Jesper and Cherise got engaged during a trip to meet Cherise’s family in Nashville for the holidays. Jesper and Cherise took a walk on a pedestrian bridge and asked her to marry him then and there. Of course, Cherise said, “yes!” The pair headed back to the AirBnb where everyone was staying, and it was so sweet because the home was fully decorated by Cherise's family to celebrate our engagement.

Jesper and Cherise got married on an unusually chilly November day at Cooper’s Ridge Event Venue, a wonderful wedding venue located in Boonville, Missouri. The two exchanged their vows outside at the venue’s lakeside ceremony location. The ceremony was followed by a cozy indoor reception inside the venue’s primary building.

We asked Jesper, “What made you choose to work with Plan it Terra? Why did that matter to you?”

Cherise began the day with all of her bridesmaids getting ready inside Cooper’s Ridge’s Bridal Suite. Cherise had hired one of our most favorite makeup artists, Abby Elson. She did such a beautiful job getting all of the ladies wedding-day ready. While the girls got ready in the Suite, Jesper and his crew prepared for the day inside The Coop, which is Cooper Ridge’s newest addition. This space is optimal for the groom to get dressed and enjoy a beverage or two with his friends. It was also a wonderful space for Jesper to do a First Look with his mom, who was full of tears to see her son dressed and ready to get married.

This November wedding day was incredibly chilly; the gusty wind made the day even colder though the high was right around thirty degrees! Fortunately, the couple’s photographer, KB Photo & Design, was prepared and had an amazing fur jacket for Cherise to wear that complimented her Mikado a-line bridal gown. With the jacket on, Cherise met Jesper down at the ceremony site for their First Look, and my oh my do we love Jesper’s sweet and genuine reaction to seeing her for the very first time. After taking several portraits around the venue, the two took photos with their wedding party. Our team finished setup for this wedding, which included setting out chargers, placing thank you cards at each place setting, and placing blankets out at the ceremony site.

November weddings call for an earlier ceremony time, and it was getting close to 3:00 pm. Our team got everyone lined up for the ceremony inside the venue’s reception space. While part of our team lined up the family, the wedding party, and the bride, the other half of our team kindly requested the present of all guests down at the ceremony site. Bundled up with coats, guests made their way down to the lake, which was our signal to start the processional.

The outdoor ceremony was short and sweet, which was exactly what the couple wanted. After the ceremony, the couple took family photos and then took some time to rest before making their grand entrance into the reception. While photos happened, guests made their way into the venue’s bar area for cocktail hour.

Once the couple made their entrance into the reception, they immediately exchanged their first dance as husband and wife. Their dance was then followed by dances with parents. The two quickly cut their wedding cake and got ready to enjoy a warm meal with their friends and family. Before our team transitioned to speeches, we worked with the staff at Cooper’s Ridge to ensure the wedding party had their special beverages for speeches which included a glass of champagne for the Maid of Honor’s speech and a blue bomb for the Best Man’s speech, which was a throwback drink to the couple’s days of hanging out at Big 12 in downtown Columbia. After some hilarious speeches, it was time to dance the night away. Let me tell you, this crew loved to dance! Jesper and Cherise finished their wedding day by exchanging one last dance with each other privately, and their dance was fun! They chose to finish the night off by dancing to, “We Found Love” by Rhianna. What a way to end a day celebrating their marriage!

We provided Event Management services, which included a variety of planning meetings, timeline development, a venue walkthrough, assistance with the layout, confirming final details with vendors, facilitating the rehearsal, managing their wedding day, and so much more.

We asked Jesper, “What would you say to a couple who is thinking about booking us?”

If 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: Cooper's Ridge Event Venue || Event Management: Plan it Terra led by Terra || Floral Designer + Plant Rentals: Allen's Flowers || Photography: KB Photos & Design || Bridal Makeup: Bold Beauti by Abby Elson || Bridal Hair: Image Makers || Baker: Aunt of Groom || DJ & Photobooth: Set2Music || Catering: Peachtree Catering || Custom GoBo: SW Productions

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.