An Elegant Indiana Barn Wedding: The Real Wedding of Ellen and Brad

Ellen and Brad first met at their high school, Westfield High School, then were able to reconnect through dorm landscaping jobs while studying at Purdue University. Brad recalls, "Ellen invited me to her 21st birthday party. After reconnecting, we began spending more time together, Eventually, we started dating. I proposed in January of 2021 up in Green Lake, Wisconsin on a clear, crisp day."

"I began shopping with an open mind, but I fell in love with any dresses that had floral inspired lace and champagne hues," Ellen shares. "My mom, sister and I went to several shops before settling on this one." We think she picked the perfect dress! The deep V-neck neckline is so stunning, and the floral details in the skirt are unique and delicate. We also love that she decided to go with an updo and natural makeup to highlight her features. Clark Videography perfectly captured her beauty and so much more in his video of their big day!
 

The first thing Ellen and Brad decided to book was their venue. "We knew that we needed a big venue since we had a larger guest list – around 200 people," Ellen explains. "My mother and I toured the venue in early spring before it was even completed. Even though it was just
the bare bones, we could see the vision that Shelby and her father had for the site." They loved the versatility of the venue and couldn't wait to get started filling the space with their fall-colored wedding décor, which Captured by Allison did an amazing job of documenting in her photography.

What We Love

Since Purdue is where Ellen and Brad's love story restarted, there were many Purdue elements at their reception. "We had many Purdue alumni present, so we had several Purdue oriented songs played such as 'Hail Purdue', 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Shout'," Ellen gushes. "Brad played the Purdue Big Bass Drum in college and had many of his fellow drum crew alumni at the reception, so they performed a few of their rituals as well." Ellen and Brad also moved to Charlotte, North Carolina shortly after graduating college, so they enjoyed reconnecting with friends and family again.

Advice from the Couple

Ellen and Brad advise, "Get a little bit done every week. Set weekly or monthly goals. Make sure to book vendors early! This will save you money and ensure you get the vendors you want. We used our guest room as our wedding room and had things organized in boxes as we obtained them. This made it easier on the day we had to drive home for the wedding. Make sure you have vendors you can trust and let others worry about the day of once it comes! Your guests will never know if something did not go according to plan."

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