1. Real Weddings

Jill & Tyler: A Fall Wedding in Columbia, MO

Known to be party crashers, Tyler and his friends decided to have a little fun one night and drop in on what was supposed to be a small gathering at J

Known to be party crashers, Tyler and his friends decided to have a little fun one night and drop in on what was supposed to be a small gathering at Jill and her roommate’s first apartment. “At first, my roomie and I were annoyed and tried to make them leave,” says Jill. “When they wouldn’t, we decided ‘what the heck, the more the merrier!’” And it’s a good thing Jill and her roommate did let them stay, as it didn’t take long for Tyler and Jill to strike up a conversation that lasted into the rest of the night. The next day Tyler called because he had “forgotten” his hat. When he came by her place to pick it up, he asked Jill if she wanted to see a movie, which turned out to be their first date. The Bride Jill Sutherland, 27, pharmacist The Groom Tyler Smith, 27, sales director The Date October 8 Seven years later, the happy twosome decided that it was time to get married and went together with their to-be best man to pick out the ring! From there, Jill and Tyler began planning their wedding day, capitalizing on the fall season as their theme and using a warm color wheel of oranges, browns, reds, greens, and gold.

Jill’s six bridesmaids wore cocktail-length, chocolate-brown, halter dresses by Eden Bridals. Tyler’s groomsmen complemented the ladies nicely in black tuxes with mocha vests and chocolate-brown ties.
Instead of a unity candle, Jill and Tyler opted to have a sand ceremony. “I was afraid it [the candle] would blow out, and what kind of omen would that be!” says Jill.
The cake complemented Jill and Tyler’s fall theme perfectly with a basket weave design in white buttercream frosting. Sugared fruits and fall flowers adorned each and every tier.
In addition to the votive candles and tall candles on the tables, Jill and Tyler created lanterns out of canning jars and hung them from the rafters in the barn. The couple pulled off their rustic fall style wedding with help from their family and friends. “Everything came together beautifully,” says Jill.
Long tables, laden with brown tablecloths, fall foliage, and tons of tall and short candles, were set up for guests under a large white tent and in the barn. Small twinkling lights outlined the dance floor and bar areas, setting the rustic space aglow.
The Programs
Jill and Tyler were married in an open area surrounded by trees on Tyler’s family farm. “We chose to have the ceremony outside rather than in a church because we both love the outdoors and decided we feel closest to God out in the wide open space,” says Jill. The couple stood beneath an arch made of tree branches surrounded by pumpkins, gourds, mums, and fall foliage. Mums also lined the ceremony aisles.
Tyler’s orange and red boutonniere matched his bride’s bouquet. It was made of a calla lily and a rose and accented with fall foliage and berries.
The evening festivities lasted late into the night and a large bonfire proved essential. The bonfire was set up just beyond the head table and the dance floor for all Jill and Tyler’s guests to enjoy.
Guests took home small mementos of the rustic fall wedding: Jill and Tyler filled small galvanized buckets with chocolate candies wrapped with orange, gold, and brown foil.
“We looked at many outdoor venues, but kept saying to ourselves that the farm was prettier than anything we looked at,” explains Jill. “So we asked Tyler’s parents and they excitedly said ‘yes!’”
“We picked our date because the year before on that weekend the fall colors were at their peak,” says Jill. Although it turned out they missed the color peak by about two weeks, their Missouri farm locale -- paired with pumpkins, gourds, and other fall foliage -- was more than enough to evoke the perfect Midwestern fall day for their wedding.