Jamie & Jeff Okoboji Iowa

Jamie and Jeff were married at Lakeshore Center at Okoboji in Okoboji, Iowa. The camp was a place they both loved and spent time. Jamie's family summers on Okoboji so it only made sense for them to get married here. 

When I first met Jamie I felt her sweet demeanor instantly, she is someone you are comfortable with almost immediately.

She has gorgeous taste!

Her daily style spilled into her wedding details. She chose sage, whites, and soft pinks for her color palette And it was simply stunning, just like her. 

The girls got ready at Bridges Bay Resort, where most of the guests stayed for the weekend. What we loved about this mini destination wedding, was most guests turned it into a weeknd getaway for their friends and family. What a fun way to celebrate! 

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Jeff, simply put, he is the kindest person you will ever meet. I could tell just how crazy he was about Jamie the moment I saw them together.  He is sweet, considerate, hospitable and such a gentleman to everyone. They are perfect together! 

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The ceremony was outside with the most beautiful lake view!

Guests arrived by boat!! 

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After the ceremony, the bridal party floated away on their "party boat" to meet their guests at the cocktail hour. 

The party moved to the Majestic Pavilion at Arnold's Park for the remainder of the evening. This stunning venue didn't need much to make it beautiful. In the heart of Okoboji its charm and lake views speak for itself nestled into Arnold's Park.

The picture perfect spot was perfect for Jeff & Jamie! 

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Cocktails and dinner were served at the Majestic Pavilion at Arnold's Park, where we danced the night away with Brass Menagerie from Minneapolis. The night was filled with so much laughter and joy.

This union was really one we will never forget! 

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This beautiful wedding could not have happened with the work of all amazing vendors! 

Catering: Yesterday's

Flowers: Bella Rosa

Rentals: Grand Occasions

Wedding Planner: Mostly Becky Weddings & Events

Photographer: Aly Caroll Photography

Ceremony Venue: Lakeshore Center at Okoboji

Reception Venue:  Majestic Pavilion at Arnold's Park

Live Music: Brass Menagerie

Congrats to you Jamie & Jeff! 

“Becky, it was GREAT working with you and your team! IT WAS SO FUN! What a great night, what a great group of people.”

— Tim Johnson

from BRASS MENAGERIE- Minneapolis, Minnesota.

For more Wedding Inspiration click here! 

Ryan & Jo Story City, Iowa

We've said it before and we'll say it again. When you take something you love, teach it to others- empowering them to spread their wings. The BEST THING in this life, is seeing them fly! How many are with me? I am so honored to have the BEST team on earth. Although, I am bias, I'm not wrong. My planning team blows me away with their attention to detail. Their unwavering customer service, and dedication to loving EVERY SINGLE PERSON THEY MEET. If there is an example of how Mostly Becky strives to serve others, take a look at my wedding planners.

They teach me something everyday. 

So it is with GREAT HONOR to introduce another blog by our very own, Elizabeth. She planned this event of 270 ON HER OWN, Executed flawlessly, and trained up a team of assistants. Being proud is an UNDERSTATEMENT! Elizabeth is not one to take charge, being the youngest of 4. She tends to hide in the background. But, times have changed! Congrats to you Elizabeth, we are excited to watch you fly! 

Remember her here? 

By Elizabeth Thomas 

Ryan & Johanna Jolivette

Meaningful and sentimental; those are the two words that kept coming to mind as the wedding plans and day unfolded for Johanna and Ryan in rural Iowa. 

Let’s start with the venue; Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp. On the surface, this quaint camp, snuggled next to the river is the perfect place for a day of celebration with loved ones. The rustic A-frame chapel with massive amounts of natural light to the beautiful old oak trees all around camp make the whole scene feel beautiful and cozy. For the couple, however, Riverside Bible Camp meant so much more.

It was the first place they met while playing soccer as campers.

Camp was the place they both grew closer to Jesus through time set aside at camp to meeting people who encouraged and challenged them in their faith. Not only was camp beautiful, but it was infused with memories from every step of their relationship. The sentiment did not end their either.

The main meal was catered by a family friend from the bride’s hometown. Florals and baked goods were all done with local vendors.This was one of my favorite parts of the day. All the vendors this day brought a relaxed hometown feel to all they did. Their attention to detail and genuine care for the couple was evident in the services they provided.

Specifically, the photographer, Less Traveled Photography, took the rustic and quaint backgrounds of camp and created beautiful backdrops for the gushing with love couple. Having met the couple at camp as camp counselors, he knew exactly the personalities and desires of the couple. This genuine relationship brought out the vibrant photos the couple will have to remember their special day forever.

Early on in the planning, the bride made it evident she wanted to eat a hearty meal with loved ones and dance the night away. The bride and groom were able to keep the traditional aspects such as a father-daughter dance and mother-son dance while also incorporating their families famous polka dance.

With this being my first solo wedding and a guest list projected of 300, calling in backup and an extra set of professional hands was a must.

My assistant Kari for the day, a communications major from the University of Northern Iowa, blew me away. Many people think of being a wedding planner as a glamorous job when actually it is a lot more. From getting a table dropped on her toe early in the day to dealing with worst case scenarios, Kari handled the day with as much grace as an experienced assistant. The day would not have happened as smoothly if it was not for her proactive personality and genuine care for all those she encountered.

The day was beautiful filled with so much joy! The vendors and guests raved about Elizabeth and all her hard work! We couldn't be more proud to have her on our team. 

