1. Real Weddings

A Modern, Elegant Wedding at the Palladium in St. Louis, Missouri

Michelle Moulden (24 and a wedding planner) and Jordan Bonham (24 and a chiropractic student) were high school friends for years before they became a

Michelle Moulden (24 and a wedding planner) and Jordan Bonham (24 and a chiropractic student) were high school friends for years before they became a couple. (They even went on a double date at one point, when they were both with other people.) They started dating after high school, then stayed together for the next four years while Jordan studied in Pittsburgh and Michelle was in Virginia for college. Their chemistry was undeniable, and soon Jordan proposed with a gorgeous princess-cut diamond halo ring that “can be passed down as a family heirloom,” Michelle says. “We believe it will stand the test of time.” Since Michelle works as a wedding planner at an events company, she knew she was in good hands when planning their celebration—and being engaged for two years helped. “I was able to get a lot of stuff done in advance during our slower seasons, like booking wedding professionals and finding inspiration, and pass off that information and those little details to our team so they could focus on making it all happen,” she says. Michelle and Jordan tied the knot near their home in St. Louis, Missouri, on Labor Day weekend—coincidentally, the Pittsburgh Pirates played the St. Louis Cardinals that weekend (they grew up in Pennsylvania, and the majority of their wedding guests still live there). The wedding was a weekend event, as more than 120 of their guests joined them at the baseball game. Their ceremony—a full Catholic Mass—took place at the Shrine of St. Joseph in downtown St. Louis, with the reception at the Palladium, an edgy, industrial space personalized with a theme of modern elegance. “There was something so beautiful about the softness of watercolor against the industrial metals of the Palladium,” Michelle says. They transformed the venue through various shades of purple, ranging from light gray and purple to deep eggplant to bright fuchsias seen in the lighting, the centerpieces, the linens, champagne and lavender vanilla macaron favors, and even the mini cotton candy cones in the dessert buffet. During the cocktail hour on the mezzanine, overlooking the room below, guests were served margaritas in mini Patron bottles with straw flags that read “Let’s fiesta” (one of Michelle's favorite details). For dinner everyone moved to their tables below for filet mignon with a rosemary demi-glace, a side of whipped white potatoes and julienned vegetables, two cake flavors and a dessert buffet. Michelle shared an emotional dance with her uncle, who had been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer less than a year earlier and beat the odds to not only be at the wedding but dance with his niece. As for Michelle and Jordan's first dance, it was a little more upbeat. The choreographed number started slow and then moved to a lively classic, a mix of styles fitting with their wedding theme. “We wanted one part playful and one part romantic,” Michelle says. “It was the perfect mixture to really showcase who we are as a couple.” —Chrissy Sorenson

Michelle wasn’t particular about the types of flowers in her bouquet, but she knew she wanted texture, dimension and greenery. The florist, she says, “absolutely blew me away with her creations.” The bouquets consisted of quicksand, gray-lavender amnesia and blush garden roses, along with anemones, snowberry, naked eucalyptus, plum ranunculus, lavender clematis, jasmine and maidenhair fern. Cafe au lait and deep purple dahlias were added to the bridesmaid bouquets.
Michelle added modern flair to her overall look with Sam Edelman heels, complete with crystal stones on the toes.
Michelle's sister, a graphic designer by trade, created the wedding invitations—with a subtle watercolor design—as a gift to the couple. Another friend drew the illustration of the couple, used on the program, which also included fun bios about the wedding party.
With seven bridesmaids in the wedding party, the bride “was on a mission to find a dress that would flatter any shape or size and a color that would look good with all skin tones.” She chose the Stormy purple shade because the color looked amazing on everyone. The groomsmen wore black suits and ties that matched the bridesmaid dresses, with superhero shirts underneath.
Michelle and Jordan got married at the Shrine of St. Joseph in St. Louis, Missouri. It was so ornate and beautiful on its own that it didn't need additional decor.
Centerpieces included a mixture of high and low floral arrangements in bright colors and asymmetrical shapes. The arrangements included dark purple and cafe au lait dahlias, white anemones, snowberry, plum ranunculus, jasmine, quicksand roses, gray-lavender amnesia roses and touches of bright pink ranunculus.
The cocktail hour took place on the mezzanine at the Palladium in St. Louis, Missouri, giving guests a view of the reception area. Large barrel chandeliers were covered in fabrics, giving the room a soft glow. Colored lighting added another element, changing from blush tones at the beginning of the evening to vibrant purples as the dance floor heated up. A shelf over the head table read “It was always you,” the couple’s personal mantra and wedding day slogan.
Michelle and Jordan's first dance was to “Lifetime” by Steve Moakler, a former classmate who moved to Nashville to record his own music. The couple took dance lessons and transitioned from “Lifetime” to “Hooked on a Feeling” halfway through, “a little surprise for everyone,” Michelle says. “It gave us a chance to have fun with our first dance and get everyone on their feet.”
The faux cake was truly a piece of art. Guests enjoyed chocolate banana with salted caramel buttercream and pumpkin with spiced cinnamon cream cheese buttercream "kitchen cakes."
Since Michelle is a dessert connoisseur, a large dessert bar was atop priority for her. She and Jordan served cakes, an assortment of mini milk shakes, raspberry pie, cotton candy cones and cannoli.
Little cotton candy cones were a great addition to the dessert buffet at the Palladium in St. Louis, Missouri.