Perfect Summer Crystal Bridges Wedding

We’ve walked into the Crystal Bridges Museum for weddings I think eight times this year. That’s a lot. To be honest, that’s a whole lot to be at one venue. What’s remarkable to me is that even after all of those times this place just keeps giving us new light, new shapes, and angles, new places to play. If you’re planning a Crystal Bridges wedding and want the scoop on where to start - make sure you check out our long article on “How to plan a Crystal Bridges Wedding”. Ok… now onto the good stuff.

Jared and I rolled into Crystal Bridges a few days ago with a really great game plan. This is roughly the millionth time we’ve worked with Amanda Reed Wedding’s team at the museum and the sweet faces of the staff at the museum, the makeup artist, and even the security make us always feel at home. Not bad for a 1.2 billion dollar place to call the office right? I was immediately struck with the smell of hydrangeas from the moment I walked in and couldn’t wait to wander down to the Great Hall to see what was going on. No surprise Silks a Bloom was doing a beautiful job but I’m fairly sure there is a floral shortage in the world after this one. The sheer scale of blue hydrangeas dripping from every little surface was stunning. A quick trip back up the elevator and we were met at the door by 13 beautiful bridesmaids and one eager (and maybe just a little bit nervous) bride. Keep in mind here Abby did this thing right. She hired a planner who know’s this space like the back of her hand. She had a video team that always show up ready to make some magic. (Dave and a Camera) She had floral design that was unbelievable, if you’ve already peeked through the photos you know that her dress was absolute magic and she had roughly 300 of her very favorite people in route to come party to the sounds of the best wedding band around. (If you don’t know Lost Wax yet you haven’t truly danced yet).

All that said, of course she was still a little anxious. This is a big day! She even turned down a glass of champagne I poured her (don’t worry, it didn’t go to waste) and by the time she put on her dress and met this wild group of beautiful bridesmaids in the hallway by the library the mood was instantly all hype. The cheering, yelling, and laughter rang through the galleries of the museum right up until every wedding vendor’s favorite little ding happened and the voice comes over the loud speaker saying “Attention guests, Crystal Bridges Museum is now closed”. I swear there’s an almost audible cheer when that happens because it means the build out can really kick into high gear and we have the place to ourselves. Abby + Harrison did not want a first look of any kind so it wasn’t until her way down the aisle that Harrison really got to see his fiancé as a bride. A few moments later she would be his wife, but those moments lasted just long enough. Their faces in that moment said so much and the vows they said spilled into toasts that and memories both said out loud and whispered in quiet that spoke so highly of how special this relationship really is.

The dancing started basically the moment the last fork hit the plate and it didn’t stop. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to step away from a dance floor but I was absolutely exhausted keeping up with the party hour after hour and the light texture that Lightworks put together in the space along with the coolest lounge build out made even the people taking a break feel like they were still a part of the fun. Hours later Abby + Harrison ran through the doors and down the sidewalk to the cheers of - I’m not kidding here - about 300 people. I swear, nobody left. It was that good. A wedding thrown in a dream location, with a dream team, for a dream couple deserves a quick peek at it all so here we are - 48 hours later and though my feet still hurt, I couldn’t wait to share it! If you like’d this wedding - make sure you check out these other incredible Crystal Bridges Weddings and if you’ve got a brand new ring on your finger, contact us soon for information and resources about planning your wedding, hiring your dream photographer, and how we can be a part of the fun!