When it comes to custom, sophisticated, artisan registries and gifts, we’re fully inspired by Sarah Drake’s Monogram Collection. Classic stoneware to elegant china, fine table linens to bedding, even aprons and handkerchiefs—all the home wares that are simply essential and oh-so beautiful.

Louise Broad’s designs are simply ethereal. The light and airy flowers, sheer silk and warmth of the wool—wedding fashion that is truly timeless.

Illinois has so many inspiring venues—we’re always finding new and unique spaces to love! This week, with clover on our minds (happy St. Patty’s!), we’ve pulled together a few of the freshest, greenest spots we know for ceremonies.

…ever chic Chicago—happy-go-lucky up-cycling space at Salvage One (this lovely shot by Christina Noel)…

…Byron Colby Barn—outside Chicago, a fully restored 19th-century barn in a lovely piece of prairie…

…The Morton Arboretum has the views, the flowers and, in April, this funky new sculpture series, Steelroots, among the fir trees…

…the Farnsworth House—saying your vows at an incredible modern architectural dwelling and giving back to the restoration project to save this treasure…does it get any more romantic?

Which Midwest venues say lucky in love to you?

…a year in goat’s milk soaps from heirloom farm Beekman 1802—including the perfectly earthy scents of apple wood, wildflower and pine bough…

…organic lavender bath tea from Terrain (Weck jars, from Illinois originally—useful in so many ways and just plain beautiful design!)…

…a honey ‘flight’ with four tastes (including my favorite, orange blossom) from Bee Raw (also available at Hammerpress in Kansas City if you’re in the neighborhood!)…

…we heart the yo-yo’s from Something’s Hiding in Here—I daresay they’ve never been prettier!

“Will was really involved with the wedding planning. He built the stone wall and platform we stood on during the ceremony. He brought all of the rock up from the dry creek bed on the property. It was heavy back-breaking work, but the results were beautiful. His surprise for me was a heart-shaped rock he found and placed on the wall. It was perfect! The rock is now in our living room and a meaningful daily reminder of our wedding.” Is that not the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard? What a story!

“My favorite part of the day was our first dance to Johnny Cash’s “Rose of My Heart.” For a moment we were the only two people there. Will also hung the lights that stretched across the property. I loved those lights! They were useful (it gets very dark in the country!) and created a beautiful and ambient light to dance under.”

“Will and I love photographs. Since it was an outdoor wedding we couldn’t have a slideshow like other weddings. So we hung pictures from our childhood and our recent travels on the old smokehouse. This was one of the first things people saw when they arrived. We also bought little frames from Ikea and placed 3 or 4 pictures on the tables as our centerpieces.”

“The inspiration, color, all of it came from the gorgeous setting. I wanted the wedding to blend with the surroundings. We wanted the mood to be effortless, personal and heartfelt. Probably no style is our style—there are just certain things we enjoy doing, like camping and hiking. So the wedding had to be outside and it had to be fun. We had a campfire to help keep people warm, and to make s’mores! The kids loved it. It was very important for us to have a relaxed environment that would allow people to enjoy the day as much as we planned to.”

“Most meaningful was how our families help throughout the whole process. Will’s parents worked tirelessly helping with everything from getting the property ready for all of the people, finding the vendors and helping with the set up. We couldn’t have done it without them. My family was so patient, supportive, and did everything I asked of them. The day after the wedding both of our families and wedding party helped with the tear down. The very best thing about getting married in Indiana is that it’s home.”

Thanks so much Nicci & Will for sharing your day with us! Every detail— setting, flowers and gifts—is inspiring. We wish you all the best for many happy days to come. Cheers, too, to Lisa Berry for sending over these lovely images!

“We choose Lisa Berry to be our photographer. It was the best decision we made. She and her assistant were amazing. Will and I wanted the pictures to tell the story of the day, not pictures that were posed or forced. Her pictures are gorgeous. She really knows how to capture light and the emotion of the moment. She is so easy to work with—her enthusiasm just radiated. She quietly went about her work above and beyond of what we asked of her. I even saw her lying on the ground a couple of times to get her picture! She is so dedicated and talented. We have beautiful pictures that we will cherish forever.”

“My surprise to Will was the cake topper. I found a really talented artist on Etsy that made a custom topper from pictures I provided her. It’s really cute. The resemblance is remarkable. She included our dog, Roxie, our cat and a suitcase because we travel constantly. It really does look like us. People are still talking about our cake topper!”

