A Lord of the Rings Inspired Wedding at an Iowa Vineyard
Some weddings feel like stepping into a storybook, not because of elaborate styling, but because every detail is pulled from the couple’s real life. This Iowa celebration paired cottagecore comfort with little nods to Lord of the Rings, blending Paige’s (she/they) fandom heart with the vineyard where Katharine (she/her) built her home. With embroidered table numbers, Trader Joe’s florals, LOTR socks, and even their cats rolling down the aisle in a stroller, the day unfolded exactly the way they love to move through the world: gently, intentionally and surrounded by people who celebrate love without hesitation.
Tell us about your love story!
We met online in the most millennial way. Katharine swiped on Paige while hanging out at her Grandma’s house, and Paige had only made her profile the day before. The only person Paige swiped right on was Katharine. Our shared love of cats, nature and nerd culture carried us straight into a first date, and once we met in person, we both knew something special was happening. We started long distance – exactly one hour and thirty-four minutes apart – before deciding to move in together and then move halfway across the country. Our cats instantly adored each other, and that felt like confirmation that we’d found home in each other too.
Our proposal story is very us. Our song is “You and Me on the Rock” by Brandi Carlile, and she was headlining a Pride festival at our favourite venue. Paige told Katharine the ring wouldn’t arrive until fall, but when our song started, we stood up to dance like always. At the end, Paige proposed, and Katharine dropped straight to the ground in excitement. Two days later, Katharine surprised Paige with Cheesecake Factory, a cosy movie night and a second proposal that felt just as meaningful.
Our energies just fit together. We are goofy, nerdy, adventurous people who balance each other naturally. Paige is the Lord of the Rings to Katharine’s Harry Potter. Katharine is the thimble collector to Paige’s video game pile. Embroidery meets technology. Grandma aesthetic meets gadget brain. And through all of it, we laugh every single day. Even on the bad ones. Being with someone you still want beside you on the hard days is how we both knew this was forever.
Did you run into any challenges during planning?
Our biggest challenge was finding a day of coordinator who was LGBTQ friendly, willing to travel to rural Iowa and still within our budget. We had a consultation with one vendor who didn’t understand that we were the brides, even though it was clearly written in our form. Once she realised we were a queer couple, she said she wasn’t sure she felt comfortable supporting our wedding and needed to talk to her husband about it.
That experience was a blow to our confidence and made us second guess how open we could be with vendors during the final stretch of planning. It was discouraging to feel like our wedding might be seen as a problem rather than something wonderful to be part of.
Thankfully, we only had that one vendor left to book and ended up finding a family friend with event experience who stepped in as our day of coordinator. Having someone we trusted made the whole process feel safer and more supported.
What made the winery feel like the right place to get married?
We chose Heaven Boutique Winery because it is woven into Katharine’s family history. The property sits on the land her grandma grew up on, and the vineyard was planted by her grandad in the 1990s. Katharine moved into a tiny house on the winery during COVID, and she was living there when she met Paige, so a lot of our early relationship unfolded on that land.
The winery had never hosted a wedding before, but it already held so much of our story that it felt like the only place that made sense. We knew it would take extra work to turn it into a venue, but it also felt grounding and personal in a way nothing else could.
How did you approach budgeting?
We set our budget early and picked a number that felt realistic for us. From there, we kept a shared spreadsheet and updated it every time we booked a vendor or made a purchase, which made it easy to see where everything was going.
As planning went on, we realised we had underestimated a few areas, so we sat down for honest conversations about where we were overspending and where we could adjust. Reallocating costs as we went helped us stay within our comfort zone while still creating the wedding we wanted.
How did you approach choosing your guest list?
As introverts, we always imagined a smaller wedding of about sixty people. We focused on inviting the people who were meaningful in our coming out journeys and our relationship, which helped guide the list even when it was hard to keep the numbers down.
We were also intentional about only inviting family members who truly love and support us year round. Some extended relatives expected an invitation, but they were planning to vote against LGBTQ and women’s rights just weeks after the wedding, so we chose not to include them. Prioritising safety and support made the celebration feel much more like us.
What were you looking for in a photographer?
We started by looking for someone whose style felt like us. We wanted warm photos and a documentary approach, so we made a short list and did consultations to see who we vibed with. For Paige, feeling comfortable with the photographer was huge, so connection mattered just as much as aesthetic.
Melissa Cervantes Photography clicked with us immediately. She is a big Lord of the Rings fan, which told us she understood the vibe we were going for. She also had strong experience with LGBTQ weddings, especially WLW couples, which made us feel seen and supported. She asked thoughtful questions about our preferences, including what types of edits we didn’t like, and we really valued that.
She also has a strong get things done energy in a way that is professional and grounding. We trusted her completely to manage big personalities, keep things moving and still get every shot we cared about without adding stress. That turned out to be exactly what happened. We love every single photo and already talk about having her take our family photos one day.
What inspired the overall vibe of your wedding?
Paige has always been a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and her dream was to weave elements of Middle Earth into the wedding. Katharine had never seen the movies before they met, so they landed on a cottagecore, nature focused celebration that could hold subtle LOTR touches without becoming a full theme.
