This take on Minted was made by undefined from , a member of Minted's community of independent artists.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" might be clichéd relationship advice, but for Elle Dalton and Sam Rudnick, it proved to be true. The couple began dating in high school, just as their senior year was coming to an end. Having already decided to attend colleges in different states, Elle and Sam talked about their future together during a romantic summertime date and decided to give long-distance a try. "Thank god we chose to try because it worked!" Elle says.
Fast-forward to May 2020, when Sam popped the question to Elle by recreating that memorable summertime date. Despite the challenges of planning a wedding during Covid, the couple managed to throw a chic celebration in St. Louis for their 150 guests. Here, Elle shares their wedding story.
We met in high school and started dating at the end of senior year. We had already committed to going to colleges in different states, so we had to decide very quickly if we were going to try long-distance. Thank god we chose to try because it worked!
We got engaged on May 30, 2020. Sam told me he wanted to take me out on a date—I was excited but also a little suspicious because this was in the middle of Covid and date outings were rare during the pandemic! What Sam did was so incredibly sweet and special (and also Covid-friendly!): He recreated the same date we went on in 2014, before we both left for college. The same restaurant, the same park and that’s where he popped the question!
Getting married in October is sort of a family tradition of ours—everyone in my family has gotten married in October and has had long, healthy marriages, so it would have been bad juju for us to choose any other month! I also carried the purse that my mom carried on her wedding day.
The overall look was classic and neutral, mixed with some nature-inspired, Tuscan vibes (because we love Italy and the outdoors) as well as some modern touches (I work in the fashion industry and wanted to be trend-relevant). We didn't want anything too specific or theme-y because we didn't want to look back in 30 years and be like, "OMG, why did we pick that color?" We wanted it to be timeless.
We didn't want any color! Our personal style is pretty neutral and after seeing photos of my mom's teal-green bridesmaid dresses (she's going to kill me for saying this!), I always knew I wanted my bridesmaids to wear white.
I love veils—I know they are old-school, but I think they're so classic and elegant. Also, since my bridesmaids wore white, I felt like wearing a veil helped set me apart. I also loved the leather jacket I wore during the reception. I originally had it for my bachelorette and was so obsessed with it that I decided to also wear it at the wedding. So, at the reception, instead of changing into a different dress, I kept my wedding dress and veil on, and wore the jacket on top.
Classy Type Designed by Hooray Creative
Our ceremony was held in a garden at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, which meant that we didn't need much additional decor, which was such a perk. We had large flower arrangements on white columns at the beginning of the aisle and up at the altar. We also displayed a welcome sign at the entrance of the garden.
Following the ceremony, guests headed to The Noble for cocktail hour and the reception. Behind the cocktail bar was a greenery wall and our neon sign—we had seen these on Pinterest and had to do it!
We kept our reception decor clean and classic. I was insistent on renting long dinner tables because we loved the idea of everyone sitting together like a family. Each table was decorated with a tall flower arrangement in the center, with smaller arrangements of olive branches and single white roses in clear vases. We also rented clear ghost chairs—I think clear details helped make the space feel more open. We also rented a black-and-white checkered dance floor which was the focal point of the room. It gave the space a classy feel and tied together the other black-and-white details.
We used "Classy Type" by Hooray Creative for all of our wedding stationery: save the dates, invitations, programs, menus, table numbers, signs, and thank you cards. The design was simple and classic, but with some slightly modern flair—we wanted guests to receive our invites in the mail and immediately get a feel for our wedding aesthetic and vibe. All of the wedding-day stationery also tied together with the invitations and told a clean, consistent story, which was so satisfying to me.
Working with Minted was seamless. We had a clear vision for our overall wedding-day look, but I was stressed about being able to articulate that to someone else. When I met with our Minted wedding concierge, I started to explain our vision and she hopped on board immediately. She was so well-versed in wedding trends and knew exactly what I was describing—it was honestly rare for me in my entire wedding-planning experience to work with a vendor that actually understood our vision! I will forever be grateful for Minted because I couldn't have executed the day without them.
Wedding invitation
Save the date
Wedding Signs
Ceremony program
Table number signs
Menu
Thank you cards
“Classy Type” by Hooray Creative
Ceremony Venue: Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis
Reception Venue: The Noble, St. Louis
Photographer: Shelby Seaber
Videographer: Shea Salisbury
Day-of coordinator: Better Than Bridesmaids
Florist: Roses & Mint
Hair and makeup: Savanah Summer Beauty
Wedding cake: Cravings
DJ: Elite Pro DJ
Band: Charlie Burg
Stationery: Minted
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