Every detail flowed together even though every look was different. From the four diverse table linen designs to our custom geometric squared altar rug and our bold seating board it was unlike anything I’d ever seen at a wedding. It felt so unique and different but it was so us. AND we really like pug dogs so we used a kissing pug bride and groom salt & pepper shaker we’d gotten as an engagement gift for our cake topper.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
For me the most memorable part of the day was the ceremony lighting. The Magnolia Hotel has a beautiful open courtyard with Italian light bulbs draped throughout so we knew we were going to get the natural sunlight during the ceremony but I couldn’t have planned for how perfect that April day was. The ceremony began as the sun started to set making the lighting in the courtyard so warm and romantic. And it really reflected off the bridesmaids’ metallic dresses making for some great pictures!
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Patrick and I actually grew up together because our families are good friends. We shared many family vacations, I took dance classes with his sister and was not allowed in his “fort” many-a-time. It wasn’t until his sister’s wedding in 2013 that we took interest in each other. We had never lived in the same city and were at that time so we started dating. We kept it a secret from our families because we wanted to make sure it was “something” before letting them know. Our families even had Thanksgiving together that year. We sat across the table from each other still secretly dating while my mom teased Patrick about the different dating sites he could join and my sister told me after dinner that she thought Patrick was interested in her. Needless to say, we were convincing. We ended up telling them at Christmas and enjoyed their shocked faces.
Patrick proposed to me after a girls trip to Las Vegas. He arranged it with my girlfriends and surprised me at the airport when we returned. I’m still a little upset with my friends that they didn’t make me shower before flying home that day, as my fun weekend is definitely visible in the photos snapped after he proposed.
Quinn and Patrick from Alex Matczyszyn on Vimeo.
Event Design & Production: Lovestruck Weddings + Events, Candace Kalasky // Photographer: Megan King Photography (currently not providing wedding photography) // Florals: Bouquet, Mark Griffin // Catering, Ceremony & Reception Venue: Magnolia Hotel, Ron Bradstreet // Videographer: Suit & Tie Films, Alex Matczyszyn // Calligraphy: Melissa Kartler, Pretty Paperie // Dress: a & be bridal // Officiant: First Lutheran Omaha Pastor Judith Rainforth // Ceremony/Cocktail Hour Musicians: Harris Academy of the Arts Sydney // DJ/Band: Rik Minnick // Rentals: AAA Rentals, Kathy Coder // Beauty: Bungalow 8, Stephanie // Desserts: Happy Hollow, David Updike