Fall Oshkosh Wedding at Poplar Creek Barn

The Beginning

Lindy and John were immediately drawn to each other when they met online back in 2013. After about a year and a half of developing their long-distance relationship, they decided it was time to meet in-person. They were both in college at the time, so Lindy decided to fly out to Los Angeles, where John lived, over spring break in March 2014. They spent their first date at the Santa Monica Pier, they rode the ferris wheel at sunset, walked along the beach, and ate dinner at a seafood restaurant. It was the first of many adventures together.

John proposed to Lindy the day after Thanksgiving 2022 during their annual trip to Cedarburg. While they were shopping, they stopped by a jewelry store to get Lindy’s ring size. She assumed he was getting it for future reference; however, he was making sure the ring he already had would fit when he proposed about an hour later. On their way to dinner, they decided to take a photo in front of the historic Interurban Bridge. John handed his phone to a man to take their picture (or so Lindy thought, because he had actually set his phone to record a video instead). Suddenly, John got down on one knee. The beautiful moment was caught on video!

The Dress

Lindy found her dream wedding gown, designed by Oleg Cassini, at David’s Bridal. She tried on three different dresses before she absolutely knew it was the one. When she stepped out of the fitting room, she even said the words “Oh no,” because she loved it the most. “It made me feel like a princess and more beautiful than I had ever felt in my life,” Lindy shared. “It was not the dress that I had ever envisioned myself choosing, but it was almost like it was made for me. It fit me so well right off the bat.”

The Ceremony

Lindy and John’s wedding ceremony was held at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Oshkosh, where the bride has attended since she was baptized. The bride’s favorite moment was walking down the aisle with her dad as a piano version of “All of Me” by John Legend played. As soon as she saw her soon-to-be husband waiting for her at the altar, she noticed he was crying. This caused her to cry happy tears as well. “I will never forget that moment,” she said. During the traditional candle lighting ceremony, the couple lit the same candle Lindy’s parents lit at their own wedding, which was extremely special to everyone.

The Décor

The style of Lindy and John’s wedding was rustic glam with a mix of vintage elements. The primary color scheme consisted of jewel tones like wine and plum, which were enhanced by lots of gold accents to tie in with the flowers from Robin’s Nest Floral in Oshkosh. There was also plenty of cozy lighting throughout the venue that shone through via candles and string lights. Lindy DIYed most of the décor through thrifting various items, which she spruced up to match the vibe. She also used beloved pieces from her own home as well as her mom’s house.

The Reception

Lindy and John had their reception at Poplar Creek Barn in Oshkosh. They chose the venue because they found it to be beautiful, comfortable, and casual. The couple wanted to throw a big party to celebrate the best day of their lives. Their energetic reception featured a popcorn and candy bar, glow wands, games, and of course, great music. The owner of Poplar Creek Barn was amazingly easy to work with; the couple found her to be friendly and relatable, and she genuinely cared about making their day absolutely perfect.

The Food and Drinks

During cocktail hour, a popcorn bar from Caramel Crisp in Oshkosh was set up with an assortment of candy, particularly gummy bears (her favorite) and Reese’s Pieces (his favorite), and peanut M&M’s (both of their favorite) were on hand for all to enjoy.

The couple loved their dinner, catered by Primal Eats; the menu included a barbecue buffet with pulled pork, brisket, smoked chicken, mac and cheese, coleslaw, cowboy potatoes, salad, and green chili cornbread. We called it our “I Do BBQ” and everything was unbelievably delicious. David, Primal Eats head of catering, was friendly, honest, realistic and just fun to work with Lindy said.

Dessert featured a spread of sweet treats from Simple Simon Bakery: turtle, apple cider, maple pecan, peanut butter cup, and old fashioned flavored donuts; strawberry, bourbon salted caramel, and carrot cake cupcakes; and pumpkin, cherry, and caramel apple mini pies. The bride and groom shared a small, two-tier apple cinnamon cake with cream cheese frosting.

The bride’s signature drink was a caramel apple mule, and the groom’s was a Jack and Coke. The couple even had cocktails that paid homage to their two dogs. “The Sully” was a cinnamon maple whiskey sour, and the recipe for “Isla Lu’s Something Blue” called for Blue Curaçao.

Advice from the Bride

Stay focused on what is most important- you and the person you are marrying. The rest doesn’t matter as much. It’s one day and then it’s over, so soak it all in as much as you can, not just on the day but every moment and every event leading up to it, because it will be over before you know it. Things WILL go wrong, but it’s okay, because everything will work out in the end and it will be beautiful.

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