Sunrise Botanical Garden Wedding | Kate & Jonathan

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Wedding with a Classic Style

This wedding day was a treat. I got up at 4am to drive two hours from my city (the old Capitol) to Des Moines (the new Capitol) and man, oh, man was it ever worth it. This wedding took place when winter still had its cold grip over us, and the warmth, humidity and gorgeous plant life in the botanical garden was a balm for my soul. My goodness, it was really so refreshing.

Kate, Jonathan and I had a short run together. They originally reached out to me in January when they became engaged and we did an engagement session soon after – I’m talking days – at Kent Park in Amana. They were so sweetly excited to be celebrating their engagement!

They made quick work of planning their wedding and had their ceremony in March. This couple inspired me so much I made a new package afterwards to hopefully catch the eye of more couples just like them. Their calming presence, excitement for their marriage, extremely loving and kind families, their style choices and the intimacy of their day was truly something special. It’s a vibe you can only have when your guest list is this size.

While I was shooting their wedding, I noticed Kate’s attention to detail. She made gifts for all of the special women in her life, truly heartfelt gifts with beautiful words that brought tears to the recipient’s eyes. I’ve never seen a more touching moment between a bride and her new mother-in-law. Both sides of their family were a joy to be around.

Getting Married in a Botanical Garden

This is a great place to get married, coming from my photographer’s perspective. There’s amazing foliage everywhere, winding paths, filtered sunlight, and many different looks all within a small area. It made it so easy to get beautiful photos in a short amount of time.

If you have a short timeline and a small guest list planned, if you love plants and tropical humidity, you’ll love having your ceremony at a botanical garden. It’s also a great idea for a winter wedding – without the winter weather. It’s a great option, too, if you don’t really want to deal with decorating. It’s already so gorgeous!

The Ceremony

I loved having the ability to roam around the edges, end of the aisle and even up on the balcony for this ceremony. It was short, sweet, and led and attended by only friends and family. Kate’s dad held back tears as he came up the aisle with his daughter – are you kidding me?! It’s so good to see a love like that.

An Intimate Reception

After the ceremony, couples photos and family photos, we headed out into West Des Moines for a few shots. It was absolutely freezing and of course with the wind it was quite cold. These two were up for it and Kate even scouted out these cute buildings ahead of time.

Their brunch reception was held at St. Kilda Collective, a stylish restaurant with a delicious menu. I highly recommend stopping in if you’re in West Des Moines. Kate’s family decorated the tables while we were out, and her super talented sister made all the desserts for the day!