“Elizabeth was extremely professional, but also extremely friendly. Would recommend her to all of my friends. Elizabeth and the Mostly Becky team were so supportive to not only us, but to our families and friends.

Thanks for an amazing day!”

— Ryan

This day would NOT have happened with out these AMAZING Des Moines area vendors who made the magic happen! 

Flowers: Story City Floral

Photographer: Less Traveled Photography

Catering: Hy-Vee

Rentals: Celebrations

Planning: Mostly Becky Weddings

Christopher & Niza - Southwest Florida - La Casa Toscana

Between my love of travel, the white sand beaches and this gorgeous couple; do Florida events get any better? I had the pleasure of getting to know Niza and her family at their Southwest Florida home. Although we had a connection through Niza's sister, I had never had the pleasure of meeting either Christopher or Niza until the weekend of their event. 

Planning destination events has been one of my favorite parts of my business. When I started my event planning career 99% of my clients were from over 500+ miles away.

Destination events are where my roots are planted.

The distance in planning did not make them skip a beat. The moment I met Chris & Niza I knew this event would be beautiful. (I mean look at them!)

But, their taste was flawless, their spirits gentle, and their family was so welcoming. With this combination, I knew this event would be one of the best yet! 

AND THIS SPACE IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

I am so honored to share a little of their story with you. 

Tucked away in the Bride's family home in Southwest Florida, La Casa Toscana is one of the best kept secrets in SWFL. I drove up to the house and met Niza for the first time. Her first words, "Wow you're so pretty!" Are you shocked, I was too. But, it wasn't just the first impression that stuck with me. It was what Chris and Niza had built their relationship on; the love of others. Every single vendor and every single guest felt wanted and welcome. It is no surprise when Niza asked if I would help with her last minute floral emergency, my team and I jumped on the opportunity to serve them. There was a hiccup the night before the event and Niza was in need of someone to put together the 2,800 long stem roses and 30,000 white rose petals! Bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces and ceremony decor all had to be done in less than 24 hours. 

Although, I am NO florist!

My team and I did our best. (Pardon my cell photo in the garage).

Bride's Bouquet. The final product!

The evening was closing in and we were wrapping up our floral design for the evening when a piece of floral wire flung into the air and poked me in my left eye! It hurt so badly! Like I said, I am NO florist. Although, I could still see it did not stop the eye from swelling shut. The day of the event, I was shall we say, Pirate Wedding Planner? YES! I had a eye patch and no make up on half of my face. I figured there was no need to have streaming mascara too! But, when I say Niza and Chris loved everyone they really showed me so much love even in my pain. I was showered in items from CVS and constantly given anything I needed to help ease some of my discomfort. I was so impressed with their selflessness on THEIR big day. They really are something special. 

And if I am being truly honest, if they would not have been so gracious I am not sure how we could have made it through. Besides, the normal to-dos of a wedding day, we have the instruction of a one-eyed wedding planner, pouring rain on our ceremony and dinner set up, unseasonable heat of the upper 90's with about 100% humidity, and film crew trying to make Mostly Becky's promotional film. Even reliving this day I still feel some of the pain. Like I said, Niza and Chris were SO gracious to us. But, we think it turned out stunning! I mean see for yourself. 

Another iPhone picture.

So what do you think? We loved how it turned out so much we wanted to create a film to show it off. You can see it here. After this event, we have never been more certain that people are worth more than any detail. When you are surrounded by the love others exemplifying Christ everyone will be successful. Thank you Niza & Chris for sharing your day with us! If we could, we'd do it ALL over again. 

Can you believe that this venue is now available for rent? We couldn’t be more excited to share in this beautiful space serving the people of South West Florida! Come check us out!

Thanks to Echo Cinematics for their beautiful film and patience! 

And a special thanks to Maria Glassford Photography for allowing us to show off her beautiful images! 

“Becky was amazing to say the least! I had an outdoor wedding in Florida, and of course it poured. my reception area was a disater but Becky and her team made it happen! It looked beyond perfect... So perfect I didn’t even know that everything was knocked down or that things had broken till after the wedding that the photographer shared that with me! I love Becky and her team so much, not only are they professional but they go above and beyond in all areas and really strive to make your day perfect! ”

— Niza

Zach & Elizabeth Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sometimes when you meet someone you just know. You know they were meant to be together, you know they love each other. One of the best parts of planning weddings is getting to see this over and over. 

The first time I met Zach and Liz their welcoming spirit was contagious. Everyone around them feels it! They are kind, generous and most of all fun! With these two we couldn't have anything but a beautiful wedding day! We organized and designed this amazing day in Cedar Rapids, IA. The beautiful Ceremony was in the backyard of Zach's grandparents home. We danced the night away at the Downtown Double Tree in Cedar Rapids. We could not have done this without the help of all the amazing vendors! 

I am so happy to share some of their beautiful and fun day with you all. 

Congrats to you Zach & Liz- Wishing you the best! 

XO

Becky 

Many thanks to the following: photography by @emilycrall, coordination and design by @mostlybecky, videography by @nepoproductions, florals by @piersonsflowershopgreenhouse, cake by @julesbakery, hair & makeup by Jo Sweet, DJ by @uniqueeventsiowa, paper suite by @andisinvites, bridal gown by @morileeofficial from Iowa Brides & Weddings, maids' gowns by @verawangbride from @davidsbridal, menswear by @skeffingtons_formalwear, hosted at & catered by @doubletree. #pairofparsons