Lovan Salon is a full-service salon in Des Moines with independent stylists offering cuts, color, extensions, and brows. I’ve worked with owner Courtney Lovan and her work is beautiful — she specializes in brunettes, lived-in color, and extensions, and her salon is a safe and welcoming space for all.

Ivy Boyd Makeup is one of the best choices in Des Moines for wedding makeup. Ivy’s approach is natural and inclusive — skin looks like skin, and every client feels like themselves in front of the camera. With more than a decade of experience and hundreds of weddings behind her, she creates a calm, professional presence and consistently beautiful results.

East Village Spa is my go-to in Des Moines, and I can’t recommend them enough. Their team offers massage, facials, nails, and skincare with a focus on truly welcoming and therapeutic care. I especially love their massages, and I highly recommend couples treat themselves to a couples massage the week of their wedding to de-stress before the big day, especially if you did your own planning.

Salon Spa W is a luxury Aveda salon in downtown Des Moines known for its award-winning team and high-end bridal services. Their artists have styled at New York and London Fashion Week, and they bring that same level of expertise to wedding hair and makeup here. From hair and airbrush makeup to facials and full bridal party styling, Salon Spa W is one of the top choices in Iowa for a refined beauty experience. Ask for Katie Jo for hair and Rian for nails!

Elevencherry Salon is a luxury salon in downtown Des Moines with a team of award-winning stylists. Owner Lindsey Mollenhauer is known for her expertise in curly hair, wedding styling, editorial work, and color, making Elevencherry one of the best choices in Iowa for elevated wedding hair.

Portrait Studio is a traveling art experience that brings professional portrait artists to your event. Guests sit for a live portrait and leave with a one-of-a-kind piece of art, making this a memorable and creative addition to a wedding reception. I know several of the artists personally and highly recommend them!

Vow Variety offers artist-made experiences and creative keepsakes for weddings and special events. Think audio guestbooks, sticker and temporary tattoo design and on-location vending machines for guest party favors, and so much more!

My friend Addy is the chef behind Beyond the Vine, based in Des Moines. She creates custom menus for intimate weddings and elopements, designing each one around the event while bringing in her love of bold, rich, and hearty flavors. Addy is intentional about the shared table experience, curating meals that bring people together in joy and connection. I’ve eaten her cooking more times than I can count, and every dish has been pure joy.

Tangerine is one of my favorite caterers in Des Moines, with a real talent for pairing flavors and building complex, beautiful dishes. Every wedding I’ve photographed with them has had food that looks stunning and tastes just as good.

Known for elevated menus and beautiful presentation, Catering DSM by St. Kilda caters both at their Valley Junction event space and at venues across the Des Moines metro. Every wedding I’ve photographed with their food has felt refined and memorable, and St. Kilda is one of my all time favorite restaurants in Des Moines, it’s one of our breakfast go-tos!

A Des Moines favorite I’ve worked with often, Taste! To Go is always serving flavorful food and taking good care of wedding guests.

With more than 100 active trucks around the metro, food trucks are a fun and flexible catering option for weddings. A few of my favorites include Magoo’s Pizza, Black Cat Ice Cream, Lachele’s Fine Foods Battle Bus, Hey Schweetie, Taqueria Los Pinos, Veggie Thumper, and The Outside Scoop.

The only DJ I recommend, Richie has been curating dance events in Des Moines for over a decade. He doesn’t take requests — you trust him to read the room, and he’ll keep the floor moving all night with a set that feels cool, intentional, and completely on vibe.

Quartet 515 is a Des Moines–based string quartet offering live music that feels timeless and elegant. Their performances bring a classic, refined atmosphere to weddings, elevating the ceremony and reception with the beauty of chamber music.

Laura Erickson is a classically trained harpist based in Des Moines who specializes in weddings and events. She works closely with each couple to choose meaningful, personalized music, and her performances add a refined, elegant atmosphere to ceremonies and receptions.

Theresa Sonnleitner is a classically trained solo violinist based in Iowa. Performing as Sonnleit Violin, Theresa plays both acoustic and electric violin, and performs at weddings across the state and beyond. Her repertoire moves easily from classical pieces to modern songs, and her performances always add a romantic and elegant atmosphere to a wedding day.

Jonny Dexter is a Des Moines tattooer specializing in bold American Traditional work. I’ve known Jonny for over 15 years and have many tattoos by him, and his work is solid, classic, and timeless. He doesn’t do private events, but I highly recommend stopping in to see him at Yankee Doodle for something fun and personal like a wedding band tattoo or maybe matching couples tattoos!

Veronica “Vern” Stice is the owner of Black Magic Tattoo in Des Moines and has over 15 years of experience. She works across styles — from bright traditional to smooth black and gray — and is especially skilled with cover-ups and fine line details. I’ve been tattooed by her and can confidently recommend her to couples looking for an artist with range.

Meanz (pronounced “Mints”) Chan is a Des Moines tattoo artist and owner of Jade Rabbit Studio. Their work is fine line, whimsical, and deeply personal, drawing on themes of nostalgia and nature. Meanz has been a friend of mine for over a decade, and I love recommending her for anyone looking to get tattooed!