Ali + Clayton | A Heartfelt New Years Eve Wedding at Foundry 324

Ali and Clayton’s love story begins way back to their time at the University of Missouri located in the heart of Columbia, Missouri. The two officially met in their freshman year of college, but they did not officially start dating until his fraternity’s formal. When it was time to propose to Ali, Clayton decided to wait until they took a trip to Traverse City. Though Clayton deviated from his original plan, he asked her before the weekend hit. Ali said it was so sweet because the two refrained from sharing the news until the next day, and it was so enjoyable for the two of them to celebrate their engagement.

Ali and Clayton celebrated their marriage at Foundry324, an industrial style wedding and event venue located in downtown Sedalia, Missouri. The venue hosted both their ceremony and reception, and it was the perfect backdrop for this fun New Year’s Eve celebration. Ali thought Foundry324 would be a perfect venue because it is located near her hometown and it checked all of the boxes for her. What a perfect match!

Ali and her bridesmaids began the day at Foundry 324 where Glamour & Grace Salon partnered with Styled by Ala got the ladies picture ready. Once makeup and hair was complete, the ladies took some champagne photos in front of the venue’s fireplace. We struggled to get that champagne bottle open, but fortunately Ali’s mom came in clutch! Once the ladies went back into the Bridal Suite, the men came out to take some getting ready photos. These guys loved to have fun!

Before the day got away, Kyla Taylor Photography photographed all of the little details and the reception space; it took our team a while to light all of the candles, but it definitely was worth it. The ceremony and reception were held in the same space, and it was decided that guests would be seated Oscar-style for the ceremony. This allowed Blooms by Odessa to setup all of the tables before any guests entered. We love the custom table numbers that Ali and Clayton created; they were adorable.

Ali and Clayton took all of their portraits outside Foundry324, and we could not have asked for a more beautiful December day. It was gorgeous! The venue provided an amazing backdrop for their First Look, bridal party portraits, and even the family formals. Ali and Clayton were so giggly during their photos. About an hour before the ceremony, the couple and their attendants went inside to rest while their guests were welcomed to a pre-ceremony cocktail hour. Guests enjoyed homemade Chex Mix (a family favorite and staple!) while the champagne flowed from the bar, which was provided by Cosmo Crew.

Before we knew it, it was time to close the curtains and get everyone lined up for the ceremony. Our team worked with the bar to close up shop and request that guests find their seats. Once everyone was seated, the processional began. The ceremony was definitely one of my personal favorites; it was thoughtful, and the officiant took his time to explain the importance of marriage and why it matters. Love it. The two were pronounced husband and wife and sealed their commitment with a kiss.

Immediately following the ceremony, the couple received their guests in front of the buffet. Our team helped dismiss guests from their table in order to have a bit of crowd management. This process went so well, and I think that Ali and Clayton’s guests loved getting to congratulate them. One of the biggest movements we assisted with was a minor room flip to setup the head table. This is something that our team is often hired to do. While the reception was going, the lovely Cindy Scott from Cindy Scott Artistry painted the reception; she is so amazing.

One of our favorite touches from Ali & Clayton’s wedding was offering a “Drink of the Hour.” The bar offered a unique cocktail each hour for their guests to enjoy. This was so fun! Another sweet detail was that the couple chose to hire a dueling piano group rather than a DJ. The two thoroughly enjoyed their college days of going to The Piano Bar, a popular but not closed dueling piano bar located in downtown Columbia, Missouri. Ali and Clayton tied in so many personal details into their wedding, which made the entire celebration heartfelt.

The rest of the evening included plenty of delicious desserts and popcorn (check out the photos!), speeches, first dances, and traditional songs from Ali’s sorority and Clayton’s fraternity. The evening ended at midnight with a balloon drop and a kiss. What a way to celebrate one amazingly kind and sweet couple!

We provided Month-of Coordination services, which included but was not limited to timeline development and collaboration, confirmation of final details with vendors, rehearsal management, and day-of coordination and execution.

IIf you’re looking for a luxury wedding planner based in Missouri that is focused on heart-centered and personalized services, please contact me and my team- we would love to work with you! Check out our blog to get a better sense of our approach to wedding planning & our style, and follow us on Instagram! We love to exceed any expectations you have for your day.

Venue: Foundry 324 || Month of Coordination: Plan it Terra led by Terra || Floral Designer: Bloom Odessa || Photography: Kyla Taylor Photography || Catering: Sweet Chipotle Catering || Balloon Drop: The Balloon Lady || Bartending: Cosmo Crew || Bridal Hair: Glamour & Grace Salon || Bridal Makeup: Styled by Ala || Transportation: First Student || Dueling Pianos: Heartland Dueling Pianos || Popcorn Bar: GoPo Gourmet Popcorn || Live Painter: Cindy Scott Artistry

Hey, I’m Terra!

Born and raised in Missouri, I’m a grateful wife and dog mom to my rescue pups, Hildi & Lola. I’m a true believer in the pursuit of bold dreams, learning from mistakes, and staying curious.

I'm a girl that lives in her Chacos during the summer, and I'm typically always wearing lipstick. Yes, red is my preference! When I'm not helping engaged couples plan weddings, you'll find me on stage teaching Jazzercise classes. Needless to say, creating engaging experiences that leave people feeling good afterwards is my passion. Seriously!

I’ve created this blog and my wedding packages to empower you to plan an awesome wedding day and put all of the stress and obligations straight into the dumpster! Now that sounds like a party.