Hayley and Nates wedding was the literal defenition of a perfect fall wedding! They used a terracotta color palatte of burnt orange, tans, and other neutrals AND had a really cool wedding theme of... Vikings! You heard that right, the couple opted to have a viking themed wedding which consisted of drinking out of mead cups made from bull horns, grazing tables, and a hog roast!

Iowa Viking Wedding — Photo By: Touch of Love

The couple opted for decor that felt very rustic yet elegant as they were trying to match the feel of a true viking wedding! The guest tables consisted of a terracotta table runner with greenery flowing down, silk floral placed around the greenery and main centerpieces, wooden charger plates with linen napkins and a dinner menu, and ivory taper candles.

Fall Iowa Wedding — The Headtable

Your headtable is the focal point of the entire room, and where most of your reception photos are taken, so it’s important to dress it up and make it stand out

For the head table we used the terracotta table runner again and placed even more greenery along the entire length of the head table, wooden charger plates with linen napkins and dinner menus, mead cups and champagne flutes, ivory taper candles, and we also added in mini pumpkins and gourds on the table! In front of the head table we placed pampas grass in some amber jugs with twinkle lights, and lined the front of the table with all different shapes and sizes of pumpkins! Then behind the table we placed a greenery wall and wove in twinkle lights to give off a romantic and magical feel. We took silk strands of greenery and wove them through the rafters on the ceiling to make the space look more rustic and wild- but overall it really tied in the entire feel of a viking wedding! Then we added in some edison bulb string lights, so as it started to get darker outside, the only light was the candellight and the edison bulbs. It made the entire room feel very midevial which is EXACTLY what we were going for! You can see from this photo (below in the gallery) what the entire room looked like as guestss walked in, from the greenery hanging from the ceiling, to the mix of fall colors placed within the venue.

Iowa Wedding Charcuterie Grazing Table — The Grazing Table

In light of their viking theme, the couple opted for a grazing table for their appetizers and desserts. That way guests could walk by and pick from what they wanted in a true midevial/viking manner.

The desserts and charcuterie spread were made by The Hangry Lady and she did such an incredible job! You can see from the photo (to the upper left) the setup that was needed; To the far left we had the dessert spread, which we placed on two wooden barrels then laid a slab of wood ontop. The middle table was used for the grazing table and had all sorts of dried meats, fruits, nuts, etc. Then to the far right was the champagne wall the couple made. We placed chamagne flutes within the rows for guests to grab and toast with during the speeches and toasts.

Hotel Millwright Wedding Portraits — Getting Ready

While the reception and ceremony itself were at the **The Amana Golf Club Barn** the bride and groom opted to instead get ready and take most of their photos before the ceremony at the Hotel Millwright which was just a few minutes away from their venue.

While the reception and ceremony itself were at the The Amana Golf Club Barn the bride and groom opted to instead get ready and take most of their photos before the ceremony at the Hotel Millwright which was just a few minutes away from their venue. Now, let's talk about the wedding party looks!

The bride opted for a pampas inspired floral crown with her hair down, and a traditional bridal glam look for her makeup. The groom on the other hand went for a dark grey suit along with the groomsmen, and each has a pampas inspired boutonniere that the bridal party had made earlier in the year. The bridesmaids each wore a different color dress from burgundy, to peach, to dark maroon. Each bridemaid also had a fur shawl with their dress since it was a bit chilly for the couples outdoor wedding ceremony.

After the bridal party was done getting ready, they hopped on their party bus through Express Limo and headed over to the venue, while the brides father entertained everyone by dancing on the pole- Literally! Don't believe me? Check the gallery at the end of this blog post! The brides father was hilarious and the entire family was so awesome to work with!

Amana Colonies Iowa Fall Wedding — The Ceremony

The couple opted to have their ceremony outside on the waterfront, and it created some truly stunning photos!

The couple had a STUNNING wedding ceremony; we were worried for a bit because there was quite a bit of rain coming down the entire morning, but literally 30 minutes before the ceremony the sun popped out and helped to warm everything up a bit. The ceremony took place outside infront of the golf courses' pond, and guests were seated on the grass with the pond as their stunning view! The ceremony space that the venue provided offered some barn doors as the arbor, which was prefect for our rustic viking theme! For additional ceremony decor we added in a large wooden sign with the couples' last name, a fall wreath, and we even lined the aisle with pumpkins!

After the ceremony guests were guided to the reception hall which was directly to the right of the ceremony area. For the cocktail hour guests were asked to sign the couples' guestbook which was... A globe! It was so cute, they had a globe that said 'Darling let's be adventourous' and asked their guests who 'mean the world to them' to sign it! At this time guests were also able to pick out some food to munch on from the grazing table, and grab some champagne for the speeches and toasts. From there we had the couples cake cutting, toasts, and first dance, after dinner was served, all guests danced the night away.

Wedding Vendors:

Venue: The Amana Golf Club Barn @amanagolf

Wedding Planner: Elizabeth Bliss Events @elizabeth_bliss_events

Photographer: Touch of Love Photography @touch_of_love_photography

Florist: The Couple Designed Their Own

DJ: DSM Dance Party DJ's @dsmdancepartydjs.co

Caterer: Ruzickas Catering

Charcuterie: The Hangry Lady @thehangryladyy

Desserts: The Hangry Lady @thehangryladyy