A Rustic Late Summer Wedding in Champaign, Illinois

Jennifer Chen (29 and an accountant) and Joel Colwell (33 and a freelancer) pulled a laid-back rustic affair in Champaign, Ill. where they first met. “We love the country feel and we wanted the venue to reflect us and our personalities,” says Jennifer. “Our main goal was to have all of our favorite people in our favorite place with a relaxed and fun atmosphere to celebrate our special day!”

Hudson Farm was the perfect fit with its quaint farm house, spacious barn and acres of pasture. Following a ceremony at the American Lutheran Church, Jennifer and Joel hopped in the back of a vintage Ford Model A and headed to the farm for the reception. The couple kicked off the evening’s festivities with lawn games like corn hole, bocce ball, croquet and giant Jenga, as well as a rustic open bar. Instead of a traditional dinner, the couple played up the wedding’s country theme with a classic pig roast. “We love barbecue and thought the pig roast would be a fun thing to have out at the barn,” says Jennifer. For the tables, Jennifer and Joel went for a fusion of rustic and romance, with bundles of bright blooms, antique bottles, hobnail vases and lots of candlelight illuminating classic white linens. “I made our table numbers from flowery scrapbook paper from Joann Fabrics and displayed them in gold holders,” says Jennifer.

After dinner, Pro DJ Entertainment got guests out of their seats and onto the dance floor, where they danced the night away to everything from oldies to ‘90s throwbacks and country music. A tip for the taking from Jennifer: “Enjoy it! Don’t get too stressed out — you’ll miss it when it’s over.”