An Earthy, Boho Wedding at an Indiana Christmas Tree Farm: The Wedding of Nora Chidalek and Mason McKinney

Nora and Mason met in 2011 when they were set-up to go to a dance together. Mason met Nora a little before the dance and the two exchanged some (what they admit to being) awkward compliments about one another’s hair. Despite the awkwardness being followed up by even more awkward dancing, Mason knew there was something about Nora. He says, “With a gut instinct and some encouragement from our nearby friends, I mustered up the courage to ask her out after a few short hours of sweaty and clamorous dancing.”
 

It was a few years down the road when Mason and Nora took a trip out west. They were exploring the country together and it was a magical experience in and of itself. It was in Wyoming on a scenic mountain top where Mason decided it was the ideal spot to ask Nora to marry him. Nora was gearing up a camera to take a photo, when she noticed a wooden box in Mason’s hand. Needless to say, the serene moment panned out just like you are imagining. Nora says, “We danced the evening away and welcomed the starry night, listening to music, eating canned soup and talking about our adventures to come.”

Nora and Mason knew they wanted a wedding that reflected their adventurous lifestyle. They also knew they wanted their friends and family to celebrate their big day with them. So, the couple decided on an earthy wedding in Indiana. Nora adds, “We decided an Indiana wedding was what we wanted. In exchange, we would have an anniversary photo shoot once we move to the mountains, that way we were neither sacrificing having friends and family around nor having our desired adventurous wedding photos.”

 

The couple first honed in on their venue. They found a quaint, yet scenic Christmas tree farm and knew it was the ideal spot for them to tie the knot. “After countless hours looking for a venue that had the right vibes and price range, my mom came home from the fair having spoken with a woman about the Cosgray Christmas Tree Farm,” says Nora. “Having never heard of the town in which the venue was located, we made the drive up there shortly after hearing about it. We walked around and when they said that our dog Helen was welcome to attend the party, we knew that we could make it our own.”
 

Nora had a hard time finding her dream dress. Like many modern people getting married, she didn’t want a traditional look and it was hard for her to find a dress that fit her style. She shopped at many salons near her hometown, but she could not find what she was looking for. Luckily, after some searching on Pinterest she found the perfect place to get her dress. She says, “The company Dreamers and Lovers is a California-based dress store that custom makes bohemian style dresses. I sent in my measurements and ordered the Lisa Lace wedding dress. Did people think I was crazy for ordering my wedding dress online? Absolutely. Did I know right away when I put it on that it was everything I had ever wanted? Absolutely.”

 

What we love

We love the little details that Nora and Mason put into their wedding. One thing that caught out eye was their adorable, hand-made cake toppers. Nora notes, “ The wedding toppers were found on Etsy, made by the Lady Selva Shop out of Spain. The owner, Noelia, was so amazing to work with and it was evident that she put a lot of time and love into painting our toppers.”

 

 

 

Advice from the couple

Nora says, “Start planning early. Once you start planning, you will probably use all of the time after that. Ask for help. This was the most challenging thing for me, as I hate to be a burden, but now I have fun memories of tying my wooden silverware together with both my parents on a Sunday afternoon and putting hundreds of wildflowers into jars with my mother. “

 

 

 

 

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