WEDDING IDEAS

Lizzy opted for ivory instead of white, wearing a strapless Amsale gown with a champagne-colored sash. Her bridesmaids and the candle lighters picked up the style, with belted dresses in deep wine tones of Bordeaux and claret.

The groomsmen wore Perry Ellis traditional tuxes with off-white shirts (to match the hue of the bride‘s gown).

Lizzy and Rob exchanged vows in a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Ambrose Cathedral in downtown Des Moines. The couple personalized the ceremony by selecting the music and all of the readings, taken from the Scriptures, themselves. "One reading did get a bit interesting when the reader improvised for a minute," Rob recalls, "It made it memorable, that‘s for sure!"

Of her big-day blooms, Lizzy exclaims, "they were unbelievable!" She carried a bouquet of calla lilies wrapped in ribbon, tied to which was an amethyst cross her mother and grandmother had carried in their own weddings.

Before the dinner reception commenced, Lizzy took a second to peek into the room before any of the guests had slipped in. "It took my breath away," she says. "I couldn‘t believe it was all for us -- everything I had thought my wedding would be had truly materialized." A mix of tall and short centerpieces featuring mini calla lilies, hypericum berries, and green porcelain berries, among other blooms, sat upon tables swathed in orange taffeta. Fall leaves and even pumpkins sat at some of the tables, completing the lush look.

The three-tier round cake was covered in champagne fondant and adorned with fresh flowers; inside each tier, the bottom layer of the cake was chocolate and the top half white, with raspberry and chocolate mousse filling in between.

Lizzy & Rob in Des Moines, IA

Lizzy and Rob's fall Iowa wedding included traditional touches done in blazing autumn hues.

Photos By: Mindy Myers Photography, Des Moines

Location: Wakonda Club, Des Moines

Don't let anyone tell you lawyers are a cold, heartless bunch -- attorneys Lizzy and Rob actually met in law school at Des Moines' own Drake University. Even though Rob was soon to graduate (and make a move to Chicago), the two kept the fires burning long distance for two years, till Rob closed the gap with an engagement ring.

THE BRIDE Elizabeth Neugent, 26, an attorney (known by all as Lizzy)
THE GROOM Robert Dixon, 29, an attorney (who goes by Rob)
THE DATE November 8

"We really wanted to embrace the fall season," Lizzy says of she and Rob's wedding style. The couple set a wedding date four days after the bride-to-be's birthday, and the colors of their favorite season inspired many of their choices.

-- Kate Wood