Brides

BRIDES 

& B O U Q U E T S 

A PUBLICATION FROM THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW 

Delicious dessert options 

replacing traditional cake 

More couples favoring 

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18 

BRIDES 


11 6 

4 

Column 

Celebrating differences and individuality has 

never been more apparent at weddings. 

14 

Dessert Trends 

Traditional cake being replaced by candies, 

cookies, cream puffs, pies and more. 

6 

Carter & Jodi 

Her dream came true with her wedding 

reception held in classic, historic barn. 

18 

Joel & Kelsie 

They just knew from the moment they met 

that they were right for each other. 

11 

Alex & Audra 

Fireworks followed his proposal; 

wedding held in simple, elegant setting 

22 

Photo Trends 

More couples favoring fun, colorful candid 

photographs over striking a pose. 

SUMMER 2017 | BRIDES & BOUQUETS 3

BRIDES 


SUMMER 2017 

This publication is sponsored 

by the businesses below: 

Individuality on 

display at events 

I 

have invitations for three 

weddings pinned to my bulletin 

board at home — all 

taking place within six weeks 

of each other at the end of summer. 

If the invitations are an indication, 

the three events will all be 

quite different. 

One indicates a traditional church ceremony and classic 

reception, another will be more casual with boots and 

other country motifs and the third appears to be woodsy 

and rustic, beginning with the venue of a lodge near a river. 

What fun! 

Celebrating differences and individuality has never 

been more apparent than in the choices being made by 

brides and grooms today. The fact that grooms — and the 

groom’s family — are as involved as they are is an indication 

right from the top of how much things have changed 

from the recent past. 

That’s just the beginning. Bridesmaid gowns don’t have 

to be identical. The men in the wedding party don’t necessarily 

wear tuxedos. Programs aren’t basic church bulletins. 

(When two of our staffers exchanged vows in 2015 

they asked us to publish their program as a newspaper, 

complete with the story of their courtship. How cool!) 

Photographers are becoming more documentary in their 

approach, telling the story of the day, rather than snapping 

neat pictures of family members and friends lined 

up in front of the church. A few years back a friend and 

her groom stopped by one of his rural hog buildings for 

a couple of photos in the wild flowers growing alongside 

the driveway, with the white barn in the background. Cute 

pictures if you knew their story; great conversation starter 

if you didn’t. 

Which brings me to my next question: Who would have 

thought that dancing the night away on a barn floor would 

be the hot ticket for weddings in 2017? I’ve heard that 

barn venues — and there are several of them — in our area 

are booked solid. 

In this issue our staff dug into the sweet side of wedding 

trends, focusing on the dessert options being served up 

for guests. Classic tiered wedding cakes still have a place, 

but they aren’t the only option. In fact, they often are just 

one option — couples have their cake, but they have bars, 

cookies, pies, cheesecakes and candy too. Guests get to 

pick from a dessert buffet of bite-size treats. 

Not only do I love this idea for the variety of tastes it 

offers, the design side of me loves the opportunity for 

really cool presentations, with tiered serving trays or even 

custom-made serving “platters” that didn’t originate in Iowa the Information 

PUBLISHERS AND PRINTERS 

kitchen. You’ll understand what I mean if you flip to the story 

on page 14. 

All of the unique offerings is what makes me excited 

about the three weddings coming up on our calendar. 

While I am going to find three unique wedding cards 

for these three unique couples, I am going to remain very 

traditional with our gifts. 

You can’t go wrong with cash. 

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publisher. 

4 BRIDES & BOUQUETS | SUMMER 2017

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CARTER & JODI 

Her dream comes true 


STORY BY AMBER DE GROOT | 

PHOTOS BY JESSICA BONESTROO PHOTOGRAPHY OF HULL 

“I’ve always 

dreamed about 

having a barn 

wedding, and 

they helped 

to make that 

dream come 

true.” 

— JODI POLLEMA 

ROCK VALLEY—Carter Pollema and Jodi Ver 

Burg met while attending Western Christian 

High School in Hull. 

During the summer before their junior 

year, Carter noticed that Jodi was attending 

quite a few of his baseball games. Shortly after, the two 

started texting and dating. 

