AJ and Kristen were friends for more than a year before Kristen finally kissed him. The two met through a mutual friend while attending the University of Missouri in Columbia, and as their friendship turned into something more, Kristen quickly discovered that AJ was a true romantic. He was always planning thoughtful weekend dates, finding new restaurants to try, and booking stays at fun hotels.
So when AJ planned a getaway to Hotel Phillips in Kansas City, Kristen didn’t think much of it. As they paused on the mezzanine before dinner, however, AJ proposed with a photographer and champagne already waiting to capture the moment.
They celebrated over dinner at Lazia before making one final stop at Union Station, where another surprise was waiting: their families and friends had gathered for an engagement party.
It was fitting, then, that another meaningful date would eventually become their wedding day. January 31 marked the anniversary of AJ first asking Kristen to be his girlfriend. Years later, they chose it again – this time, to become husband and wife.
A glitzy, vintage-inspired bridal look
Photographed by Hallie Sigwing Photography, Kristen’s wedding-day fashion established the glamorous mood before guests ever stepped inside the reception. She chose a glitzy, long-sleeved gown covered entirely in intricate beading. With its vintage-inspired silhouette and head-to-toe shimmer, the look captured the romance of another era without feeling like a costume.
It also fit naturally into the world Kristen and AJ were creating for the evening: a celebration borrowing the elegance and decadence of the 1920s and ’30s while interpreting it through their own perspective.
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White florals set the ceremony scene
Before The Grand Hall transformed into a nightclub-inspired reception with help from Quintessential Events, Kristen and AJ exchanged vows against an installation of abundant white florals from Heart and Soul Floral Design.
The monochromatic ceremony design provided a softer counterpoint to the metallic finishes and moodier atmosphere that would emerge later in the evening.
Rather than disappearing once the ceremony ended, the floral installation was intentionally repurposed. It would soon become the backdrop for one of the reception’s sweetest and most personal details.
Turning The Grand Hall into a 1920s-inspired wedding club
For the reception, Kristen and AJ didn’t want the evening to revolve around assigned tables or a rigid dinner schedule. They wanted a party!
Inspired by the elegance of 1920s and ’30s Art Nouveau design and the atmosphere of a swanky nightclub, the couple transformed The Grand Hall into what felt like a one-night-only wedding club.
Metallics, soft grays, and icy blue tones shimmered throughout the room. Candelabras draped in strands of crystal beads cast a moody glow across the space, while cocktail tables replaced a traditional seated floor plan.
At the center of everything was the dance floor that remained open throughout the night. Instead of asking guests to move through clearly divided portions of dinner and dancing, Kristen and AJ designed the reception so the two could happen simultaneously. Guests could grab a drink, find something to eat, join the dance floor, or settle into conversation whenever they wanted.
Dinner without an assigned seat
The couple carried that relaxed approach into dinner. Rather than a traditional plated meal, chef-attended buffet stations offered an interactive dining experience, allowing guests to eat at their leisure without interrupting the momentum of the party.
The format suited the nightclub-inspired atmosphere perfectly. There was no moment when everyone needed to leave the dance floor and find an assigned chair. Instead, the celebration could unfold organically, giving guests the freedom to experience the evening however they wanted.
For a wedding designed around energy rather than convention, even dinner became part of the party.
A family cookie table beneath the ceremony florals
The white floral installation from Kristen and AJ’s ceremony found its second life behind the dessert display. In front of it, silver platters were filled with cookies contributed by AJ’s relatives, transforming a family tradition into an elegant part of the reception design.
Against the white blooms and metallic serving pieces, the display felt completely at home within the glamorous surroundings while still carrying a much more personal meaning.
It was also a perfect example of the balance running throughout the wedding: polished Art Nouveau glamour layered with details that belonged specifically to Kristen and AJ.
The bride joined the band
With the dance floor intentionally positioned as the heart of the reception, it was only fitting that Kristen eventually found herself somewhere even closer to the music. Tambourine in hand, the bride joined the band on stage for a performance, creating exactly the kind of spontaneous, high-energy moment their unconventional reception format was designed to encourage.
This wasn’t a wedding where the couple wanted guests admiring the room from their seats. It was meant to be experienced, from the chef stations to the dance floor to Kristen herself joining the entertainment.
A wedding designed around individuality
For all the visual inspiration Kristen and AJ drew from the past, their wedding wasn’t about recreating another era. It was about taking what they loved – the shimmer, glamour, romance, and nightclub energy of 1920s and ’30s design – and making it work for the way they actually wanted to celebrate.
They skipped assigned seating. Dinner happened at each guest’s own pace. The dance floor never closed. Ceremony flowers became the setting for a family cookie tradition. And a fully beaded bridal gown carried the vintage influence from the first look all the way through the final dance.
Kristen’s advice to other couples sums up that approach perfectly: “Don’t get distracted by everything you see on social media.” Instead of building their wedding around what they thought they were supposed to do, Kristen and AJ created a celebration around what felt right to them.
The result wasn’t simply a glamorous Art Nouveau wedding. For one night, The Grand Hall became their own private nightclub filled with crystal, candlelight, music, family traditions, and a dance floor that was always ready for one more song.
