Tessa & Dallas’ Enchanted Bohemian Wedding at the Farm at Dover

The Proposal

Dallas from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, and Tessa from Berlin, Connecticut, met through mutual friends while at North Park University for college. When he popped the question, Dallas took Tessa on a campus-wide walk through their own journey as a couple: Through the library where Tessa would casually bump into Dallas, the site of their first kiss, where they first said “I love you,” and so on. “Then he took me to the backyard of what is now our first home together,” Tessa says. “It was completely covered in white Christmas lights, which I’m an absolute sucker for.” Dallas dropped to one knee, Tessa said yes, and the two walked into their future home, where all of their friends were waiting to celebrate.

The Ceremony

Tessa and Dallas planned a September wedding at The Farm at Dover. The theme: “My friends described it as enchanted bohemian,” Tessa says. “I think that fits the picture pretty well. There were plenty of colors. I didn’t want a set of colors, but more of a variety so I wasn’t constricted to just two or three.” Both the ceremony and reception were held at the farm. Dallas and Tessa exchanged their own personal vows. “Our vows stick out as the most powerful moment. We were truly sincere, sharing things we love and admire about each other and how we vow to continue to love and support one another for the rest of our lives.” The ceremony was also unique in that the bride and groom had both parents walk them down the aisle, Dallas and his friends led worship, and a series of friends read Bible verses about love.

The Reception

Following the ceremony, all photos were taken right on site at The Farm at Dover. “The place is so beautiful, we didn’t need to go anywhere else.” Dinner was catered by Bubb’s BBQ. “It was so delicious and they have a huge variety of food to choose from. Everyone loved it. We had a super delicious buffet at a great price. There was brisket, mac and cheese — the works!” For dessert, Bubb’s broke out a s’mores bar. “Bubb’s was not only super helpful, but such nice people, too.” To decorate the space, Tessa and Dallas tackled a lot of DIY projects — everything but the flowers from Feisty Flowers. “It was a lot more work than we thought,” Tessa says. Her advice to future brides: “Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for help. Ours kept offering, but we didn’t want to put any burden on them. In reality, they really do want to help in any way they can!”

Personal touches

“We really wanted to incorporate our own hobbies and selves into the wedding. We had LEGO characters on the boutonnieres. Each table didn’t have a number, but a place from our favorite nerdy TV shows or movies: Hogwarts, Winterfell, Tatooine, and more. We had a Paradise Falls, from the movie “Up,” tip jar, where people could donate to our honeymoon fund.” There was also a date jar where guests could leave date night ideas, and a polaroid booth.

Dancing was also a highlight of the evening. “Dallas made the playlist himself, which everyone loved. The music you pick really makes it or breaks it. Our guests danced for hours. Our wedding was on a Sunday night, but people didn’t want to leave early because they were having too much fun. Our friends love to dance, and they were dancing so hard that we were worried they were going to break through the floor! “

In the end, it was all the personal touches that really made Tessa and Dallas’ wedding an unforgettable experience. “We planned everything ourselves because we really wanted to make our wedding unique to us. Lots of people told us, ‘Everything was just so you two!’ Best day ever.”