Dating traditions 

Throughout their years of dating, the couple had a few 

yearly traditions. 

Every summer, the couple made sure to make a trip to 

Verne Drive-In Theater in Luverne, MN. 

They also had a group date tradition. 

“We had an annual group date every fall to the Pumpkinland 

corn maze near Orange City and then to Sfumato 

Pizza in Carnes for supper,” Jodi said. 

The couple also spent a lot of time riding horse and 

four-wheeling at her parents’ farm. 

One of Jodi’s favorite memories was when she surprised 

Carter with Rascal Flatts tickets for his birthday. 

The country music group is Carter’s favorite and she 

remembers having a great time at the concert. 

The proposal 

Carter proposed on July 21, 2016. 

“We had been talking about marriage for a while at 

that point,” Jodi said. “So I was kind of expecting a ring 

soon, but not on a random Thursday night, so I’m glad 

he still managed to surprise me.” 

After grilling her a nice supper, Carter told Jodi that 

they were going to meet his parents in Sioux Center 

for ice cream. When he went downstairs to get a pair of 

socks, he told Jodi that she needed to come down to look 

The Canton Barn north of Canton, SD, 

provided the setting for the wedding 

reception for Carter Pollema and Jodi 

Ver Burg following their ceremony on 

June 9, 2017, at Trinity Christian 

Reformed Church in Rock Valley. 


at new shoes that he had purchased. 

When Jodi walked down the stairs, she saw 

rose petals on the floor, a pretty box with her 

ring in it, a decorative letter “P” and a dozen 

roses. 

“He took me by my hands and told me 

everything he felt and what I meant to him,” 

Jodi said,” and then he got down on one knee 

and popped the question. I, of course, said 

‘yes’ and we spent the next hour on the phone 

telling everything the great news.” 

The big day 

The couple was married about a year later 

on Friday, June 9, 2017. 

The day started at The North Place southwest 

of Hull. 

After staying overnight there with some girlfriends, 

Jodi and her bridesmaids got ready 

for the big day. 

The couple had their first look at The North 

Place and took most of their pictures there. 

The ceremony was held in Jodi’s home 

church, Trinity Christian Reformed in Rock 

Valley. Her former pastor, the Rev. Bobby Van 

Otterloo, officiated. 

The wedding had a rustic/vintage theme 

with a light and summery feel. The couple’s 

colors were dusty lavender and charcoal gray. 

Jodi’s nephews were the ring bearers, and 

they drove down the aisle in a John Deere 

Gator. 

The church was decorated with whiskey 

barrels and a large arch in the front with lanterns 

lining the aisle. 

The reception 

The reception was held at The Canton Barn 

north of Canton, SD. 

“I’ve always dreamed about having a barn 

wedding, and they helped to make that dream 

come true,” Jodi said. 

The restored barn turned 100 years old this 

year. It still has a lot of original character and 

historic charm with added updates and a 

large chunk added off the back of the original 

building. 

The ceiling in the original loft area soars to 


29 feet, which adds to the classic simplicity 

and rustic elegance of the barn. 

“The barn was so cool itself that not 

many decorations were needed,” Jodi 

said. 

They did add some vintage-looking 

lights behind the head table, which 

gave the area a warm and inviting feel. 

During the reception, the guests had 

the opportunity to participate in a 

scavenger hunt. 

“We played a scavenger hunt game 

so we could earn some money and involve 

the whole crowd,” Jodi said. “My 

older brothers Jack and Lee Ver Burg 

ended up being the final two so things 

got pretty competitive and intense.” 

The catered meal featured prime rib, 

stuffed chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, 

vegetables and chips with salsa. 

“The food was so good, which was 

really important to my dad,” Jodi said. 

During the father-daughter dance, 

Jodi surprised her dad with a slideshow 

video that had pictures of just 

him and her. 

“I was, and still am, a huge daddy’s 

girl,” Jodi said. 

For dessert, Carter’s request was softserve 

ice cream, so they rented an ice 

cream machine and had a toppings 

bar. They also had cupcakes. 

The couple had a DJ for the dance. 

“He did an awesome job and the 

dance floor was full of 

our family and friends 

the whole time,” Jodi 

said. 

