clip greenhouse wedding first person a bridal affair winter 2015

2
ceremony at no cost. First, I checked the city’s website for Noelridge Greenhouse, which listed private weekday tours, but no options for events such as weddings. Then, I searched the city’s website for “wed- dings” which led me to an email contact listed under Wedding Reservations. I worked on my back-up plan while I waited for a response. Friends and acquain- tances had many fantastic suggestions for outdoor options – historic homes, public and private parks and gazebos, spots along the Cedar River, a prairie-themed roadside stop -- but no one came up with an local tropical option. Then the park’s contact emailed me: no one had ever asked to be married in the greenhouse and a policy had to be devel- oped. The cost was an amazingly low $30 per hour, with some flexibility as to day of the week and time of day. As long as we planned ahead and staff was available to unlock the doors, the greenhouse was ours. I was elated! We chose an early Saturday afternoon time, then scheduled the photog- rapher and judge. Other than our sons, we told no one of our specific plans, although I frequently bragged about our amazing cer- emony site. On the afternoon of March 22, 2014, I was about 20 minutes late for my own wed- ding. A makeup appointment took longer than I planned, and because I had insisted on keeping the date and time a secret, most of the last-minute preparation, such as pick- ing up flowers, fell on me. The good news is the judge used the time to find the perfect ceremony site along the many pathways and the photographer located options for the few formal shots we had requested. Although it was what Pooh would describe as “a blustery day” outdoors, indoors it was warm and sunny, with that earthy smell specific to greenhouses. The greenhouse was our haven, a quiet and pri- vate place for us to express love and com- mitment in our unique way. I cried, Tom and the boys laughed, and I could not have imagined a ceremony more personal and beautiful. In hindsight, I should have visited the greenhouse a few days before the ceremo- ny, meeting with the photographer to better plan our photo options. I also would have asked my husband and our sons to move tools, empty flowerpots and other items from the area we chose for the ceremony. And I would have been on time. But the ceremony went so well none of that mat- tered. In addition to choosing the perfect loca- tion for my dream wedding, I also chose the perfect photographer. A traditional wedding photographer would have been too formal for our casual but thoughtful ceremony and may have found it difficult to maneuver along the tight pathways. I knew I wanted a photojournalist to record the candid moments that would create our unique wedding. Photojournalist Rollin Banderob of RoHu Photography and I worked together in Cedar Rapids. He is a real pro with an eye for storytelling. You can find his work on rohuphoto.com, where you will see additional photos from our wedding day. Rolln refers to his photo style as report- age, defined as “A technique of documen- tary film or photojournalism that tells a story entirely through images.” Europeans love photojournalists for weddings, but the trend has not caught on in the U.S., he said. “What I try to do is let you live your wedding and not orchestrate it and not stop it and not interfere with your day and let you really live it,” Rollin said. “It’s up to me to see those moments and catch those moments.” He used his skills as a photojournalist to create natural art that captured the emotion of the day. The goal is to become part of the wedding party and capture the day as it by DOROTHY DE SOUZA GUEDES T ropical foliage and fuschia flowers framed our small wedding party as Tom and I said our vows. It was just the two of us, our two adult sons, a judge and a photographer – and it was perfect. The original plan had been a destination wedding, somewhere warm and green far from Iowa’s March gray skies, snow and ice. Instead we married in a local greenhouse. Noelridge Greenhouse in Cedar Rapids was the first place that occurred to me for an indoor wedding ceremony. What drew me to the site were winding pathways through a permanent display of tropical plants. Noelridge Greenhouse is part of the Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department, a working greenhouse that produces the annuals and perennials for the city’s many parks and other public sites. For several years I had lived within walking distance of the acres of Noelridge Gardens’ colorful and varied public outdoor plantings and the greenhouse, open solely for special occasion tours. During many warm weather walks I had often seen wedding parties taking post-ceremony photos among the flowers, trees and shrubbery, and twice had observed small wedding ceremonies. Outdoors is easy: finding a lush tropical setting for an Iowa winter ceremony took a bit of doing. Although we lived in Black Hawk County I wanted a Linn County site to better accom- modate my chosen photographer and officiant, a friend and judge who performed our Waverly Newspapers/Cedar Falls Times | January 2015 Page 5 Page 4 A Bridal Affair - B Section A Bridal Affair - B Section ROHU PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO The lush backdrop of Noelridge Greenhouse in Cedar Rapids provides the perfect frame for a first kiss. Dorothy de Souza Guedes and Tom Weber, Dunkerton. Greenhouse creates lush backdrop for intimate Iowa winter wedding ROHU PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO Rollin Banderob of RoHu Photography, Cedar Rapids, shot a few more formal posed pictures after the wed- ding ceremony at Noelridge Greenhouse, Cedar Rapids, including this of our newly blended family: Connor Hoogheem, Ames, Dorothy’s son; Dorothy de Souza Guedes and Tom Weber, Dunkerton; and Taylor Weber, Cedar Falls, Tom’s son. CONTINUED ON, B7 A Bridal AFFAIR WINTER 2015 A Bridal AFFAIR WINTER 2015

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Page 1: Clip greenhouse wedding first person A Bridal Affair Winter 2015

ceremony at no cost. First, I checked the city’s website for Noelridge Greenhouse, which listed private weekday tours, but no options for events such as weddings. Then, I searched the city’s website for “wed-dings” which led me to an email contact listed under Wedding Reservations.

