This dreamy outdoor wedding featured brunch for dinner and a donut bar

Jennifer Milward and Tyler Schaefering met at Sidebar in downtown St. Louis in the fall of 2011. They wed this summer at Cedar Lake Cellars.

by Erica Sloan

August 9, 2017

8:00 AM

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Photo by KC Photography

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Courtship: In October of 2011, Jennifer Milward and her roommate Shannon made a last-minute decision to go out after hosting a Halloween party in their apartment—not in the least expecting that they’d both meet their future husbands. At Sidebar in downtown St. Louis, they ran into Tyler Schaefering, a friend of Shannon’s who used to play professional soccer in Australia with her brother. Shannon introduced Tyler and Jennifer, and Tyler introduced Shannon to his friend; the group of four got to talking and drinking until the early hours of the morning.

Although Tyler and Jennifer hit it off, they took things slowly, developing a friendship over a few months before their relationship turned romantic. “I would say I actually asked Tyler out on our first date,” Jennifer laughs. “I remember I was craving Mexican food, so I just called and asked if he wanted to grab a bite—but I didn’t think much of it, other than that I enjoyed his company.” Because it was around the holidays, the two also decided to drive through the Christmas lights show in Tilles Park. But over the next few months, Jennifer found herself often out of town for her work with an events production company. It was after she returned from a several-days-long trip to Kansas City during the following spring that she and Tyler decided to make things official.

Proposal: In December of 2015, Jennifer and Tyler visited Tyler’s brother, sister-in-law, and niece in Oslo, Norway. At the end of their trip, they decided to head to the very tip of the country to see the Northern Lights. Although Tyler had planned to propose on that particular outing, it turned out to be far less romantic than expected: “We were shoved into a van with a ton of other people, and maybe two of them spoke English,” Jennifer laughs, “and we were sipping this mediocre hot chocolate from Dixie cups, driving around in the middle of the night hoping to see these lights. It was comical more than anything.” But the next day, the couple went on a sled ride through the fjords where they were pulled across the snow by a team of Alaskan Huskies. After that trip, Tyler dropped to his knee—yes, he put his knee in a pile of snow and ice—and asked Jennifer to marry him.

Ceremony & Reception: Jennifer and Tyler got married on June 3, 2017 with a ceremony and reception at Cedar Lake Cellars, a winery in Wright City, Missouri. “I knew I wanted to get out of St. Louis,” Jennifer says, “since I’ve worked in almost every downtown venue for my job. I wanted something that felt like a destination wedding, but without having to be a real destination.” For the outside ceremony, Jennifer and Tyler stood beneath a large tree in front of a backdrop made from wisteria.

The reception was held in Cedar Lake’s rehabbed red barn—but while the decorations played off the rustic barn vibe, Jennifer says they were more “whimsical and enchanting.” The table-scapes were filled with greenery, glass globes, and candles, and the flowers complemented the colors of the bridesmaids’ dresses: a mix of pinks, blues, and rose-gold sequin. Instead of dinner, the couple decided to serve brunch—their favorite meal—with a hearty buffet of fried chicken and waffles, eggs, and French toast. To round out the theme: a full donut display (instead of cake) and a pancake artist transforming guests’ photos into everyone’s favorite breakfast food.

The Details:

Venue: Cedar Lake Cellars

Photography: KC Photography

Furniture rentals: Exclusive Events

Catering: Cedar Lake Cellars

Donuts: Heaven Scent Bakery

Decor & floral design: Euro Trash

Bouquets & boutonnières: BUDS

DJs: DJ Greasy and DJ Big D

Hair: Drew Schaefering (bride and groom) and Ashley Crawford (bridesmaids)

Makeup: Victoria Xenos

Videography: Dana Christian