A Modern, Industrial Indy Celebration with a Pop of Greenery: The Real Wedding of Illiana and Grant Stapleton

Grant and Illiana met while both attending Xavier University. They matched on Tinder and dated on and off for a few years before realizing they were right for each other. Unfortunately, Grant was diagnosed with stage IV gastro-esophageal cancer early in 2022. "Right after his first oncology consult, he proposed in a Steak and Shake drive through while we got milkshakes. We figured: life is short, what are we waiting for?" Illiana shares.
 

Illiana looks absolutely stunning in her gown! "It was such a fun experience shopping for a dress, and the stylist worked with me on what I wanted. I wanted a nontraditional dress, and had conceptualized a laid back, boho dress with lace accents. I tried on several styles to find what looked best on me, but did end up with a dress along the lines of what I had envisioned," Illiana admits. We think it looks perfect with their modern theme! We are obsessed with how Illiana's makeup highlights her natural beauty and love her elegant yet simple braided hair.
 

"We knew that we wanted to get married as soon as possible, but also wanted to celebrate and have our loved ones there with us," Illiana explains. "Knowing that, we started searching for venues that could accommodate such a rapid timeline." They wanted something modern and industrial that could be covered in greenery since they loved the outdoors. The Ivory Foundry Weddings & Events ended up being perfect for this vision! It had the look that Illiana and Grant wanted while offering an all-inclusive package that provided everything they needed for their quick timeline.
 

For décor, the happy couple knew they wanted a whimsical feel with lots of greenery decked out in light blues and whites. "We both love shades of blue, and with Xavier colors being blue and white, it was a great way to incorporate homage to such a large piece of our love story." Illiana gushes. "As for the whimsical theme we were aiming for, Beth and Alicia (from the venue) both worked with us with inspiration photos from Pinterest to encompass exactly what we wanted. Illiana knew that she wanted white flowers to tie the whole look together, and Ivory by Design knew exactly what to do!
 

 

What We Love

"We had our dog Moose be the ring bearer at our wedding. We both love animals, and especially love our little man, Moose. We knew before we planned anything that we definitely wanted him to be incorporated!" Illiana raves. Grant's older brother also officiated the wedding and allowed Grant and Illiana to have a specialized ceremony. Their party favors were "morning after" and "midnight snack" goodie bags filled to the brim with candy and snacks (since Grant is a huge candy fanatic!) for the guests to enjoy after the wedding. 
 

 

Advice from the Couple

Illiana and Grant advise, "First, if you can work with the Ivory Foundry, do it! Invest extra money into having a coordinator, it will be so worth it and will help you relax and just enjoy your day. Don’t be afraid to do nontraditional or unique things for your wedding–do whatever you can to make that day your own! Lastly, find things you love as a couple to make the day a perfect start to your joint life ahead."
 

 

 

 

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