Salisbury House and Gardens Wedding, Kelsey & Matthew

Dec 3

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

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…

Salisbury House & Gardens Wedding Reception

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.
After the ceremony guests went to the cobblestone patio to enjoy drinks and appetizers, but were moved to the lawn 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.

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

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.