Sometimes the smallest spark of inspiration can bloom into a beautiful work of art.
Prairie Lane Vintage Rentals event designer Raegan Beck learned this the fun way. After joining the team in May 2024, she was approached by owners Nicole and Matt Gappa and asked to put together a styled shoot.
While walking around the warehouse for inspiration, a floral sofa called The Lola caught Beck’s eye.
“I liked the way it looked, and I wanted to have it explode into the styled shoot,” remembered Beck.
After receiving approval from the Gappas, Beck started sending her mood board out to vendors, with the help of Serendipitous Events’ Rebecca Carlyle.
As the lead Iowa and South Dakota wedding and event planner and director of personalization with Serendipitous Events, and client relations coordinator at Prairie Lane Vintage Rentals, Carlyle’s laundry list of qualifications made her the perfect person to bring Beck’s vision to life.
“I mostly specialize in weddings, and I design a lot of our styled shoots and private events we host. I also have my hand in our corporate events as well when I’m not planning weddings,” said Carlyle.
Carlyle’s Advice
“There are trends everywhere, but do something that’s personalized to you.”
“The ‘no greens’ trend is cool, simple, and clean. I love the way it looks.” – Stacy Schaap, The Flower Mill
Opening in 2008, Serendipitous Events has been celebrating ever since, with everything from private gatherings to large corporate holiday work parties and fundraisers.
“Anything that you want to plan or celebrate, we can execute,” said Carlyle.
Beck and Carlyle began to assemble more vendors. On the search for someone to tease the flowers out of the sofa and into the shoot, Carlyle knew she had to get in touch with Stacy Schapp, owner of The Flower Mill.
“Stacy’s work is so great, and her vision lined up with what we were looking for. We thought it would be a good collaboration for this shoot,” remembered Carlyle.
Schaap says the growing team sent her the mood board, and she immediately loved it.
“The trend right now is no greenery, and all blooms and flowers, which is such a cool look,” said Schaap. “I ordered a mix of different flowers and had three designers go out on this, and I gave them artistic creativity to do it.”
Schaap’s blooms of choice? Garden roses, spray roses, stock, strawflower, astilbe, calycina, craspedia, and light blue delphinium—which the floral designer remarks is the “flower of the year.”
Vendors
Bridal Gown // Bridal Gallery
Cake // Blush Bakery By Kate
Design & Rentals // Prairie Lane Vintage Rentals
Florist // The Flower Mill
Model // Courtney Kurtz
Photographer // Anna Behning Photography
Shoot Coordination // Serendipitous Events
Stationery // Brandi Goebel Design
Venue //The Veranda by Meadow Barn
Videographer // Soul Film Co.
Raegan Beck, Nicole Gappa, Matt Gappa, & Rebecca Carlyle of Prairie Lane Vintage Rentals
Midwest Magic
Serendipitous Events services Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and can also do destination weddings.
Beck says the hanging florals were an essential part of her vision, and that The Flower Mill team were able to execute it perfectly.
“I really liked the idea, but wasn’t sure how to do it. The three designers had a cool idea with using ribbon, and all of the colors turned out,” said Beck.
With a delicate floral cake from Blush Bakery By Kate and a botanical gown from The Bridal Gallery, the finishing touches were starting to come together.
Both the cake and dress helped to add as many floral influences as possible while still keeping the shoot elegant, working together as a team to highlight the bridal look.
“The dress was another inspiration for the shoot. The beautiful floral embellishments complimented our handpicked vintage furniture pieces,” noted Carlyle.
“We love to see the personal touches throughout your day that really reflect you and your partner.” – Rebecca Carlyle, Serendipitous Events
The shoot was scheduled for July 22 at The Veranda by Meadow Barn in Harrisburg.
Beck and Carlyle agree The Veranda’s natural light, spacious interior, and outdoor landscaping was a great backdrop for the team to work with.
“The open concept really allowed us to be creative,” shared Beck.
Photographer Anna Behning and videographer Jordan Van Zee from Soul Film Co. were there to capture the special day and preserve it for inspiration to come.
“Anna Behning is a creative through and through—she really lights up any room she walks in and is a joy to work with,” said Carlyle, also remarking that Jordan’s true artistry and vision allowed for a great documentation of the day.
Custom stationery by Brandi Goebel Design created pops of color, achieving harmony for the table settings, furnished by rentals from Prairie Lane Vintage Rentals and Serendipitous Events.
Though it was Beck’s first experience at a styled shoot, she noticed how relaxed it was.
“It turned out amazing. Working together made it so fun and collaborative, and we could not have done it without all the other vendors,” she said.
“At the end of the day, you want to look back at the photos and know it was something special to you.” – Raegan Beck, Prairie Lane Vintage Rentals
Carlyle enjoyed being able to chat with the other professionals and seeing how everyone was able to get creative in their own way.
Though her main goal was to feature the rentals Prairie Lane offers, Beck is excited to share the shoot to let brides know what is possible and showcase the talent of the vendors.
Leaning into current trends helped jumpstart the shoot, but the team agrees personalizing it was what made the experience so rewarding.
“Wedding trends are just that—trends,” said Carlyle. “While they are beautiful, we love seeing when vendors and clients do things personal to them and out of the ordinary to really personalize the day to themselves.”
For more information, visit Siouxfallseventplanning.com+