After sneaking out 

during the reception 

for some sunset pictures 

and then some 

more dancing, the 

couple went straight to 

Sioux Falls, SD, where 

they stayed overnight 

in the hotel attached to 

the airport. 

They hopped on one 

of the first flights out 

at 6 a.m. to get to their 

honeymoon. 

Honeymoon 

The couple went to 

Majestic Elegance in 

the Dominican Republic 

for their honeymoon. 

“I had never seen 

the ocean and Carter 

had never been out of the country, so 

it was cool to experience that with each 

other for the first time,” Jodi said. 

The couple enjoyed the white sandy 

beaches as well as the pools. They went 

parasailing and snorkeling, which was 

their favorite part of the honeymoon. 

“We saw so many different and 

colorful fish, and we got to feed them 

bread to make them come close to us,” 

Jodi said. 

Since they were honeymooners, the 

couple got an exclusive supper on the 

beach one night right by the ocean as 

the sun was setting. 

“It was absolutely breathtaking,” 

Jodi said. “It was an amazing trip and 

the only reason we came back was to 

get our new puppy CJ.” 

Looking forward 

The couple lived in Rock Valley for a 

few weeks after the wedding and then 

moved to Ames at the end of June. 

“We bought a little trailer house 

and we are very excited to make it our 

own,” Jodi said. 

Jodi will be starting veterinarian 

school at Iowa State University in the 

fall. 

Carter has been working construction 

for T&S construction out of Doon 

for the last two years and now is working 

at a lumberyard in Ames. • 


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STORY BY AMBER DE GROOT | 

PHOTOS BY DEAR JANE PHOTO OF SIOUX CENTER 

ALEX & AUDRA 

A fireworks proposal 

& elegant wedding 


Friends and family played important roles in the wedding ceremony of Alex Ten Napel and 

Audra Ten Haken on June 9, 2017, at Faith Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center. 

SIOUX CENTER—Alex Ten 

Napel and Audra Ten Haken 

met through a friend 

group while they were 

attending Dordt College in 

Sioux Center. 

“Alex and I were actually really 

close friends,” Audra said, “And we 

spent a lot of time together in smaller 

friend groups. 

“We both knew that we liked one 

another a little more than friends, 

but it took us a while to decide if we 

wanted to take a chance at it.” 

Taking a chance turned out to pay 

off. 

After their first official date at Sky 

Zone in Sioux Falls, SD, Alex asked 

Audra to be his girlfriend. 

Every year while they were dating, 

the couple would go to Brant Lake 

near Chester, SD, over the July 4 

holiday and stay with Alex’s family in 

their lake home. 

During July of 2016, Alex asked 

Audra to spend the rest of her life 

with him. 

The couple spent July 3 on the 

lake, wakeboarding and tubing. 

Afterward, they went to buy some 

fireworks, and Audra remembers that 

Alex’s brother bought quite a few 

fireworks. 

“I had thought it was weird that 

Alex’s brother, Mitchell, was spending 

so much on them,” Audra said. 

When they headed back to the 

lake house, Alex’s parents were getting 

ready to grill for supper. During 

this time, Alex’s mom, Julie, asked everyone to put on 

some nicer clothes so they could take some family 

pictures by the lake. 

“Not catching on, I followed along, changed 

clothes and did my hair,” Audra said. 

After that, Audra and Julie went outside to the dock 

where Alex and his brother were already standing. 

“I made it difficult for Alex to ask because I thought 

we were actually taking family pictures,” Audra said. 

After snapping a few family photos, Alex’s cousin 

suggested that someone take pictures of the couples 

while the sun was setting. Not by accident, Alex and 

Audra were chosen to go first. 

“I turned around on the dock and Alex was down 

on one knee,” Audra said. “I did not expect this to 

happen, and his whole family was watching and 

cheering from the deck.” 

Afterward, they celebrated with fireworks. 

‘Our favorite moment’ 

The couple was married Friday, June 9, 2017. 

One of the surprises of the day was Alex’s gift for 

Audra. 

