A Vintage, Alternative Wedding at the Contemporary Art Center in Peoria, Illinois

"We met through mutual friends at their fish fry!" Josh (40) laughs when explaining how he met wife, Lindsey (30). "We noticed each other and Lindsey introduced herself. After that, we were inseparable for the rest of the night." A long distance relationship ensued and the two went on to get engaged on Christmas morning of 2012. "We had finished opening our presents and he said he had one more for me," Lindsey explains. "To distract me, he shoved a tin of homemade Chex Mix into my lap, so I started snacking until I realized he had gotten on one knee and asked me to be his wife. It was so perfect and intimate -- just the two of us in our pajamas with Chex Mix breath." For their March wedding, the couple chose the Contemporary Art Center in downtown Peoria as both their ceremony and reception venue. "Josh is a phenomenal artist and loves to draw as a hobby," the bride explains. "We both appreciate art and the setting just fit us perfectly. It was also small and intimate, a theme we wanted to continue throughout the planning process." After choosing a purple and gray color scheme to match their favorite hues, the coupe found wedding inspiration through art deco prints and 1930s fashion. "We stuck with a vintage theme and everything was made by either us or family," Lindsey explains. "Josh used his amazing arresting talents to draw and design the invitations and programs while we hung paper lanterns and Christmas lights from the venue's wooden beams." The couple's choice to keep things personal and intimate was ultimately what made the day so special. "We didn't care about making it a traditional wedding," the bride says. "We just wanted to get married and throw a great party for our family and close friends. I think our non-traditional elements and our homemade flair made it really special to us and our guests."