“The cake came from Heavenly Sweets in Noblesville, IN. They make the best cakes. We chose a three-tiered cake. The top and bottom layers were yellow cake with strawberry apricot filling and the middle layer was a chocolate cake with raspberry and white chocolate mousse, and the whole thing was covered with butter cream icing. It was sinful! Our dinner was provided by Rolling Pin Catering in Versailles, IN. It was probably the best wedding food I have ever eaten. The choices were endless. We had to put three tables together to hold it all, not including their dessert table!”

“It was important to us that our guests knew how thankful we were that they came. The bridesmaids and I made welcome boxes that greeted the guests when they checked into their hotel. We filled them with homemade banana bread loaves and caramel apples. For the kids, I hand stamped muslin bags and filled them with snacks, toys and an activity books. It was so cute to see the kids (and groomsmen) wearing the glasses. Making the favors was a family affair. We filled over 300 little muslin bags with mulling spices. The whole house smelled so good for weeks. Nothing says fall like mulled cider.”

“For the bridesmaids I wanted to give them something they could use beyond the wedding, but like the rest of the wedding it had to be personal and from the heart. So I knitted each of them a shawl. It took a year to make all five, but it was worth it. Each was a different design, but they were all in the same color. I think they turned out really pretty.”

“A benefit of doing our own planning and set up was that we were able to choose our favorite vendors regardless of where they were located. The tables and chairs were delivered by Rent n Rave in Louisville, KY two days before the wedding, and Will picked up the cake and flowers the day before the wedding. With a bit of planning and help from friends and family the distance between all of our vendors turned out to be no problem at all and gave us exactly the result we wanted.”

Wait until you see the end of the night…bonfire, cafe lights and deep, dark blue Indiana skies, stunning!

One remarkable detail for designing an heirloom wedding: film photography. When we first saw Lisa Berry’s images, we were awed. Every capture was one to keep, one you could imagine, as a bride, gazing at for all time. With her art school background, Lisa has the ability to draw out the grace in simple moments. Add her talent to Nicci & Will’s heartwarming wedding plans and you have one amazing day. So much beauty in the Indiana woods—we love this couple’s carefree elegance in tying the knot!

Nicci told us, “Our wedding was held on October 10 in Madison, Indiana on Will’s parents’ property The Bishop Hill Guest House. They own a couple hundred acres of beautiful southern Indiana countryside with a small civil war era house which they recently restored. The whole setting is beautiful especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. Will and I go there quite a bit to hike, 4wheel and get away from the city. We knew right away that there is no other place that we would rather get married. It’s where we are the happiest and we knew our guests would enjoy the setting—even though they had to travel on some back country and gravel roads! We had about 200 of our closest family and friends there. We are truly thankful and humbled that our guests would travel from near and far to celebrate with us.”

“We are a very laid-back couple. There was very little stress throughout the whole process. The most stressful part was the weather. We really didn’t have a back-up plan in case the weather was bad (not smart I know!). We joked about having the wedding in the pole barn if the weather didn’t cooperate, but that really was our only other option! Will and I checked the Farmers Almanac before we choose the date. It said that the weather for the last 7 years on October 10th was sunny and in the low 70’s. We thought we were pretty safe, but it rained for four straight days before the wedding and it was cold! We must be living right because the day of our wedding was gorgeous. It was sunny and warm. Everyone was amazed at the change in the weather.”

“We actually had a couple of deer that came out from the woods and watched the wedding. We also had two butterflies that were flying around our heads during the ceremony! That was pretty neat. I felt like Snow White.”

“My engagement ring is Will’s grandma’s ring. It’s beautiful and means so much to me. I wore my aunt’s rosary bracelet that was handmade for her, I carried his grandpa’s handkerchief, and his sister gave me a sixpence for my shoe.”

Nicci & Will’s party coming up next—the setting is so lush, so beautiful—you’ll definitely want to come back for more!

Aren’t these mosaic linens from Dwell Studio so fine? The craft-influenced simplicity they achieve is nothing less than brilliant. We couldn’t help but think how great this table setting and color palette (parrot tulips, spring is coming!) would look with the bride in a little number by Jenny Yoo—an understated modern ruffle, yes, please!

We love the voluminous flowers and fine feathers from Minnesota’s Bethany Lorelle—lovely for every occasion!

Fresh, bold and clever—Kelly at Clementine Custom Events has such an eye for the latest greatest event possibilities in Chicago in every season. Illinois brides, her blog is simply a must-read for brilliant design ideas and practical advice.

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What can we say about Harrison Studio? Ben and Laura are two of the finest photographers you’ll find. Hailing from Michigan and traveling worldwide, they have such an incredible way of finding unique, lasting beauty in every occasion. Definitely visit their portfolio—inspiration is everywhere!