Kansas City Downtown Rooftop Wedding

Hello friends! I'm so excited to be back sharing with you the details of my wedding day. Mikael and I met on eHarmony nearly 3 years ago and I knew immediately that he was special because of how different our relationship was from past relationships. There never was any drama, questioning of our commitment or depth of love, and everything was just easy. We had so much fun together and it just became apparent that this was the love I had been looking for. While we dated, I began sharing with Mikael my love of travel and that took us many places - the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Omaha, Chicago, Boston, Madison, etc. to visit our friends and family. We also shared a love of history, so when Mikael proposed at the Rosedale Memorial Arch (a WWII memorial) in Kansas City it was just perfect.

Kansas City was the focal point of our relationship. Mikael lived downtown and helped introduce me to all of the neat shops and restaurants hidden around the city. So when it came to deciding where to marry, downtown was the top of our list.

We ended up dividing up our wedding into two distinct parts - ceremony and reception. This was because we knew we wanted to marry on our rooftop that has a gorgeous view of the rising towers that make up the downtown Kansas City skyline. The roof is relatively small, so it was perfect for a more intimate ceremony. The greater challenge was finding the reception space.

We searched around Kansas City for nearby event spaces. There were so many darling venues to look at, but our challenge was finding one that was reasonably priced. We thought about Liberty Memorial because of our love of history, but after concerns for the unpredictability of weather, we decided just to use it as a location for pictures.

Eventually, I stumbled upon a venue hidden in the heart of the West Bottoms near all of the antique shops - the Gustin Bacon Building. The venue is an old industrial space that was recently renovated but still maintains its rustic charm with the brick walls, glass block windows, and vintage wood floors.

I had so much fun decorating and preparing for the wedding! I used my love for crafting to really go wild over the past year - creating calligraphy signs for cookies, cakes, the bar, the menu, etc., folding and stringing paper cones, planning the layout, among others. Mikael used his creativity to make us a personalized marquee sign! The venue turned out beautifully and was filled with our love, effort, and personality.

The night went from delicious homemade Syrian meal from Habashi House to delightfully funny and sweet toasts from the dads and my maid of honor (Claire) and his best man (Jayson). Later, it turned into a dance party with the help of the Ragged Heirs, a local Kansas City band who knew how to bring the night to life! They played some of our favorite hits, Annalise Emerick's This Love Won't Break Your Heart, Cat Stevens' Moonshadow, and lots of Beatles songs. The reception lasted late into the night and as midnight closed in, we reluctantly retired to The Aladdin hotel.

Stay tuned for next week for a Q&A with Mikael and I on our wedding. Plus, I'll have some tips and lessons for all of you future newlyweds!

Vendors: Photography - Lacey Crough // Venue - Gustin Bacon Building via West Bottoms Group, Kansas City, Missouri // Florals - KC Flower Girl // Bride's Dress - I Do Bridal, Wichita, Kansas // Groom's Suit - Houndstooth, Kansas City // Band - Ragged Heirs // Caterer - Habashi House // Cakes - Nothing Bundt Cakes // Event Rentals - UltraPom Rentals + Celebrate KC