We ask that you please RSVP no later than May 20th. Unfortunately we will not be able to accept late RSVPs, as we need to provide our vendors with a total guest count in a timely manner. Thank you for your understanding!
Due to limited space, we can only allow guests named on your invitation. If you received a plus one it will appear under your name when you RSVP. Thank you for understanding!
Please arrive at least 15-30 minutes prior to the ceremony to give yourself time to park, sign the guest book, and find your seat. The doors will be closed at exactly 4:30pm and nobody will be able to enter after this time. If you do happen to be late, a coordinator will find an appropriate time during the ceremony for you to quietly enter and find a seat in the back. Thank you for planning ahead! :) As for cocktail hour (Garden Room at Gateway Hotel), feel free to show up any time after 6pm - it will end at 6:45pm to allow everyone time to find a seat for the start of the reception.
Due to limited capacity, we can only accommodate for those listed on your invitation or under your RSVP. We hope you can use this as a fun parents night out! Thank you for understanding.
We'd love to see our family and friends dress up with us - this can be cocktail or semi-formal attire.
We ask that once the ceremony starts, you put away and silence your phones. We want everyone to be fully present with us and we will have a photographer to capture the best pictures during the ceremony. Once the ceremony is over, feel free to take as many photos as you'd like.
We will have an open bar during cocktail hour (which takes place in the Garden Room) from 6pm-6:45pm. After that, the open bar will switch to being a cash bar but we WILL still have complimentary beer/wine options the rest of the night.
Both the ceremony and reception will take place indoors, and there is air conditioning at both venues!
We will have reserved tables assigned to immediate family members, located nearest to the head table. The rest of the seating will be open. The doors to the reception ballroom will open at 6:40pm. You will then be able to find a seat (or head to your reserved seat if you are an immediate family member) and the reception will start promptly at 7pm.
With room check-in at Gateway starting at 4pm, it will be best for those of you staying the night to check in to your rooms AFTER getting back to Ames from the ceremony (in State Center). It is about a 30 minute drive from Gateway to the ceremony venue. You will not make it to the ceremony on time if you try to check in at 4pm, as the doors will be closed at exactly 4:30pm. We recommend ceremony guests arrive at 4pm-4:15pm to park, sign the guest book, and find a seat. We anticipate everyone will be on their way back to Ames by no later than 5:30pm, which will give you plenty of time to check in, take your bags to your rooms, and enjoy a few cocktails in the Garden Room before the reception begins! Early check-in is available upon request with an additional charge, but is not guaranteed.
If you plan to only show up for the dinner/reception, arrive in the Prairie Ballroom by 6:45pm to find a seat before the bridal party enters. Dinner will take place a little after 7pm, right after the bridal party enters. Dancing will take place around 8:30pm.
Dinner will be buffet-style, so tables will be dismissed by Gateway's staff. Note that staff will be coming around to pour champagne for the toast, but they are only able to pour it for those who are at their tables (they are not able to pour it in an unattended flute).
To avoid driving on gravel, be sure to take 190th St. to Durham Ave. so that you enter Durham Ave. from the north. Taking Durham Ave. to the venue from the south means you will run into some gravel. You can easily connect to 190th from multiple directions.
Kate: 641-740-2014