Apr 20

Apr 20 We Did It! | First Annual Wedding Giveaway | QC Wed Me

It’s been a long time coming. Andria and Justin won our free wedding giveaway back in the fall of 2019. We coordinated with more than ten wedding vendors to create their dream wedding day and were postponed twice. But— we did it! FINALLY!

Here’s a tiny glimpse into their magical wedding day!

I Do Events created a beautiful backdrop for the sweetheart table that sparkled with fairy lights once the house lights went down. The intricate design on the sweetheart and cake tables was perfect for the bride’s vision of an classy rose gold style. The ivory tableclothes for guest tables were also provided by I Do— setting the scene for a truly memorable day. A special shout-out to I Do for stepping in to help with a last minute issue. They impress us time and again.

And the venue itself! The Bend was so amazing. Their in-house coordinator, Mykenzie, was so helpful throughout the set-up, scheduling and re-scheduling, and all that this giveaway wedding entailed. The chandeliers, chiavari chairs, exposed ceiling beams, and all that glorious natural light was beyond elegant.

Where do we even begin with those flowers? Corry with Hignight’s rolled with the giveaway voting and managed to tie that into Justin and Andria’s vision. She provided the beautiful golden stands for each arrangement and combined pampas grass, preserved fern, dried fan palm, hydrangeas, and roses in blush, nude, and white to make these decadent floral beauties.

How about this HAND-PAINTED cake, ya’ll?!? How uniquely fabulous! The cake featured a layer of tantalizing salted caramel, and two layers of luscious vanilla. Addie from Little Sweets totally showed off her array of skills by also providing macarons, trifle cups, truffles, and berry tarts.

Our bridal party traveled in style with the VIP Limo Coach provided by VIP Transportation. This bus is pimped out to the max— flat screen tv, black leather perimeter seating, fiber-optic lighting, and more! The group enjoyed ninety minutes of cruising the QC, stopping for pics at John Deere Headquarters.

The gals from Salon Refuge and Glam 2 Go QC came to the Hyatt House hotel room to prep the girls for their big day. Andria wanted an up-do with romantic curls and a natural, elegant make-up style. They did an awesome job!

The guys tuxes were provided by Moments Tux Shop. Justin looked so sharp in his stylish grey suit and sage green accents. Moments offers an amazing bachelor party kick-off experience, making it easy to get all the guys in for their measurements before the big day. They also pick-up rentals the day after, taking one more thing OFF your plate. They’re basically pretty awesome.

Kelly from Cadenza Photo Imaging did superior work! If you knew where the two images above were taken, you’d never believe me. She took what could have been very forgettable bride and groom portraits and made them breath-taking. Plus, sneak peeks were posted online within 24 hours! Her bold style and exceptional talent comes highly recommended!

And Twisted Mics slayed the reception till 11:30 Friday night. Seth did an amazing job communicating with the bridal party, coordinators, and crowd as he emceed the events of the night. There was so much laughter, so much fun, and a rockin’ dance floor!

We’d be totally remiss if we didn’t mention Lisa with Cherish the Day. There are no pictures of her from the wedding day because that lady does not stand still! For real! Lisa joined us for day-of coordinating and she proved her worth a million times over. Through the course of the day, she helped keep the bride and groom groups separate, helped with the guys’ boutonnieres and a mom’s dress, lined up the bridal party, retrieved paper towels for the bouquets, assembled groups for family portraits, was a message courier a million times over, coordinated the grand entrance, released tables for the buffet, and was an amazing, knowledgeable resource for any and everyone who needed help.

And, though we don’t have a finished product to share yet, Light Burst Photo/ Video from Dubuque was there to document the big day. We’re so excited to see the highlight video and will definitely share it once it’s ready!

Overall, this wedding giveaway was valued at more than $20k! When today’s average QC wedding runs $35k, this giveaway took a massive financial load off the couple and their families. QC Wed Me speaks for all the participating vendors in thanking the couple for their flexibility the past eighteen months and in wishing them the very best in their life together!

A GIANT shout-out to our amazing wedding vendors! If you’re looking for any of these vendors for your wedding day, please reach out to them ASAP to schedule a consult!

Ceremony Venue- The Bend XPO

Reception Venue- The Bend Event Center

Photography- Cadenza Photo Imaging

Videography- Light Burst Photography

Entertainment- Twisted Mic’s Music Entertainment

Linens & Backdrop- I Do Events

Cake/ Desserts- Little Sweets Cake Design

Transportation- VIP Transportation

Florals- Hignight’s Florist

Guys’ Attire- Moments Tux Shop

Hair- Salon Refuge

Make-up- Glam 2 Go Quad Cities

Day-of Coordinating- Cherish the Day

We’re excited to be the Quad Cities region’s FIRST all-inclusive wedding blog and vendor directory! We are celebrating all things love in the QCA and helping couples plan their happily ever after!

Dream it. Plan it. Love it.