Kali & Jake Hesed House Wedding
Vendor List:
Day Of Wedding Coordination - 618 EVENTS, Kylie Houchin
Venue - The Hesed House
Hair - Jenni’s Salon & Spa
Makeup - Jenni’s Salon & Spa
Caterer - Ancho & Agave
Bar Service - Prairie Fire Grill
Photographer - Hunter N Lang Photography
Videographer - Hoop House
Floral - J. Blu Design
DJ - DJ4U
Cake - Sugar Mama Bakery
Kali and Jake had a picture-perfect wedding day. They were such an amazing couple to work with and some of the sweetest people to meet. Their love for one another was so evident throughout the day and the love they have for their people. They were truly such an easy-going couple who just wanted to start their lives together. I am so thankful that Kali and Jake entrusted me with their wedding day, and allowed me to play such a special role.
My first interaction with the couple was on a Zoom call with Kali all the way from Arizona! I instantly knew she was such a sweet bride and that I would love to work with her. She instantly said she would love working with me, but just wanted to check with her finance Jake to ensure they were on the same page. Very shortly after, she reached back out to hire me as their day or wedding coordinator. I was so excited to have the opportunity to work with her.
From then on, I sent a couple of emails back and forth with the couple answering any questions they might have had. We scheduled another Zoom call with both of them to chat about all of the wedding details. Luckily the couple was coming back into town before their wedding to attend a friend's wedding. However, this was only a month out from their wedding date, so we still chose to do a Zoom call to discuss all of their details. I got an understanding of their true vision for their wedding day. They were all about family and wanted to ensure everyone would feel welcome and have a good time. We went over their timeline and discussed what would make their day flow the best.
A month out they traveled up for their friend's wedding, which happened to also be at the Hesed house. We met the Monday after that, and they mentioned how it was so great to be able to see a full wedding at their venue before theirs. It helped to give them move vision for the day! We chatted over floor plans, design, and everything in between. I knew how special of a couple they were after meeting face to face. They had such a tender, sweet spirit towards each other, and were going to be such a joy to work with. Now for the fun part, the wedding weekend details!
When I arrived at the venue for the rehearsal I was blown away at how amazing it all looked. Kali worked with friends and family to do the decor for the welcome sign, guest tables, gift tables, etc. WOW! I was amazed at how creative she was with everything she had put together. I had never seen such a modern, classic, clean look before and it was perfect! She was just such a cute person inside and out and this style captured her personality perfectly!
Kali and Jake were so blessed to have incredible weather for the wedding weekend! You know Illinois, August could be blazing hot or 75 and sunny. Thankfully we were able to have their rehearsal outside and have full plans to have their ceremony outside the following day. Their rehearsal was great and went very smoothly. Eastview church was their officiant and brought their own on-site ceremony coordinator. How cool! She was so helpful and got everything running smoothly, and I was able to focus on other logistics while she got the processional lined up.
The wedding party headed to the rehearsal dinner, and the girls were able to come back and stay at their Airbnb on-site for the night! That concluded the festivities for Friday evening.
Saturday morning Kali and her bridesmaids got ready on site in the getting ready room attached to the Airbnb. J. Blu Design arrived to place all the flowers and deliver the bouquets and bouteniers. They were absolutely stunning and Kali was extremely pleased with all the florals. The decor was all amazing on its own, but J. Blu adding the flowers amplified the space. The photographer and videographer arrived and began capturing detail shots of the space. I spent the majority of the day running around and doing tasks here and there to allow for a smooth wedding day.
The guys arrived and were able to use the getting-ready space provided for them. It is so nice that this venue has a designated space for both sides of the bridal party to gather. They were able to just hang out in their areas and enjoy the day.
Kali got into her beautiful dress with the help of her mother. It was so simple, yet so elegant. Kali and Jake chose not to do a first look and saved that special moment for the aisle. Kali took all of her photos with her bridesmaids, and Jake took all of his photos with his groomsmen before the ceremony. All of their guests arrived and were seated outside where a perfect cloud covered them for the duration of the ceremony! How lucky did they get for an August wedding! The ceremony was so intimate and sweet, and they had the best reaction seeing each other for the first time.
Following the ceremony, guests were directed inside for cocktail hour and were able to enjoy the back patio as well. Kali and Jake went around the property taking family, bridal party, and bride and groom photos. During cocktail hour I moved some signs and floral arrangements around to repurpose them for the reception. I also lit lots of candles that truly amplified the space.
Bridal party intros began and the reception was in full swing. Kali’s father gave such a sweet speech and then the maid of honor and best man followed with a toast. Dinner was absolutely amazing and the guests loved it. Kali and Jake cut their cake, had their first dance, and then danced with their parents. These were all memorable moments filled with so much love and joy. The DJ got things started for open dancing on the dance floor, and everyone had a great time. This wedding was very memorable for all who were apart and so much love was in the room.
I am so happy for Kali and Jake and that they can start their forever together. It was such a joy being able to work with them and share a part of their special day. I wish them all of the happiness and hope that their love continues to grow forever! Cheers to the newlyweds!