Brandon & Lydia

The Story

Brandon and Lydia both attended The University of Wisconsin- Madison. They grew to know each other over the years through a ministry called Cru through their campus. They would talk casually every once in awhile, but never really hit it off until years later. They began talking more and noticing each other. Finally, Brandon got the courage to text Lydia and out of all things the text was about their love for Justin Bieber. Months went on and Brandon kept drawing Lydia back in until she finally decided she couldn't resist Brandon any longer.

Lydia knew the engagement was coming soon, but she wasn't sure exactly when. It was December 4th and just happened to be the first snowfall of the year. A year ago, that day, Brandon had surprised Lydia with ice cream at a campus building, as she was pulling an all-nighter for a school project. This was "date 0" as they called it, the first time they knew their was something special between them. So, Brandon wanted to propose in this same very spot a year later. With the help of some of Lydia's soon-to-be bridesmaids, they set up pictures and a timeline of their relationship in the same spot. The day started off with breakfast, then going to "visit" Brandon's sister studying on campus. They walked down the hallway following the picture timeline and Lydia knew the moment was here. After Brandon read through a long letter he got down on one knee, AND she said yes!

The Wedding

This couple only wanted their engagement to last about 5 months, so they had a quick turnaround time. Lydia's mom had actually sent the couple the website for Mercantile Hall. And after looking at pictures of the venue, they knew it was the place. After hearing the vision from their staff and seeing the place they couldn't say no. They also took just a little bit of innovative pride in knowing that they were the first wedding at this brand new venue.

When it came to the dress, Lydia had spent some time shopping with her mom in the Minneapolis area. She thought she was satisfied with an online dress that everyone else adored, but then realized she should get the perfect dress instead. The next day Lydia called Vera Bridal in Madison. Once Lydia got there she found the perfect dress, another one she had seen online. It was vintage and elegant, it even had a champagne color underlay which went perfectly with their wedding colors. Lydia's favorite part was the deep-v in the back.

Brandon and Lydia decided to for go the first look. They did pray together before the ceremony, but they did not see each other at all during this time. Brandon said "He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked walking down the aisle and was just so thankful to god that he gets to spend the rest of his life with this woman."

It was the perfect moment.

The couple had originally planned for both our ceremony and reception to be held at Mercantile Hall. But, with such a large guest list they eventually decided that they couldn't really make it work, since it was the venues first event. The next day they frantically looked all over the Burlington area looking for a ceremony location. Their very last stop was at The Rustic Barn, they fell in love with this venue. It was the perfect spot.

This couple choose an awesome unique menu. They went full-fledged breakfast food that included quiche, bacon, ham, biscuits, donuts and pastries. Brandon and Lydia LOVED breakfast food. Their relationship was built off of breakfast dates since they were both working college students.

When it came to their wedding decorations, they wanted to stay with the theme of vintage, following their venue and wedding dress choices. Lydia wanted a mix of vintage and modern, but also wanted to be unique and include her own artistry. She even created and bound her own guest book. It was a beautiful soft and elegant look.

The couple each had their own favorite parts of the day. Brandon said the day was everything he had hoped for. It was so great for him to see all the people that we loved together in one room. His favorite part of the ceremony was when everyone sang their worship song. Lydia overall loved seeing all of their plans come together, it was everything she had dreamed of. Her favorite moment was when Brandon came up the stairs and they got to pray together before the ceremony. Sine they weren't doing a first look, it was great to have a private moment together.

For their honeymoon they went to Secrets Cap Cana in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic! It was well deserved relaxation after months of wedding planning.

Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Brooks!!!









Featured Vendors:

Ceremony: The Rustic Barn 

Reception: Mercantile Hall

Dessert: All Occasions Catering

Floral: Keith Rudolph

Rentals: Gertrude and Evelyn Vintage Rentals

Photography: Florapine Photography

Videography: Bascom Brothers Entertainment

Dress: Vera's house of bridal