1. Real Weddings

A Classic, Intimate Wedding at Loose Mansion in Kansas City, Missouri

Dimitra Drakopoulou (24 and a therapist) and Chris Novak (25 and a swim coach) met on the swim team at Missouri State University. Chris graduated and

Dimitra Drakopoulou (24 and a therapist) and Chris Novak (25 and a swim coach) met on the swim team at Missouri State University. Chris graduated and moved to Kansas City to train for the Olympic Trials while Dimitra stayed in Springfield to complete her masters degree, but they continued dating long distance. After seeing a movie together while Dimitra was visiting Chris in Kansas City, Chris ran out to the car and decorated with rose petals and played a list of songs that told their love story. “He then told me how I made him feel, pulled out the ring and asked for my hand in marriage,” Dimitra says. Shortly after the engagement they agreed they wanted an intimate wedding. With only 11 guests, the couple chose to have a garden-inspired ceremony at Loose Park. Afterwards, they went to Loose Mansion for a classic, intimate reception. Dimitra and Chris chose red as their main color since Chris used red rose petals in his proposal. They worked with Good Earth Floral and Design to create the lush red and white bouquets, and, since Dimitra’s sisters couldn’t make it to the United States from Europe for the wedding, she carried charms with their pictures around her bouquet. To honor her South African roots and her family in Europe, they used a vintage map as their guest book. Dimitra also placed photos of her family members who couldn’t attend throughout the reception. At the end of the day, guests were given bombonieres, a traditional Greek wedding favor that Dimitra’s mother brought from Greece. They included five sugared almonds (known as koufeta) to represent health, wealth, happiness, prosperity and long life.

Chris proposed with a cushion cut diamond engagement ring with a halo. The red ruby ring was from Dimitra’s mother for her to wear on her wedding day.
Dimitra carried red ranunculus with white garden roses, hydrangeas and queen anne’s lace.
Since Dimitra’s three older sisters were unable to make the trip from Europe to the US for the wedding, Dimitra added charms to her bouquet with her sister’s pictures so they could be close to her throughout the day.
Dimitra wore an ivory strapless non-beaded Matte Guipure lace overlay sheath dress. She completed the look with a crystal hair accessory from David’s Bridal.
“We both had agreed on a very intimate wedding pretty quickly after getting engaged,” Dimitra says. “This was a decision that fit both of our personalities and stayed true to how we envisioned our wedding day. With this in mind, we also knew we wanted to have an outdoor ceremony. We both loved the idea of using nature as our main décor. When we went to visit Loose Park as a potential ceremony site, we fell in love with the Rose Garden and knew it would be perfect for our intimate wedding.”
Dimitra and Chris at Loose Park
Dimitra and Chris First Kiss
Loose Mansion Wedding Venue in Kansas City
In honor of Dimitra being from South Africa originally, and having family throughout Europe, the couple used vintage maps as the guest book.
“We quickly decided that Loose Mansion fit perfectly into our vision,” Dimitra says. “The stunning architectural details of the building fit for us as we were looking to add simple wedding décor. Not only was it a beautiful location, but the owner and staff were so helpful in accommodating our vision of an intimate dinner reception.”
The family-style dinner table was covered in ornate white and gold linens to match the classic, elegant feel of the reception.
The simple centerpieces included roses, hydrangeas and leaves in their white, green and red centerpieces. “We were hoping to achieve a garden feel to match the outdoor park ceremony at the indoor mansion dinner,” Dimitra says.
Dimitra and Chris Exit