Check Out Eagle Jake Elliott’s Desert-Inspired Wedding at the Horticulture Center

Jake Elliott and Annie Timyan’s Horticulture Center wedding was filled with desert inspiration. Photography by We Are the Kruks

With spring kicking into high gear, celebrations (no matter their size) typically take a bright turn. And this Horticulture Center wedding featuring an Eagles pro and his bride is a beautiful example. The desert-inspired bohemian bash is filled with a sunny mix of cacti, succulents and color. Take a look at the photos by We Are the Kruks below — we hope they spark some inspiration for your own Big Day oasis.

This is a small-town, longtime love story straight out of a sweet teen movie: Annie Timyan, a market researcher, and Jake Elliott, a placekicker with the Eagles, met as middle-schoolers growing up in Western Springs, Illinois. At age 11, the thing to do was hang out somewhere between the local 7/11 and the park where Little League and tennis games were played during the summer. Annie liked Jake’s affinity for baseball caps and sports. Jake liked Annie’s curly hair and quick wit. They remained friends until the summer after college, when they finally went on their first date, in downtown Chicago.

Three years later, Jake proposed on a trip back home. On a visit to their former school, McClure Junior High, Jake planned to “shoot hoops” with their old gym coach. When they got to the gym, the coach disappeared, and Jake walked Annie to a boombox mysteriously sitting onstage. “I wonder if this thing has any old middle-school slow-dance songs,” he mused. Then he hit play, led Annie to the middle of the room, and slowly got down on one knee.

Eight months later, on March 7th, 2020 (right before the lockdown went into effect), the couple got hitched at the Horticulture Center. Their theme fit the location: a bohemian cactus garden with an explosion of colors.

The ceremony took place in front of an organic wooden triangle arch and a hand-cut paper backdrop by artist Karina Puente. “The detail and work that went into it was just beyond stunning,” says the bride. Her walk down the aisle to Jake — who sported a jacket with their engagement pictures printed in the lining — and their dog, Willy, was particularly sweet. “His tail was wagging out of control, and we were really relieved he made his entrance with no funny business,” says Annie.

The couple’s planner, Sarah Zaun of All About Events, gave them a tour of the reception decor before the party began. “I’ll never forget how magical everything looked,” notes Annie. Florals included cacti and succulents, orange parrot tulips, lavender garden roses, billy-balls, blue thistle, yellow and magenta stock, and spiral eucalyptus — and pampas grass, but of course. Oversize lanterns were placed around the dance floor. There were custom wooden place cards and an ottoman cake stand upon which sat a tiered, textural Southwest-patterned confection by Whipped Bakeshop.

The cocktails and cuisine were on brand, too: A signature “Prickly Pear Kombucha” drink, baby beet and blood orange salad, and Moroccan roasted cauliflower were among the colorful offerings.

So, what did the couple sway to for their first dance? “You and Me,” by Lifehouse. “As a couple who met in middle school,” says Annie, “we felt it was important to use a somewhat cheesy slow dance from that time of our lives.”

THE DETAILS
Photographer: We Are the Kruks | Venue: Horticulture Center | Planning/Design: Sarah Zaun of All About Events | Florals: Fabufloras | Catering: Constellation | Bride’s Gown: Rue de Seine from Lovely Bride Philly | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Show Me Your Mumu | Hair & Makeup: Aleksandra Ambrozy Makeup + Hair | Groom’s Attire: Damari Savile | Entertainment: Rio of EBE Events & Entertainment | Cake & Cookies: Whipped Bakeshop | Invitations: Chick Invitations | Transportation: Cescaphe Trolley | Videography: Well Spun Weddings | Furniture Rentals: Maggpie Rentals | Dining Chairs: Vision Furniture | Ceremony Backdrop: Karina Puente Arts Studio | Mobile Bar: Trailer + Tap | Photo Booth: Philly Snap Booth | Edison Bulbs & String Lighting: Eventions Productions

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