Mississippi River Distilling Company Celebration Center

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

Justin first saw Yajaira in the most ordinary place imaginable, the Iowa State University bookstore during their work orientation. Their friendship built quickly after working shifts together. While working on their engineering degrees wasn’t easy, and long nights in study rooms became their routine. They’d spread out notebooks, laptops, and empty energy drinks across tables, working through problem sets that seemed impossible at first and manageable only because they were tackling them together. Yajaira was methodical, the kind of person who double-checked everything. Justin was intuitive, often jumping to solutions that somehow worked out. Where one got stuck, the other filled in the gap. Some nights, studying turned into talking about where they grew up, what they wanted out of life, and what they’d do when they weren’t buried under assignments. Those conversations stretched longer than they ever planned. Somewhere in between exams, late-night snacks, and shared frustration over group projects, they became inseparable. Justin had thought about asking her out more than once. He just never quite did. Yajaira, on the other hand, wasn’t the type to wait forever, so she decided to make the first move. From that point on, their lives opened up beyond campus. They enjoy taking trips to go skiing, snowboarding, and hiking. Those trips have become their way of pressing pause on everything else. When they aren’t exploring, they have built a different kind of life together at home. It was a lively, slightly chaotic one, thanks to their pets: Mushu, Milo, Kleo, Chewbacca, and Atriedes. Each has their own personality, some energetic, some dramatic, some completely unbothered by everything. There is always something happening: a pet chasing another across the room, one curled up between them during movie nights, or all of them somehow taking over the couch. Justin jokes that their home has turned into a small zoo. Yajaira just smiles and says, “Yeah, but it’s our zoo.” Looking back, it still amazes them how it all started. From that simple beginning, grew late nights, deep conversations, bold moves, and a life filled with both adventure and comfort. And in between the mountains they climbed and the quiet evenings at home, one thing stayed constant: They always chose each other.

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

There is a public parking lot behind the Riverside Foursquare Church directly across the street from the distillery that can be accessed from Jones and Ewing Streets. Larger parking areas are available on the riverfront levee. However, law does not allow for people to cross the railroad tracks by foot except at the Jones Street crossing.

PARKING IN LE CLAIRE

Information on nearby hotels and lodging options for our wedding guests.

Accommodations

Travel & Accommodations

What Is Cocktail Wedding Attire?

Cocktail Dresses to Add to Your Cart ASAP

What Guys Need to Know About Dress Codes

We’d love for our guests to join us in dark neutral colored cocktail attire! Men may wear a dress shirt with dress pants and shoes, while women may choose a cocktail dress or formal jumpsuit. Please refrain from t-shirts, jeans, or shorts, and keep the weather and temperature in mind when planning your look.

Dress Code

Things to Do

Registry

Q + A

Yajaira & Justin

Yajaira & Justin

Q + A coming soon!