What started as young love became a lifelong commitment when, after years of dating, Melissa Finerty and Frank Dal Lago decided to get married. Despite residing in New York City, the pair chose the hometown of the bride – St. Louis, Missouri – as a sentimental location for their nuptials.

The ceremony was held at the church where Melissa was baptized, and the reception hosted at a golf club beloved by her family. “It holds so many wonderful memories for us!” the bride confirms.

The venue selections were not the only part of the planning process that provided sentimental value. “Unbeknownst to me, I selected a dress with dogwood florals on it,” Melissa shares, so the planning and design team decided to carry the theme throughout the celebration, using the floral motif on paper goods and having dogwood trees line walkways and placed in the center of hollow reception tables. “I found out after the fact that my mother loved dogwoods and it was my grandmother’s favorite flower!” the bride reveals. “We donated the dogwood trees to Forest Park Forever [in St. Louis] after the wedding so we can visit them anytime.”

“[Our ceremony church] holds so many wonderful memories for us!”

Desiring blue as part of the palette, peach was chosen as an accent hue for a modern twist on a classic spring color scheme. A clear tent was erected in order to properly host the large families on both sides, and together with the stunning centerpieces and floral chandeliers, the setting became a magical greenhouse for celebrating the nuptials of Melissa and Frank.

Hydrangeas and foliage comprised the base of the arrangements, in addition to the dogwood trees in the middle of two tables. To add a warm accent, peach and coral blooms were interspersed throughout the space. “I firmly believe there are never enough candles, so we added those, everywhere!” Melissa elaborates.

From a pizza parlor and card tricks at cocktail hour, to dancing the night away to the tunes of a Motown cover band, the newlyweds wouldn’t change a thing about their big day. Advising couples preparing for their own wedding, the bride smiles: “Always, always put your face on a pizza box.” On a more serious note she adds, “Enjoy and don’t sweat the small stuff. All that matters is that you’re getting married… Who cares if you forgot to take a photo of the golf cart; it truly doesn’t matter!”