The Salisbury House and Gardens in Des Moines, Iowa is such a STUNNER of a venue! It’s one of our favorite venues to go to because you really don’t need much decor, the gardens are truly enough. Not only are the gardens beautiful, but the inside of the house allows you to live out your fairytale dreams. Perfect for any bride looking to have her happily ever after… Was that too cheesy?

Kelsey and Matthew’s wedding was incredible on so many different levels, but I think the one element that everyone truly loved, was how the couple took advantage of the outdoors. Not only was the ceremony outside, but so was the cocktail hour, dining hour, and dancing! As you go through the day, you’ll see exactly how Kelsey and Matthew took advantage of the space.

The Color Scheme

One thing that seperates each wedding from one another, is the color scheme; and Kelsey and Matthews color scheme will always stick out to me! I LOVE the different shades of pink the bridesmaids wore, and it paired so beautifully with the gray suits the groomsmen wore. But the groom? He stood out all on his own in his burgundy suit and gray vest. Such a beautiful bridal party- and the florals really tied it all together!

The details

Your welcome tables is one of the first things your guests see at your wedding, and Kelsy and Matt didn’t disappoint! They used a vintage white side table and placed some beautiful florals created by Shelly Sarver on it with their guestbook.
What is their guestbook you might ask? A polaroid guestbook! They are a HUGE hit at weddings, and such a fun way to remember all your guests who came to celebrate with you!

Salisbury House & Gardens Wedding Ceremony

If you’ve been to Salisbury, then you know the wooded area surrounding the house is stunning, it makes you feel like you’re in your own little world. You don’t need much to dress up the space, which is why Kelsey and Matt decided adding a few colorful florals would pair nicely with the area, while not drawing too much attention away from the already beautiful backdrop. With nature as your backdrop, you don’t need much else for a ceremony arbor. But the floral stands Shelly created were perfect! It added just the right amount of color to the ceremony without taking away from the bride and groom. After the ceremony, I moved the floral stands to sit behind the couples sweetheart table in the reception. THAT was difficult to move…
The ceremony space itself is in the front of the mansion, followed by a stone path way that makes for a long yet beautiful aisle! Most couples who get married at the venue choose to have their ceremony outside in the gardens, and it’s convinient for guests to go straight into cocktail hour after the ceremony when you set it up this way.
A nice feature when it comes to the setup at The Salisbury House and Gardens, is that their staff will set up all the ceremony chairs, and tear them down afterwards. One less thing the couple has to worry about, and one less thing you have to rent!

Salisbury House & Gardens Wedding Reception

The Salisbury House and Gardens has a few options when it comes to cocktail hour and reception locations. One of those options, is the South Terrace Lawn which sits directly infront of the house’s entrance. It’s a nice cobblestone covered patio that sits under hanging edison bulbs, and gives you direct access to both the house, East Terrace, and the ceremony area. This location is ideal for a cocktail hour because it’s easily seen from the ceremony area, and has a covered cutout from the house that couples use as a bar, which we know gets the most use during cocktail hour!
Another option is the Cobblestone Courtyard, which is located in the back of the house. Guests can walk directly through the mansion to get there, or they can take a scenic route by going through the East terrace. Either way, It’s a bit larger than the South Terrace Lawn, so it’s more ideal for couples with a larger guestcount. The entire courtyard is covered in cobblestone, but keep in mind this terrain is a bit uneven, and can be difficult for grandparents to walk on. The courtyard also has garage doors leading into the house that you can open, so guests can mingle inside, and we can keep your appetizers and bar indoors to keep things cool.
After the ceremony guests went to the cobblestone courtyard to enjoy drinks and appetizers, but were moved to the East terrace under the tent shortly after for the grand introduction. Kelsey and Matt then had their cake cutting, along with speeches and toasts before dinner was served.
**Side Note: The floral really does make all the difference, doesn’t it? This is why I am such a firm believer in moving your ceremony backdrop to sit behind your headtable/sweetheart table.

The Cake & All its glory

I don’t normally highlight the cake, but how can I not when it looks like this!? We set the cake atop a vintage white vanity, and had our florist Shelly spruce it up with some buds and greenery.
The cake decorator from Creme did a wonderful job; it really tied in all the colors together for this beautiful wedding!

The Decor

My favorite thing about Salisbury House and Gardens is your ability to host your entire wedding day outside, surrounded by the beauty of nature. The venue has a terrace on the East side of the mansion, which is where most couples choose to host their reception. Whether it’s under a tent, or out in the open, it’s always a beautiful setup, and makes the evening feel that much more intimate.
Kelsey and Matt opted to have their reception under the protection of a tent since their wedding was in October, and we really didn’t know what the weather was going to be like. Thankfully though, it was a beautiful fall day and was actually quite warm!
I’ve seen receptions with and without tents when it comes to Salisbury House, and the tent was a good call for Kelsey and Matt’s wedding because the sun beat down on us all day. It was also helpful to have the tent during dinner, to help keep the weather and insects in check.

Overall, Kelsey and Matt had a gorgeous wedding day at Salisbury House and Gardens in Des Moines, Iowa. Thank you so much to all the amazing vendors who allowed this day to run so smoothly.

Vendor Team

Venue: Salisbury House and Gardens

Wedding Planner: Elizabeth Bliss Events

Photographer: Nicole Laing

Caterer: Tangerine Food Co.

Desserts: Creme

DJ: DSM Dance Party DJ’s

Florist: Shelly Sarver

Hair & Makeup: Salon W

Décor: Milestone Event Rentals

Shuttle: Majestic Limo

Kelsey and Matthew’s Testimonial

“I can't say enough good things about Lauren as our day of coordinator. From the moment she stepped into our rehearsal, I knew she was the perfect planner for us and for our bridal party. She kept everyone on track, she made our dream reception area so perfect, she let our family help, but took over when needed. She solved problems that didn't need mine or my partners input and even when she did have to ask us something, she already had plans of how to best deal with it or solve the problem. We were supposed to get late night pizza delivered and when it wasn't there on time, she called the establishment. Come to find, they had our order but no one to deliver it. Lauren jumped in her car and went to grab it for us to make sure we got the late night snack everyone needed. She stayed until the very end of the evening and helped clean up to make sure we didn't leave anything behind or anything out of order. I'm so grateful for Lauren, our wedding was the talk of our family and I know so much of that is due to Lauren's incredible planning.”

Kelsey and Matthew, October 7th, 2023