Emma + Jake’s wedding was a dream. All of the unique details, the genuine emotion, and everything in between, made this memorable day so special.

How did you and your husband meet? Jake and I met when I was 14 and he was 15. Our moms were (and still are) best friends and Jake's mom stopped by my house to drop something off with him. I walked outside and saw Jake and, as you may have guessed, the rest is history... We were best friends for a while before we started dating which is part of why we have so much fun together. I really am so lucky his family moved from Ohio to Iowa back then!

How did he pop the question? Jake is very creative, so I knew it was going to be incredible. Our families do Secret Santa together every year and Jake rigged it to be my Secret Santa. He surprised me with a trip to Banff in Canada for the New Year (please note, our limit is typically $20 for the game, so I had no idea)! On the final full day of our trip, we drove out to Lake Minnewanka to go ice skating, but Jake had different plans. We walked out onto the frozen lake and just stood there for a while taking in the scene. It was snowing and sunny at the same time, so it felt like we had stepped into a photograph! After walking further down the lake and up onto a lookout point, Jake got down on one knee and gave a speech that neither of us remember anymore - we were WAY too excited! We celebrated with champagne at a local distillery and then went on a long hike through frozen canyons after!

What do you two like to do for fun? We are both very adventurous, so our idea of fun always includes a road trip and somewhere we've never been before! We love exploring new restaurants, nature and destinations. When we're not on the go, snuggling up on the couch with chinese food and a bubbly cocktail never gets old for us.

Tell us about your wedding planning experience! What did you love? What was your favorite part of it? The whole planning experience was so easy and relaxed (save having to swap everything around due to this not-so-friendly pandemic, but even that wasn't too stressful). Karla made sure every detail was taken care of so early on that we were able to sit back and enjoy most of it! Our favorite part was imagining the layout and mood of the entire event - and, of course, the food and cocktail tastings we did!

What personal touches did you include into your wedding? So many! My uncle, Jamie Boling, designed a wedding crest for us right after we chose the venue. Having a crest was something I always planned on since I was maybe 7? I hopped on asking him right away! We put the crest on EVERYTHING - the napkins, the programs, the invitations, even the hand sanitizer. I also love hand-lettering, so I ended up addressing all of our invites myself, as well as our seating chart, menus and mirrors!

Tell us about the wedding dress! How did you choose it? Ugh I wish I could wear my dress every day for the rest of my life. I knew immediately when I saw it that it was something special. I wanted something timeless that still embodied my style and this dress absolutely did. It's romantic, elegant and eclectic all at once - AND it has pockets! What more could a girl want.

Tell us about the decor and floral. How did you decide? I jumped all over the place with decor, actually (bless Karla for putting up with it)! Again, I wanted it to be timeless, but still obviously be us. Jake and I both knew we wanted it to feel like a night on a garden terrace in Italy, which inspired the food, decor and (of course) venue we chose. Shelly Sarver nailed the florals - I wanted them to be subtle in color, but still whimsical and romantic. I basically went to Karla and Shelly and said I want olive branches, lemons, peonies and ranunculus!

What advice do you have for couples engaged? Take your time to sit back, relax and enjoy!!! Have date nights and soak in being engaged - it's such a fun and brief period of your relationship, enjoy it as much as you can. As for the wedding day, don't stress. I was so relaxed and just wanted to spend time with our people (one of the benefits of it being an intimate event). I would really suggest taking a moment to step away with your partner, have a glass of wine and just take it all in. It's cliché, but it really does go by so quickly and it's so worth it to take moments to breathe and soak it up. Also, stick with your gut in the planning process! With so much bridal inspiration out there, it can get confusing to know what you actually want. Go with what you feel represents you and your partner the best and trust in your decisions!