The District Venue

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour and Reception

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

Anna and Drake met during the summer of 2020 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Anna was sitting outside of her apartment building, Arcadia, with her roommates, watching the new tenants move into the apartment next door. The new tenants moving in happened to be Drake and his roommates. While helping Drake move in, his dad decided to take a break and get to know the neighbors next door. This was Drake and Annas first introduction. From that day, they would run into each other occasionally throughout the summer, and Anna would go over to Drakes apartment for parties with her roommates over the weekends. It wasnt until after a New Years Eve party that they would start spending more time together. Over the next few months they spent almost every day together until Anna graduated and moved back to Bettendorf in May of 2021 and Drake stayed in Cedar Falls to finish his senior year. From May 2021 until June of 2023 they spent the weekends traveling back and forth from Cedar Falls to Bettendorf to see each other. In June of 2023 they moved into their first apartment together in Grimes, where they lived for a year. In May of 2024, they bought their first house in Granger, and that is where Drake proposed to Anna on February 22, 2025. Living in the Des Moines Metro, Anna and Drake enjoy spending time together on Drakes boat when the weather is nice. Anna, tanning and reading while Drake fishes. They enjoy spending time on the weekends with their friends playing cards and hanging out. When they arent spending time with friends or family, they are at home watching movies and snuggling with their cat, Nellie.

Our Story

Photos

Natalie Nelson

Eve Berg

Maia Jaycox

Jane Coghlan

Melanie Kopatich

Drew Leek

Ethan Clark

Andrew Wall

Blake Johnson

Caleb Seymour

Wedding Party

Q + A

Located directly across the parking lot and a short walking distance from The District Venue. A block of rooms will be available from Thursday, December 4 through Sunday, December 7. Please click on the website button to go online and reserve your rooms. You may reserve rooms via phone. The phone number is 515-446-7300. Please be sure to book your room before November 4, 2025.

Residence Inn Des Moines Ankeny

Also located directly across from the parking lot and a short walk away from The District Venue. A block of rooms will be available from Thursday, December 4 through Sunday, December 7. Click the website button to go online and reserve your rooms. You may reserve rooms via phone. The phone number is 515-644-1200. Please be sure to book your room before November 4, 2025.

Annalise & Drake

Annalise & Drake

Travel

Residence Inn Des Moines Ankeny

Tru by Hilton Ankeny