After watching highlights from Toronto’s World MasterCard Fashion Week, I fell in love with the Mackage runway and reception: an Old-World Circus theme. I thought about how fun and unique it would be to create a Circus themed wedding. I started dreaming about cotton-candy cocktails, servers in top hats, a reception under a circus tent, sword-eater and fire-breather entertainment… and then I found this wedding on 100 Layer Cake:

The lovely Carissa from JL Designs sent us this thoroughly whimsical wedding she and her entire family helped create for her brother and sister-in-law, Brent and Erin. Full on Old World Circus style in the middle of Missouri. Because she put it so perfectly, thought we’d just give you a quick rundown straight from Carissa:

“This wedding was SUCH a labor of love for our family. It took a year and a half of blood sweat and tears to get it done…seriously everything was custom made – the dress, the benches, the ceremony backdrop, the linens, the games, the signs, the bridge, the dancefloor lining, the electrical rigging/light installation etc. Every vase and decor piece was either found in missouri or brought in from LA by me… its a one of a kinder!”

For sure. There are so many details it would be impossible to describe them all here, but just trust Carissa when she says that everything, literally EVERYTHING, was handmade or custom made or at least thoughtfully planned.

Erin really wanted to hold the reception and ceremony at her parents’ house, but because the house is surrounded by woods with a creek running through, there wasn’t enough space. Just as they were considering changing locations, her father had the brilliant idea to clear a space for the wedding, with his chainsaw.

“With the help of friends, family and neighbors my father forged a path through the woods, built a bridge and cleared a large expanse of land in order to provide a ceremony site. When I first saw the site I was touched by what my father had created for us and how beautiful it was all on its own. The space was calm yet full of life, love and spirit! I remember thinking how we could hold the ceremony that night and I would have been happy.”

Photographer: Gabriel Ryan Photographers / Venue: Bride’s family house / Flowers and event design: JL Designs / Linens: made by family friend Laurinda Cox / Day of coordinator and prop styling: Sharon Taylor Designs / Furniture and props: collected by bride and family / Signs: handmade by the father of the bride / Umbrella rental: Bella Umbrella / Invites and paper: My Blue Tulip Design / Make up: Tabitha Headley / Music: Hey Jimmy / Fire eater: The Magic of Ziggy /  Catering: Simply Delicious / Cake: Cakes by Darlene / Dress designer: Silver Moon