She had not been planning on wearing a necklace 

for the wedding. After the first look, Alex gave her a 


“It was truly amazing and humbling to see all of those we loved who 

came to support us and to celebrate the biggest day of our lives” 

— AUDRA TEN NAPEL 

necklace to wear for their big day. 

“It was a necklace that matched perfectly,” Audra 

said. 

The ceremony was held at Faith Christian Reformed 

Church in Sioux Center. 

The decorations at the church were kept simple. 

At the front of the church were three doors, which 

the couple distressed together as a project. There 

were flowers draping over the doors and two 

candelabras on each side. There also was a unity 

candle table, which Audra made herself. 

The couple’s colors were mint/teal blue and 

gold. 

Down the center aisle, the aisle runner said “and 

the two shall become one.” Alongside the aisle 

runner were gold flower petals and other pew decorations. 

The pews were decorated with blue/coral 

peonies and fresh eucalyptus. 

“I wanted to keep the church very simple but 

elegant,” Audra said. 

The reception was held at the Terrace View Event 

Center in Sioux Center. 

“Our favorite moment was right before we 

walked into the reception,” Audra said. “Alex and I 

took time to peek through the doors and just look 

at everyone who was there. It was truly amazing 

and humbling to see all of those we loved who 

came to support us and to celebrate the biggest day 

of our lives.” 

‘Display of love’ 

For the reception tables, Audra chose black tablecloths 

to make the napkins and centerpieces 

pop. The tables were decorated with mint/teal 

napkins and a blush square in the middle. The centerpieces 

included vases and lanterns in gold with 

an arrangement of white hydrangeas, blush/coral 

peonies, roses and baby’s breath. 

The head table had a lighted white backdrop 

with gold sequined strands hanging down. Alex 

and Audra made big initials “TN” that were hung 

in the middle of the head table. 

In the reception hall, there was a photo booth 

where guests could take photos and use the couple’s 

hashtag #TenHakenonTenNapel. 

The guestbook area had two shelves with pictures 

of the couple’s parents, grandparents and 

great-grandparents on their wedding day. 

“This was something important to us,” Audra 

said, “Because without their love and display of 

love, we wouldn’t be here.” 

Guests enjoyed a chips and salsa bar for an appetizer, 

which is something that the couple had 

planned together. 

“It was something that described us both as a 

couple and how much we love chips and salsa,” 

Audra said. 

The catered meal featured pork loin or roasted 

chicken, cheesy potatoes, green beans, salad and a 

roll. Guests could choose between chocolate and 

white cake for dessert. 

At the reception, the guests played a scavenger 

hunt game. Alex and Audra had selected eight 

friends/family members who they knew would be 

attending the reception. These eight guests were 

sent out into the crowd to collect items, such as 

lipstick, a driver’s license with a certain year on it, 

a piece of notarized government property and a 

“dash for cash” which helped the couple on their 

honeymoon. 

Afterward, the couple had a dance with a DJ. 

The couple is planning on going to Cancun for 

their honeymoon in January. Alex hauls livestock 

for Ten Haken Trucking, and Audra recently started 

a new job at Driesen Eye Center in Sioux Center. 

The couple lives in Sioux Center, and they are 

enjoying being new homeowners. • 


DESSERT TRENDS 

Traditional 

cake being 

replaced 

REGIONAL—More than the traditional cake. 

That seems to be the trend as of late when it comes to 

wedding desserts. 

Bars, candies, cheesecake, cookies, cupcakes and pies 

are becoming the norm. 

“We’re just doing a vast array and really expanding the whole dessert 

idea for a wedding,” said Lisa Huff, owner of Truly Scrumptious 

in Sheldon. 

The Ashton resident has been baking since she was a preteen, but 

she did not begin delving into wedding cakes and other desserts 

until she opened her specialty bakery and eatery in downtown Sheldon 

in 2015. 

Tiered cakes and sheet cakes have long been the norm when it 

comes to weddings, but Huff has seen a shift throughout the past 

two years. 

“I love doing tiered cakes — fondant especially is what I’m passionate 

about — but it’s been really, really fun to see how everything 

has shifted a little bit,” she said. “I’m seeing a lot more brides 


STORY BY LINDSAY KRUSE | PHOTOS SUBMITTED 

looking for something almost nostalgic.” 

