Let’s be honest. These two are the real deal.

They love fiercely. They are unapologetically authentic. They are passionate and hardworking. They are ready to party their booties off this September in celebration of their marriage. I don’t think you could find two people who have planned a marriage celebration that is more genuine, fun, quirky, and beautiful. From their choices in attire and signature drinks to little personal touches sprinkled throughout, their wedding day is one for the books. Amber and John plan to get married in downtown Columbia in front of many friends and family. Afterwards, they’ll celebrate with everyone at The Atrium on Tenth, an industrial wedding venue perfect for partying all night long.

To learn more about Amber and John and hear a bit more about their planning experience, be sure to keep reading.

Our team is counting down the final weeks leading to their September wedding day. Many thanks to Hey Tay Photography sharing these images with our team!

Tell me about how you and John met.

We met in grad school at Mizzou. I (Amber) remember getting wine drunk in my apartment a few nights before school started. There was a Facebook group made for that class of grad students. John posted in the group looking for friends to hang out with, so I stalked him on Facebook. The next morning, I woke up to a friend request, so I instantly worried that I drunkenly "liked" one of his posts. I didn't, but a few days later we formally met in our Mass Media Seminar.

Fast forward to Roots and Blues weekend, I had spent weeks dropping hints to this guy that I liked him, but he wasn't picking up on any of them. I told my friend Catherine (our officiant, who was also friends with him), that I was tired of making moves so I was over him. But I knew I wasn't. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats were playing on stage when I made a move. The rest is history.

Who proposed? Tell me about it!

John proposed in July 2019. Nathaniel Rateliff was in Vegas performing. John bought tickets to the show for my birthday and (unbeknownst to me) had secured backstage passes. We were walking to the venue to grab dinner there beforehand. I was sitting in the restaurant, looking at the menu, as he stepped away for a "work call," where he was actually picking up the passes from his contact. He came back, noticed my parents sitting 20 feet behind me (they had flown in for the surprise), and pulled me over to see them. I didn't know what was happening. I tried to hug my mom hello and said, "What are you doing here?" She said, "You mean what is HE doing?" I turned around and he was down on one knee. We enjoyed the concert together and were able to go backstage after. The band signed our records we had purchased, popped champagne for us, and sent us upstairs to the bowling alley with a pitcher of beer, saying they'd meet us there to bowl. We waited for about an hour before realizing they totally forgot about us, so we stole the pitcher and went home!

John later asked me for an engagement ring to wear, so I ordered one he loved. A few months after that, John was a little tipsy and asked when he was being proposed to. So I planned some time for us to head over to Jackson Square in New Orleans, where I hired a proposal photographer, and I proposed back to him in his favorite city.).

How did you pick The Atrium your wedding venue?

Honestly we knew we wanted to get married in either Kansas City or Columbia. All of the KC venues I loved were just entirely too expensive for not enough value, so we began looking at Columbia. Having shot at most of them, I was kinda tired of them. But then my clients Mackenzie and TJ couldn't stop gushing about the Atrium, so we blindly trusted them and booked it sight unseen. We picked the ceremony space down the street because of its proximity and ability to hold quite a few guests (and it was free).

How did you find all of your vendors?

Mostly through my own connections in the industry. I've hired either people I've worked with directly, or people who have worked with the ones *I've* worked with.

So far, what aspect of planning has been the most enjoyable?

Getting my dress was magical. Watching all the tiny details come together and play out the way I'd like them to will be really satisfying.

Do you have any advice for recently engaged couples?

Delegate, delegate, delegate. Think about what's most important and focus on that. The rest will fall into place.

what are three words to describe the feel of your upcoming wedding?

Exciting, thoughtful, creative

What made you decide to hire a planner?

I knew I couldn't do it by myself and stay organized. Even though I'm in the wedding industry, there's so much more that goes beyond what I do. And in addition to my own busy schedule, planning a wedding by myself sounded like a nightmare.

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.