Leslie and Marshall’s sage and gray Iowa Maytag Event Complex warehouse wedding was absolutely perfect in every single way.

I’ve gotten to follow along with their relationship from the beginning, as they have trusted me to document their first pictures together as a couple, to their  river-side engagement pictures at a local nature reserve, to finally, their beautiful July wedding day. Leslie knew she wanted a gorgeous, yet less traditional, venue for her wedding day, so she settled on the Maytag Event Complex in Newton, Iowa, just outside of Des Moines. This stunning historic warehouse was home to a Maytag washing machine factory many years ago, and has since been converted into a multi-level event venue, filled with natural light and vintage details.

However, the details were not just in the venue. Leslie and Marshall’s wedding day was filled with personal, sentimental details. They printed various pictures from their previous photo sessions and had them displayed all throughout the ceremony and reception spaces. Before the ceremony, Leslie and Marshall exchanged gifts, not knowing that they had planned to give each other the same thing – journaling Bibles with a note written inside to their soon-to-be spouse. Leslie had recently lost her grandmother, and her bouquet included a beautiful silver broach, an heirloom from her grandmother. Her grandmother was only able to attend one of her grandchildren’s weddings, but the dress she had worn to that wedding was blue, so the family had garters made for each of the granddaughters out of her dress to wear as their “something blue” on their wedding days.

The touching details didn’t stop there. During the ceremony, they played a voice recording of Leslie’s great-grandfather Leslie (the bride’s namesake) reading 1 Corinthians 13, the love passage. He had read it at her parents wedding, so they used the recording from their wedding, and it was an incredibly beautiful tribute. Tears were shed by many in the room. The bride and groom were both teary as they braided together three strands of rope as a symbol of their commitment to each other and the Lord, and then prayed with their parents over their marriage.

The ceremony was incredibly sentimental, and the reception was just as true to the couple as every other element of the day. The bride’s father sang his own parody of Frozen’s “Love is An Open Door” singing instead “Love is What We’re Here For” with his own lyrics added about the couple and his love for them and encouragement for their future. The whole room was filled with smiles, laughter, and tears, as the maid of honor and best man spoke to the character, passion for the Lord, and love for one another the bride and groom possess.

Leslie and Marshall’s warehouse wedding will be a day they will treasure for always. They finished the day by running through an exit of bubbles and cheers from their friends and then snuck away to a local farm to take their portraits together. Since Marshall grew up on a farm, it was important to them that even their portraits be just as personal to them as every other part of their special day. Throughout the day, Marshall kept tearing up, looking at his bride. It was touching getting to see how deeply he treasures her – I even got teary watching him watch his future wife walking down the aisle. They kept their day completely focused on the gospel and on each other, and it was absolutely beautiful.

Congratulations to the brand new Mr. and Mrs. Pickering. Here are some of the highlights from their July wedding day.

// Newton, IA //

Many thanks to the incredible vendors who made this beautiful day possible:

Photography // Catherine Milliron Photography

Venue // Maytag Event Complex

Planner //  Sharon Van Dalen

Florals // Barb Ferguson

Cake // Barb Ferguson

Hair + Makeup // Morgen Jorgensen, Kim Hunt, Chris Walz

Boutique // Wendy’s Bridal

Videography // Paul Dawson

Emcees // Jordan Reid, Nate Moyer, Caleb Feehs

Music + Sound // Steve Larson, Kristen Jarboe, Rebecca Pence, Dan Pence, Chris Walz

Catherine Milliron is an Ohio wedding and engagement photographer specializing in capturing life’s most special moments in the form of intimate, light-filled, and joyful images. If you are looking for a wedding photographer in Ohio or beyond, I would love to chat! Grab a cup of coffee, browse my website for an idea of what a session or wedding day with me is like, and then get in touch for more information and we can start planning to how we will capture your moments as I celebrate alongside you on your special day!