She has heard comments and requests, such as, 

“My grandma used to make these cookies,” or, “My 

aunt made these pecan pie bars.” 

“All of the sudden, we’re really starting to see a lot 

of dessert buffets as opposed to five different kinds 

of cupcakes,” Huff said. “We’re doing cheesecake 

and bars and cookies and candies and mints.” 

Her favorite wedding she has baked for incorporated 

a dessert buffet that featured 

bite-sized portions of two 

different kinds of cheesecake and 

four different bars. 

The wedding had a rustic 

theme with the finger food set up 

on slabs of log the bride’s father 

previously had cut, sanded and 

sealed. 

“Everything was set up on different 

levels, and instead of having 

a traditional wedding cake 

or a traditional cake topper, they 

actually had cheesecake for their 

cutting, and that’s what they fed 

each other,” Huff said. “That was 

really cool.” 

Melissa Beyer, owner of Beyer 

Catering in rural Boyden, also 

has witnessed the shift in wed- 


ding dessert trends. 

From bars to cakes, candies, cookies, cream puffs, pies and more — she has seen a range of requests 

during the more than eight years she has been baking. 

Despite the shift to other desserts, specialty cupcakes have remained a popular choice at weddings. 

Emily Knight, owner of Half Baked in rural Sheldon, knows that from experience. 

She has been baking for about eight years, and her business has snowballed. 

“I started getting phone calls and messages, and it just got bigger and bigger,” Knight said. 

While she noted that doughnuts and macaroons have started becoming more popular, the demand 

for cupcakes has remained strong. 

“They’re not like other things that drop off and disappear, and I don’t foresee that happening,” 

Knight said. “It’s fun, because they’re individual. It’s more fun to share a cupcake than a piece of cake.” 

She said there also is a sense of nostalgia when it comes to cupcakes, especially when Half Baked 

can incorporate a variety of flavors, including peanut butter cup, red velvet, lemon cheesecake, lemon 

raspberry and cookie dough, to name a 

few. 

Knight also makes giant cupcakes as 

well as cutting cakes and layered cakes. 

She noted that naked cakes and rose 

cakes are in this year, complimenting the 

ruffle and lace trends. 

Knight’s favorite wedding she baked 

for was centered around peacocks, and 

she incorporated a cutting cake featuring 

giant peacock feathers. 

She also enjoys the chance to experience 

different themes and locales. 

“I really like the ones that are in unusual 

places, featuring rustic, lacy, soft or just 

kind of wispy and fun features,” Knight 

said. “I just like making people happy. 

“It’s always fun to go to the receptions 

and see the whole thing put together. It 

feels like I’m spreading happiness.” • 

Catering: 

Both Lisa Huff, owner of Truly Scrumptious in Sheldon, 

and Melissa Beyer of Beyer Catering in rural Boyden 

offer food options for weddings. 

“A lot of people have come to associate us with soups 

and sandwiches, and we are so totally beyond that,” Huff 

said. 

Prime rib, lemon chicken, chicken piccata — the possibilities 

are endless. 

“When a bride and her groom come to us to talk about 

their event, we start talking about food, and it’s really fun 

because we’re not a pick a meat, pick a potato, pick a veg 

sort of business,” Huff said. 

“We really talk to them about what their favorite foods 

are, what their likes and dislikes are, and then we build 

the entire menu from scratch to create something that is 

just so uniquely them, so the guests will know this is all 

about them when the wedding and the dinner and the 

desserts all happen.” 

Beyer’s most popular dishes are smoked brisket and 

chicken and gravy. 

“We don’t have a menu,” she said. “We like people to 

pick their own menu, that way they can pick whatever 

they like the most.” 


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STORY BY KATE HARLOW | 

PHOTOS BY JEFF SAMPSON OF JEFF SAMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY OF SIOUX FALLS, SD 

JOEL & KELSIE 

They knew it was right 

from the start 


SHELDON—It might not have been love at first sight, 

but for Joel Rieck and Kelsie Van Voorst, it was pretty 

close. 

The couple met, got engaged and were married 

in a little over a year. 

Both Joel and Kelsie hail from N’West Iowa. 