I worked on my back-up plan while I waited for a response. Friends and acquain-tances had many fantastic suggestions for outdoor options – historic homes, public and private parks and gazebos, spots along the Cedar River, a prairie-themed roadside stop -- but no one came up with an local tropical option.

Then the park’s contact emailed me: no one had ever asked to be married in the greenhouse and a policy had to be devel-oped. The cost was an amazingly low $30 per hour, with some flexibility as to day of the week and time of day. As long as we planned ahead and staff was available to unlock the doors, the greenhouse was ours.

I was elated! We chose an early Saturday afternoon time, then scheduled the photog-rapher and judge. Other than our sons, we told no one of our specific plans, although I frequently bragged about our amazing cer-emony site.

On the afternoon of March 22, 2014, I was about 20 minutes late for my own wed-ding. A makeup appointment took longer than I planned, and because I had insisted on keeping the date and time a secret, most of the last-minute preparation, such as pick-ing up flowers, fell on me. The good news is the judge used the time to find the perfect ceremony site along the many pathways and the photographer located options for the few formal shots we had requested.

Although it was what Pooh would describe as “a blustery day” outdoors, indoors it was warm and sunny, with that earthy smell specific to greenhouses. The greenhouse was our haven, a quiet and pri-vate place for us to express love and com-mitment in our unique way.

I cried, Tom and the boys laughed, and I could not have imagined a ceremony more personal and beautiful.

In hindsight, I should have visited the greenhouse a few days before the ceremo-ny, meeting with the photographer to better plan our photo options. I also would have asked my husband and our sons to move tools, empty flowerpots and other items from the area we chose for the ceremony. And I would have been on time. But the ceremony went so well none of that mat-tered.

In addition to choosing the perfect loca-tion for my dream wedding, I also chose the perfect photographer. A traditional wedding photographer would have been too formal for our casual but thoughtful ceremony and may have found it difficult to maneuver along the tight pathways. I knew I wanted a photojournalist to record the candid moments that would create our unique wedding. Photojournalist Rollin Banderob of RoHu Photography and I worked together in Cedar Rapids. He is a real pro with an eye for storytelling. You can find his work on rohuphoto.com, where you will see additional photos from our wedding day.

Rolln refers to his photo style as report-age, defined as “A technique of documen-tary film or photojournalism that tells a story entirely through images.” Europeans love photojournalists for weddings, but the trend has not caught on in the U.S., he said.

“What I try to do is let you live your wedding and not orchestrate it and not stop it and not interfere with your day and let you really live it,” Rollin said. “It’s up to me to see those moments and catch those moments.”

He used his skills as a photojournalist to create natural art that captured the emotion of the day. The goal is to become part of the wedding party and capture the day as it

by DOROTHY DE SOUZA GUEDES

Tropical foliage and fuschia flowers framed our small wedding party as Tom and I said our vows. It was just the two of us, our two adult sons, a judge and a photographer – and it was perfect.

The original plan had been a destination wedding, somewhere warm and green far from Iowa’s March gray skies, snow and ice. Instead we married

in a local greenhouse.Noelridge Greenhouse in Cedar Rapids was the first place that occurred to me for an

indoor wedding ceremony. What drew me to the site were winding pathways through a permanent display of tropical plants. Noelridge Greenhouse is part of the Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department, a working greenhouse that produces the annuals and perennials for the city’s many parks and other public sites.

For several years I had lived within walking distance of the acres of Noelridge Gardens’ colorful and varied public outdoor plantings and the greenhouse, open solely for special occasion tours. During many warm weather walks I had often seen wedding parties taking

post-ceremony photos among the flowers, trees and shrubbery, and twice had observed small wedding ceremonies.

Outdoors is easy: finding a lush tropical setting for an Iowa winter ceremony took a bit of doing.

Although we lived in Black Hawk County I wanted a Linn County site to better accom-modate my chosen photographer and officiant, a friend and judge who performed our

Waverly Newspapers/Cedar Falls T imes | January 2015 Page 5Page 4 A Bridal Affair - B Section A Bridal Affair - B Section

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ROHU PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO

The lush backdrop of Noelridge Greenhouse in Cedar Rapids provides the perfect frame for a first kiss. Dorothy de Souza Guedes and Tom Weber, Dunkerton.

Greenhouse creates lush backdrop for

intimate Iowa winter wedding

ROHU PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO

Rollin Banderob of RoHu Photography, Cedar Rapids, shot a few more formal posed pictures after the wed-ding ceremony at Noelridge Greenhouse, Cedar Rapids, including this of our newly blended family: Connor Hoogheem, Ames, Dorothy’s son; Dorothy de Souza Guedes and Tom Weber, Dunkerton; and Taylor Weber, Cedar Falls, Tom’s son.

