James + Kayla’s ISM Wedding

We may be a little biased, after all the Indiana State Museum is one of our exclusive venue partners, but their canal location is truly one of the most magnificent outdoor wedding locations in downtown Indianapolis! It’s the perfect spot for any proud Hoosier to marry, but also a unique location in that it is one of two venues along the canal that can host a ceremony backdropped by the Indianapolis skyline.

James and Kayla contacted us in July 2015, nearly a year before their wedding date and quickly fell in love with the museum. They chose to have their wedding ceremony along the canal, cocktail hour in Rapp Reception Hall, and their reception in the Gov. and July O’Bannon Family Great Hall. Despite the above normal rain fall this summer, James and Kayla were fortunate to celebrate on a dry day under blue skies during their canal ceremony.

 
Guests moved to Rapp on the third floor of the Indiana State Museum for cocktail hour. Afterwards, they moved to the main space for the reception. Natural light poured in through the large windows of the Great Hall during their first dance, cake cutting, and welcome speech. Guests were able to enjoy a summer setting sun while they enjoyed their meal before moving on to dance the rest of the evening.

First Course
Spinach salad with pickled red onions, spiced pecans, grape tomatoes, herbed feta and brown sugar balsamic vinaigrette
Assorted breads, lemon rosemary flat bread, french butter and sundried tomato butter

Second Course
Choice of
Stuffed breast of chicken with sundried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and marsala demi-glace
Porcini crusted filet of beef with pink peppercorn brandied demi-glace
Eggplant timbale with smoked tomato chutney

Served with
Grilled asparagus with red bell peppers
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

Third Course
Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse
Vanilla cake with chocolate ganache
Vanilla cake with white chocolate ganache

Wedding planning is a thoughtful process and this couple certainly put time into various elements that keep in line with tradition, but with a modern twist. In place of a unity ceremony with candles, James and Kayla poured blue and white sand into an hourglass. They also opted for a special guest book: Jenga pieces. Guests were invited to write a message to the couple on pieces to be used to ‘Build Memories’. We love that this practical guest book style can be cherished and played for years to come. It’s the perfect game to take out with friends and family. Not only will they be entertained, but they can also reminisce about the wonderful event they had. However, our favorite of all was their flower girls. These were not your typical little girls running about in white dresses. Instead, both James and Kayla’s grandmothers’ were flower girls for the wedding! They considered it their ‘something old’ but we think it is something completely special. Never before have we seen this at a wedding and it truly was a great way to include their grandmothers in the ceremony.

A day like this wouldn’t have been complete a grand exit! James and Kayla’s sparkler sendoff was absolutely magical and the perfect way to end their special day.