The Van Gogh Gallery is the perfect backdrop for the couple’s stunning Nebraska wedding | Arts and theater

by

After Diana Waltz proposed to David Hudson, the couple knew they wanted a funky wedding.

Both were married before and had a regular ceremony. This time they wanted something different – a strange wedding in the backyard, they thought.







Beyond Van Gogh's Wedding

David Hudson and Deanna Walz win a competition to get married inside the immersive Beyond Van Gogh experience at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.


BRITTON HACKE PHOTOGRAPHY, image courtesy


But partying in an immersive art experience at Beyond Vincent Van Gogh at Council Bluffs has never been in their realm of possibilities.

At least not until they saw an advertisement for the “Win Your Wedding” contest hosted by the Omaha World-Herald.

The Greenwood couple tied the knot on Wednesday night, immersed in the craftwork of one of history’s greatest artists. Flower petal projections painted by Van Gogh were the background as Walz and Hudson exchange vows.

Walz said the promise to get each other and keep her on the show was magical.

People also read…

“There’s a scene in the show where there are flower petals swirling around,” she said. “That’s what the experience felt like – pretty flower petals spinning all over the place all the time.”

In place of a guest book, a blank canvas was shown at the front desk for each guest to add a brushstroke. The piece of art will be displayed in their home, serving as a keepsake of the great day.

Walz, 50, and Hudson, 51, were selected after sending in a video sharing their story. The artistic couple who work for non-profit organizations in Lincoln used their creativity to create a masterpiece.

“I’d love to add a little money,” Walz said. “He came up with the general concept, and I edited. It turned out to be very cute.”

The immersive art exhibition “Beyond Van Gogh” has now opened at Council Bluffs

The competition was sponsored by David’s Bridal, Generation Tux, Purple Orchid, Tish’s Restaurant, Britton Hacke Photography and Sugar Makery, an Iowa store that designed the couple’s cake to look like Van Gogh’s “Almond Branches in Bloom.”

In their video, the couple told the story of how they met. Their six-year relationship began with a simple swipe right and “Star Wars” history.

Walz joked that she would appear in a Chewbacca costume. “Well, I’m 6-foot-4,” Hudson said.

Neither of them was wearing a costume, but they hit them in those red-velvet folding seats, “Rogue One” flashing on the big screen.

Walz was immediately impressed by Hudson’s passion, talent, and genuine care for others.

“Dave is the kind of guy who fixes things and wants to make the world a better place for everyone in his life,” she said. “It’s a combination of everything I’m crazy about.”

Hudson said his wife is playful, vibrant, and beautiful.

“She’s great, and she loves me,” Hudson said. “We’re meant to be together, I think.”

The couple bought a house in Greenwood three years ago to serve as a midway point between Lincoln (the original town of Wales) and Springfield (where Hudson lived). They both have teens and want to blend their lives, or in Wales’s words, “The Brady Bunch.”

Original Nebraska couple wedding dress, suit in sweet photo after 60 years of marriage

Soon after they moved in, the two started talking about marriage in a casual conversation. Walz brought up the topic, and Hudson asked, “Is that a suggestion?” She said yes.”

Fast forward to the big day, and the pair were surrounded by 45 of their closest friends and friends. Walz and Hudson entered from opposite sides of the room and met in the middle, where their friend performed the party. Another lovable person introduced the music.

“It was great,” Walz said. “It was intimate, but also cool because of the environment.”

Walz said the unique wedding was a once in a lifetime experience, it was truly the wedding she had always hoped for.

“I stand in the immersion room with all my friends and family and watch their expressions, enjoying the beauty of Van Gogh’s artwork, and enjoying the beauty of digitizing everything,” she said. “Everything moved and flowed, and watching their expressions was a wonderful experience.”

The Van Gogh exhibition runs until September 9 at the Central America Centre.

Contact the writer at 402-473-7241 or jthompson@journalstar.com

.