A Fall-Inspired Rustic Wedding at Alpine Park and Gardens in Columbia, Missouri

Laura Honn (27 and an assistant loan officer) and Jeff Christie (25 and a loan processor) met through a personal ad on Craigslist. After dating for two years, Jeff proposed on July 4 under the fireworks. They chose Alpine Park and Gardens for their wedding because they loved the outdoor amphitheater for the ceremony and the rustic ballroom for the reception. It was an extra bonus that Barry and his staff were a breeze to work it. “I was able to meet with Barry a few times, he even came to my house one night, and I described how I wanted my day to go,” Laura says. “He took the decorating and planning into his own hands based off my style and personality and created a nearly stress-free planning experience for me.” Inspired by the fall season, the couple used shades of orange, yellow and brown for their color palette with succulents as their main flower. They committed to DIY details, too, such as the floral arrangements and giant three-tier cake, which we all done by Laura's aunt. Instead of a traditional guest book, the couple set up a video booth for guests to record messages and advice for the newlyweds. “The video booth ended up being a wonderful and, at times, hilarious gift which only improved as the night went on,” Laura says. “We watched the video messages once we got back from our honeymoon and felt like we were reliving our wedding.”