Joel grew up in Hartley and graduated from Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 

High School in Hartley in 2009. 

Kelsie spent her formative years in Sioux Center and Maurice. 

She graduated in 2010 from Unity Christian High School in Orange 

City. 

Kelsie went on to study nursing first at Northwest Iowa Community 

College in Sheldon and then Briar Cliff University in 

Sioux City. She works at Sanford Worthington Medical Center 

in the OB-GYN department 

and Joel farms 

at their acreage east of 

Sheldon. 

Despite living near 

each other geographically, 

the two never 

seemed to cross paths 

until one cold day in 

January last year. 

“He was friends with 

my friend and she invited 

me and him up 

to the Lakes for Winter 

Games 2016,” Kelsie 

said. “We just started 

hanging out and we 

went out for a ride on 

his Razor on the ice. He 

was obviously cute and 

he had a fun personality. 

He was just a super, 

super nice guy and we 

really kind of hit it off.” 

The couple just 

clicked. 

“We just had 

this feeling. 

When we were 

with each other 

it felt right. We 

had never felt 

that way about 

anyone before. 

We just knew it 

was right” 

‘Surprised’ 

Things moved on 

quickly from that January. 

They got engaged in 

August of 2016. 

“I knew it was going 

to be coming at some point, but it totally surprised me,” Kelsie 

said. 

Joel and Kelsie went out to eat at Minerva’s in Sioux Falls, SD, 

where the couple had their first date. 

“I could tell he was acting weird and a little off. I thought maybe 

something was up, but when he didn’t propose at Minerva’s I 

thought it probably wasn’t going to happen,” Kelsie said. 

Joel waited until they got back to his acreage in Sheldon that 

the couple had bought together, but Kelsie was not living there 

yet. 

“He had set up a row of candles and rose petals leading into 

the living room where there was a blanket set out with cheesecake 

— our favorite dessert — and a bottle of wine,” Kelsie said. 

— KELSIE RIECK 


Kelsie Rieck’s dress featured lace, sparkles and a 

long romantic train. The colors for the wedding 

were rose gold, gold, blush pink and dark gray. 

“I turned around and he was down on one knee. 

Of course, I said, ‘Yes.’” 

Once again things happened quickly. They were 

married eight months later. 

Joel and Kelsie were married Saturday, April 22, 

2017, in The Canton Barn north of Canton, SD. 

“We were searching for a while for a location 

and we looked at a lot of places, but our wedding 

planner actually mentioned The Canton Barn and 

I fell in love with it,” Kelsie said. “It’s just so unique 

and different from any other places we had looked. 

It was just beautiful and there was a rustic elegance 

that I wanted.” 

‘Absolutely perfect’ 

Both the ceremony and the reception took place 

at The Canton Barn. Joel and Kelsie were married 

in an outdoor ceremony at 4:30 p.m. 

“We were so excited to be able to be outside. The 

weather was absolutely perfect. You don’t know 

what you might get in April, but we were blessed to 

have nice weather.” 

They were married by Kelsie’s childhood pastor, 

the Rev. John Lee of Bethel Christian Reformed 

Church in Sioux Center. 

Both Kelsie and Joel had six attendants. The 

groom and his groomsmen wore dark gray tuxes. 

The bridesmaids wore long, rose gold dresses. Kelsie 

wore of dress that featured lace, sparkles and a 

long train. 

The colors for the wedding were rose gold, gold, 

blush pink and dark gray, to give everything a romantic 

feel. 

Right after the ceremony the guests were invited 

to do something a little special. 

“We had a balloon send-off. After everyone came 

and shook our hands, we had people who were 

handing out balloons to everyone. When we went 

through the crowd everyone let go of their balloons. 

It was really cool,” Kelsie said. 

‘We snuck out’ 

After the balloon release, there was a cocktail 

hour in the lower level of the barn that featured 

a signature drink for the couple: A rose gold wine 

spritzer. They also had a chips and salsa bar that 

featured Joel’s mom’s homemade salsa as well as 

cinnamon chips and a fruit salsa. 