As planning went on, Katharine saw how much happiness those little LOTR details brought Paige, so more of them naturally made their way into the day. There were Leaf of Lorien brooches, themed socks, ceremony music from the films and stationery inspired by the series. Even the signs and guest book carried quiet quotes from the movies.
They wanted the whole celebration to feel like a party in the Shire for the people who would recognise it, and simply a cosy cottagecore lesbian wedding for everyone else.
Did you take on any DIY projects?
We had a lot of DIY elements. Renting rustic farm tables for rural Iowa was incredibly expensive, so Katharine and her dad built eight tables and sixteen benches themselves, which the winery can keep using. For a personal touch, Katharine embroidered table numbers based on parts of our life together, like our two cats or Paige’s three favourite LOTR books.
We also did our own florals with help from our aunts and siblings, using flowers from Trader Joe’s. Paige and her best friend made all the boutonnieres. The day before the wedding, we realised an arch at the aisle entrance would look beautiful, so our dads built one from flexible piping and friends decorated it with leftover tulle and flowers. It is one of Katharine’s favourite details.
Paige also designed all of our save the dates, invitations and signage, which pulled everything together in a way that felt really us.
How did you find your wedding outfits?
Paige always knew they wanted a forest green wool suit. After searching online and in person, they found a custom design site and built the suit piece by piece: the jacket cut, sleeve shape, elbow pads, matching buttons and a lining that matched the vest. They brought two shirt options and had their wedding party, the fellowship, help decide on the day. They finished the look with a LOTR tie clip, LOTR socks and dark brown dress shoes.
Katharine felt excited but nervous about dress shopping as a plus size bride. Finding Embody Bridal changed everything. The shop carries sample sizes that actually fit, has gender neutral restrooms and the owner, Erynn, created a warm, affirming experience. Katharine found a long sleeve tulle dress that had been on her vision board and knew immediately it was the one.
She added a dramatic cathedral veil that Erynn styled with the gown and left knowing she had found her dress. The hardest part was keeping it a secret from Paige for over a year.
Walk us through your wedding day!
Katharine woke up early to decorate Paige’s getting ready space with little LOTR touches. Paige went to breakfast with her party while Katharine’s group got ready, and starting at 9am Paige’s sister in law delivered hourly love letters until the first look. Friends and family helped finish setting up the ceremony and reception while everyone got dressed. The first look happened by the tiny house where their relationship began, with both brides escorted by their moms. Paige gave Katharine the final love letter and Katharine gifted her an embroidered handkerchief.
Before guests arrived, they took bridal, family and party photos, then stayed hidden with friends until the ceremony. Their bridal parties walked the aisle, followed by their cats in a stroller and a friend carrying a portrait of Paige’s soul pet who had passed earlier. Childhood books lined the aisle and LGBTQ books were left on pews for guests to take home. Paige’s aunt officiated, and one of Katharine’s bridesmaids read “Blessing of Gratitude for Queer Ancestors and Community” to honour the history that made their marriage possible.
After walking back up the aisle to Silk Chiffon by MUNA, there was a brief moment of chaos when one cat tried to make a run for it through the corn. Happy hour flowed into dinner with baked potatoes, soups, salads and rolls from a local caterer. Their parents and best friends gave speeches before the brides opened the dance floor with their first dance to “You and Me on the Rock.” They also each danced with both of their parents, surprising them with the song choices. The night ended with a packed dance floor, Pink Pony Club and Hot To Go played on repeat and a tent full of friends celebrating with them.
What moments from the day still stand out to you the most?
Our first look is at the top of the list. We had been apart for three or four hours, which felt like forever on the wedding day, and finally being together made all of Paige’s nerves disappear. Our moms watched with our blessing and giggled through the whole thing until our photographer gently encouraged them to step aside so we could have that moment to ourselves.
Another favourite was during the ceremony. On our first date, Paige spoke Elvish to woo Katharine, but she later confessed she had made it all up. When Katharine wrote her vows, she secretly learned real Elvish and included a few sentences. Paige gasped mid ceremony and said “wait what?!?” which was the sweetest reaction and one of the most beautiful parts of the day.
We also loved looking out during dinner and seeing our people chatting, eating and genuinely enjoying themselves. Being surrounded by friends and family who love us so deeply made the whole evening feel incredibly special.
Were there any vendors who really stood out and made the experience special?
Melissa Cervantes Photography was incredible. She captures beautiful images, but she is also such a calming and supportive presence. We got every shot we asked for, and she stayed so focused on making sure we felt relaxed. If people were talking over group photos, she kindly asked them to quiet down, and when we needed a breather, she redirected everyone so we could take a moment. We felt genuinely cared for by her.
Embody Bridal was another standout. Having a shop in Iowa that celebrates every bride made such a difference. Erynn created a supportive, affirming experience that made finding a dress feel safe and special from the very beginning.
Photography by Melissa Cervantes Photography
Ceremony Venue Heaven Boutique Winery
DJ Complete Weddings and Events Quad Cities
Dress Boutique Embody Bridal
Dress Designer Studio Levana
Engagement Rings Automic Gold
Wedding Rings Jens Hansen
Hair Stylist Hello Darlin’ Glam (@goodhairday.steph)
Make Up Artist Hello Darlin’ Glam (@nanivbeauty)
Miscellaneous Mercantile 1028
Transport Entour
