Right after Lauren Petri and Kyle Stephens became Mr. and Mrs., they decided it was time for a sweet treat with their bridal party. They headed for Ted & Wally’s ice cream, where the bride, still in her wedding dress, bravely ordered a cone with bright red raspberry sorbet and her groom opted for a more fabric friendly scoop of butterscotch. “My husband was more worried about [stains] than I was,” Lauren laughs. The couple dated for seven years, starting in college, before Kyle proposed. To honor his bride’s wishes, Kyle found a rose gold engagement ring that was ethically sourced. When planning their wedding, the couple knew they wanted to be somewhere in downtown Omaha and searched more than 30 locations before choosing the Vintage Ballroom because of the venue’s flexibility. “They were super easy to work with,” says Lauren. With Lauren’s father, a pastor, officiating the ceremony, the bride-to-be wanted her dress to be a more traditional style, so she opted for an intricate lace gown. Along with their vendors, Lauren’s sister and father pitched in for the big day by growing succulent plants to use as centerpieces. While the planning was a whirlwind of fun, Lauren says the best part of her wedding day was “seeing all of these people who knew us before we started dating each other. By the time we got married, these people had watched us grow together.” The couple started their married life after departing amid a flurry of family, friends and bubbles.