The rest of the reception took place in the upper 

level of The Canton Barn. The meal featured 

chicken, roast beef, cheesy potatoes, green bean 

casserole, potato salad and dinner rolls. Following 

dinner, there was a slide show and the traditional 

cake cutting and a dance. 

While the couple were having fun they did take 

some time to sneak out of their own reception. 

“Joel and I had some sunset photos taken so we 

snuck out to get some of those,” Kelsie said. 

Her favorite part of the day actually took place 

after the ceremony. 

“I liked being able to relax after the ceremony. It 

was fun to eat and enjoy the dance and socializing 

with everyone,” Kelsie said. 

The couple went on a honeymoon to Jamaica. 

They live on that acreage near Sheldon. 

While some might call their relationship a kind 

of whirlwind romance — meeting and marrying 

in little over a year — Joel and Kelsie think like the 

timing was perfect for the two of them. 

“We just had this feeling. When we were with 

each other it felt right,” Kelsie said. “We had never 

felt that way about anyone before. We just knew it 

was right.” • 


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PHOTO TRENDS 

Colorful couples 

The owner of Danielle Frankl 

Photography in Sioux Center 

said she took pictures of the 

April Hanna Wagenaar and Joel 

Kranenburg wedding in Orange 

City, an event she described as 

chic and elegant. Wagenaar is 

from Orange City and Kranenburg 

is from Canada. 

“Her colors were marsala and I 

was in love,” Frankl said. “I loved 

that her bridesmaid dresses had 

patterns on them.” 

Another wedding Frankl shot 

took place in Hull during May 

with bride Valerie Koopsen of 

Michigan and Adam De Boer of 

Hull. The colors were gold and 

black with a light splash of pink. 

Frankl said it was a black tie wedding, 

and the bridesmaids wore 

sparkly dresses. 

Striking different poses 

REGIONAL—Couples who are saying “I do” are straying away from traditional posed photographs. 

They are leaning toward more candid, humorous photos and posed shots with their personalities 

thrown into the mix. 

The owner of Kelcey Schroder Photography in Sibley said brides and grooms want more photos 

where they are looking at one another, laughing or walking side by side. 

“They want more photos that appear as if I am not there,” she said. “They want more than just them being 

the bride and groom.” 

One particular trend Schroder has noted was the inclusion of pets. A dog, for 

example, might be between the couple for a shot, or wearing a bow tie with the 

wedding rings attached. 

“I have done about seven or eight different shoots with dogs,” she said. “I have 

never done a cat.” 

Schroder also has shot quite a few generational photos, such as a close-up of 

the wedding rings and hands of the bride, mother and grandmother. 

She said that not only do those photos showcase the changing styles of rings, 

but also the natural progression of age. 

One of the weddings featuring generational photos was for Stephanie Baker 

and Andy Scott, which took place in September 2012 in Sioux City. 


STORY BY LANA BRADSTREAM | 

PHOTOS SUBMITTED 

Fun photos 

Humor also is brought out in photos 

now, thanks to the help of props, such 

as taxidermy animals, argyle socks and 

Superman T-shirts. 

“There was one where the groom 

was playing the piano and the bride 

hiked her skirt up and sat on it, like in 

a saloon,” Schroder said. “There was a 

taxidermy fox and lynx on top. It was 

so bizarre everyone was cracking up.” 

“You need to make the most of whatever 

you got. It goes be so fast. A lot of 

work goes into weddings. There should 

be some fun.” 

That wedding took place and was for 

Jessica Hiemstra and Andrew McAulet 

in June 2014 in Worthington, MN. 

Hiemstra is from Sibley and McAulet is 

from West Islip, NY. 

Different shades 

Jessica Bonestroo of Jessica Bonestroo Photography in Hull has witnessed 

wedding couples moving toward shades of blue. 

She said one wedding in particular featured bridesmaids with cornflower 

blue dresses and the groom wearing a navy suit with black 

lapels. That wedding was for Lauren Jungers of Hospers and Joe Kelling 

of Kansas City, KS, in April in Hospers. 

“More grooms are ditching the traditional black suit for a navy blue 

one, instead,” she said. 

The color scheme helped create a wedding that Bonestroo said was a 

perfect mix of classy pieces with soft, romantic elements. 


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Brides

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