How do I love February? Let me count the ways.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think February is a beautiful time to have a wedding. With the obvious celebration of Valentines Day… chocolates, flowers, love notes abound. But here in Kansas, did you know that this time of year tends to be slower most most of your local vendors? Venues and photographers often discuss booking on other days during the week aside from the popular Friday and Saturday. Oftentimes, they offer special discount rates for booking on weekdays. But booking in the “off-season” or the non-typical wedding months can truly be to your benefit as well! Do you have a dream videographer or venue you’ve had your heart set on? Scheduling your wedding in the off-wedding season can result in capturing the vendors you love to your heart’s content!

For stationers, the first of the year starts our busy season, and it doesn’t let up until mid-December. We’re working near year-round on mailing Save the Dates, Invitations suites, and day-of wedding paperié and signage. But I will tell you, I have discovered a pattern in my habits after 10-plus years of creating for the wedding industry. My artist’s finger is itching to paint, create, and design… inspired by the break after the holidays, renewal of the year, and love floating in the air. I find that if you are having a Summer or Fall wedding, now is a great time to start thinking about your wedding stationery! You can inquire directly on my website.

So, if I haven’t sold you on the logical reasons of why you might consider a wedding in February, how about you let me win your heart over with some wedding inspiration––a styled shoot themed around the beautiful warm, golden tones of Winter in Kansas, combined with the sweet and sophisticated pinks, peaches, and corals without being overtly feminine.

The Barn at Grace Hill 2023 Vendor Showcase

Video created by The Axmanns

Vendor List

Venue || The Barn at Grace Hill
Planning & Design || Bel Amour Events
Photography || The Cantrells Photography
Videography || The Axmanns
Floral || Free State Flora
Stationery & Artistry || Emilime Designs
Cake & Desserts || Buckingham Cakes
Linens || Something Borrowed
Catering and Bar || Izzy’s Soiree 
Coffee Bar || The Mint Cup
Hair || Brielynn Wallace
Makeup || Glam + Co
Dress || Bella Veil Bridal 
Suits || Gentry Ltd 
DJ || Black Tie Celebrations
Rentals || Wichita Event Rentals

When vendors team up like they did this past weekend for our 2023 Styled Shoot and Vendor Showcase, pure magic happens. It’s the same magic that happens when you have a team like this behind the scenes for your wedding day. Highlighting their work is one of our favorite things to do!! Bel Amour Events knocked this out of the park. Free State Flora does nothing short of excellence with flowers. Emilime Designs adds the touches and details with her artistry that leaves people talking. Wichita Event Rentals and Something Borrowed Kansas provides the pieces that bring it all together. Buckingham Cakes creates a wow factor every single time. Glam + Co Salon and Brielynn Wallace made our 3 bride models stunning!And GAH! look at those Bella Veil Bridal dresses! And then The Cantrells and The Axmanns captured it all in a way that has left us with little words to describe it. The bottom line is…your day cannot and will not fail when you build a solid vendor team behind it. And when it’s people who desire to serve you with their whole hearts, it becomes TRULY the best day of your life. You get to focus on your marriage and celebration that’s unfolding, and your team takes care of the rest.
— Amanda Balzer, owner of The Barn at Grace Hill

Oakwood Country Club Styled Shoot - Kansas City

Oakwood Country Club Styled Shoot - Kansas City

I was honored when Leila of Elle Marie Photography reached out to me about being a part of this beautiful European-aesthetic styled shoot in Kansas City at the Oakwood Country Club. This venue is gorgeous with its arched architecture, dark woodwork, and vintage decor. Can we also just pause for a moment to appreciate that gorgeous piano?

For the stationery suite, I was inspired by the idea of a bride and groom gifting something sentimental to their guests before their wedding day. And what's not sweeter than giving the gift of flower seeds for their guests to grow in their own gardens, carrying on the theme of the beautiful garden style wedding with other thoughtful touches. The invitation was housed in a beautiful white wooden box lined with a blue-striped print, and included a vial of Forget-Me-Not seeds and a plant marker. The details card reads as follows, “Andrew gave Victoria a bouquet of Forget-Me-Notes picked from his mother’s harden for their first date. We pray you will think of us as they bloom.” At the reception, guests also received a bespoke painting of loose florals (all coordinating with the invitation suite) on a 5x7 canvas as a favor to take home that day. This shoot was all about those perfect tiny details to make guests feel loved.

Vendor List

Venue || Oakwood Country Club
Photography and Design || Elle Marie Photography
Planning || True Brand Co.
Florals || Laura Mohamadi
Tabletop Rentals || Citrus Table
Vintage Rentals || Good Stuff China
Rentals || Supply Event Rentals and Design
Stationery & Artistry || Emilime Designs
Cakes || Marigold Cakes
Wedding Gown Rental || Aria Rentals
Blue Gown Rental || Millia London
Shoes || Bella Belle
Custom Jewelry || Anne Marie Designs KC
Hair and Makeup || Posh KC Blowdry Bar
Suit || Jims Formal Wear
Dog Model - Duma || The Rescue Project KC