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ABridalAFFAIR

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Page 2: Clip greenhouse wedding first person A Bridal Affair Winter 2015

by MEREDITH TOAY

Among all of the countless decisions a bride must make when it comes to her special day, venue arrange-ments may be the one of

the first priorities and quite possibly, one of the most daunting tasks.

That’s because most brides want to cre-ate the perfect environment for a day that is to be shared and remembered with those she cares about most.

And, while some modern brides may

deem social media as a benefit and useful tool when it comes to the latest trends and types of “unique” venues, far too often, brides can lose their heads in the process as there’s so much to plan and perfect.

Looking in the backyard may be the last option a bride might consider. But the Cedar Valley abounds with hidden gems that deserve consideration beyond just a casual glance.

Here’s a list of venues that are the per-fect blend of timelessness and elegance, with a twist of modern sophistication that

Waverly Newspapers/Cedar Falls T imes | January 2015 Page 7Page 2 Waverly Newspapers/Cedar Falls T imes | January 2015A Bridal Affair - B Section A Bridal Affair - B Section

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Bring your bridal party to one of the Cedar Valley’s Best of the Best!

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happens, with very lit-tle orchestration, he said. Understanding that weddings are often an important gathering of genera-tions, he also shoots group photos but lim-its posed photos to half a dozen and gets them done quickly. Other than that, he just “lets the day unfold,” Rollin said.

Although our cere-mony took less than 10 minutes, Rollin shot about dozens of pho-tos that day, managing to be both in front of us and behind, seem-ingly at the same time. His skill at blending into the background meant we never noticed him moving in and out of the foliage. After the ceremony we got our formal shots as a newly married cou-ple and newly blended family. Rollin captured every important moment and a few that made us laugh, including close-ups of the shoes my son and I wore – his blue wingtips and my ruby red slippers. As a Dorothy, how could I not wear red shoes?

The photos were quickly edited for us to share online and in invitations to the Tom & Dorothy Got Married Party scheduled for five weeks later. For that event we chose a more traditional venue, Lakeside Lodge in Hickory Hills Park. It had all the amenities we required combined with a fantastic view. Continuing our greenhouse theme, we deco-

rated with potted live plants and seed packets that guests were welcome to take home to their own gardens.

During these first 10 months of married life, I often find myself flipping through the photo album and reliving our greenhouse wedding. Looking at Rollin’s photos I can almost feel the sunshine on my face.

Perhaps I should send another email to my city contact in Cedar Rapids: the Parks Department may need a new policy for anniversary dinners at Noelridge Greenhouse.

Greenhouse creates lush backdrop for intimate winter wedding

COURTESY PHOTO

Connor Hoogheem captured a silly moment after his mom Dorothy de Souza Guedes, married Tom Weber, at Noelridge Greenhouse in Cedar Rapids. The couple immediately posted this photo on Facebook to alert family and friends of their marriage.

To find a nontraditional wedding venue ask friends, family and acquaintances. Catherine Mayfield, Cedar Falls, owner of EventConnect, eventconnectresource.com, had some great sug-gestions.

Use local resources such as tourism and leisure bureaus, such as Eastern Iowa Tourism Association, easterniowatour-ism.org.

“They may have some unique places you haven’t thought of yet,” Mayfield said.

Nontraditional venues do not advertise as wedding sites so do an online search to find what you want using key words, such as gardens, camps or galleries, she suggested.

Indoor winter venues include art galleries, wineries and retail spaces, such as antique shops. Some couples choose a sentimental location. Mayfield knows a couple who got mar-ried where they became engaged: Barnes & Noble. A small group made this a practical option. An unexpected perk? Staff served the wedding party free coffee.

Movie theaters and community theater stages are also indoor options, as are art galleries and museums. Colleges, hotels, corporate headquarters, long-term care facilities and retirement communities may include an atrium or indoor gardens on site. Large event venues may be willing to rent a small corner for a short period at reduced price.

Be aware that space may be limited and uninvited onlookers unavoidable. Timing may also be important at a public venue with long ceremonies impractical.

When considering a nontraditional venue staff are unlikely be experienced event hosts.

“It’s on you to be extra diligent to know what you need,” Mayfield said.

Lights and lanterns can really transform an outdoor space, but you may have to provide a power source. Consider traffic, train and other noise interference and bring a microphone. Consider lighting, bathroom and kitchen availability, and ordi-nances regarding pets, serving alcohol, noise and garbage, including after-party cleanup, she said.

NONTRADITIONAL WEDDING VENUE

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INSPIRED FOCUS & DESIGN PHOTO

The Snowden located in downtown Waterloo, is a great place to host an intimate wedding with a classic, vintage air about it.

Using local history in today’s modern weddings

The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum provides a modern, industrial atmosphere for a nontraditional wedding

ceremony and an open concept for a reception right in the same building. The recently renovated Snowden Houseʼs warm color palette, high ceilings and Victorian fi xtures delivers a charming, traditional one-of-a-kind space for smaller, more intimate weddings.”

- CHRISTY DECKERDirector of Marketing & Tourism

CONTINUED FROM B5