Morning Botanical Garden Elopement with Ice Cream
Last month, Clinton + Nicole eloped at one of my favorite wedding venues (and places in general) in Iowa, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens.
These sweethearts asked their immediate families to don their best vintage hats and join them first thing in the morning at the Botanical Gardens; the fellas were definitely feeling a western mood with their classic cowboy hats, and all the lovely ladies took the task to heart, wearing extravagant Fascinator style hats with tulle and flowers and dimensional netting and floppy brims. Complete with their colorful corsages and boutonnieres from Boesen The Florist, you could definitely picture them all sipping on mint Juleps in the sunshine at the Kentucky Derby.
We walked through the gardens together and met under the 12’ tall sky frame archway which serves as an entrance to the beautiful Ruan Reflection garden. Behind the sky frame, there is a serene reflecting pool surrounded by lovely katsura trees, which have reddish orange heart-shaped leaves that small almost like cotton candy on the autumn breeze. Family gathered around as moms and grandmas shared emotional readings and Clinton and Nicole exchanged personal and heartfelt vows and a teary-eyed first kiss under the archway.
After their ceremony, we explored the outdoor gardens and the Conservatory, taking family photos in the many stunning spaces around the venue. Next, we shared in a celebratory ice cream break on the front steps with the Groom’s favorite frozen sweet treats; Nicole had surprised him by ordering a whole cooler full of novelties from his favorite place in Chicago, Pretty Cool Ice Cream. Everyone had different flavors but it was agreed that all were delicious.
We parted ways with family and headed to one of Nicole & Clinton’s favorite places, The Varsity Cinema, over in the Drake neighborhood. Both the Bride and Groom are big-time cinephiles and they live for the movies, so we thought a local independent movie theatre would make the most romantic spot for their just-married photos. It was the perfect backdrop and complemented Nicole’s iconic vintage-inspired wedding day style. Wearing a tea-length white gown, vintage blue kitten heels, and a sweet white veiled Fascinator, she looked perfect in front of this old-school cinema.
The Varsity (which isn’t yet open to the public and is currently fundraising its rehabilitation and grand reopening) was even kind enough to put their names and wedding date up on the marquee! I had to take their photos in front of the fundraising poster so we could all remember “the time before the Varsity came back,” and always appreciate that we have local theatres.
On a personal note, Clinton and Nicole are good friends and I’m always so incredibly honored when friends trust me to photograph their most special days for them. ❤️
Vendors
📸 Photography: @lysleicht
💒 Venue: @dmbotanicalgarden
💐 Florals: @boesentheflorist
🍦 Novelties: @prettycoolicecream
🍿 Marquee: @thevarsitydsm