James and Sami’s Vibrant Kansas City Lakeside Wedding was nothing short of a fairytale.
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Photographer: Jana Marie Photography Ceremony & Reception Venue: Private Residence Wedding Planner: You’re Invited Gown: Bridal Extraordinaire Bridesmaid Dresses: Natalie M Invitations: Elli Hair & Makeup: Blush Catering: Jack Stack BBQ DJ: DJ’s for Hire Cake: Cami’s Cakes Florist: Botanica Photo Booth: Banana Who Booth Rentals: All Seasons Event Rentals Bar Service: Brown Bag Liquor Travel Agent: Christy Biggs James & Sami’s Love Story My dad enjoys auctioneering in his spare time and had told us that he was going to take a new course in Colorado in the fall. Later he told us that in order to get into the school he has to do a “fake” auction to show the school his ability and experience. He said he would need an audience for it to look completely real. I suggested to invite as many family members and close friends, as I knew they would be the only ones that would show up to a “fake” auction. We invited fifty of our closest friends and family. James had class that entire day and texted me 20 minutes before the auction that he would be late, if he even made it at all. The auction started and my dad chose who bid each time to keep it from being chaos. The first item was auctioned off. Then on the second item, my dad chose me along with a few others to bid. I ended up winning the bid and he told me to come on the stage. I thought this was strange but I went ahead and made my way. As I was facing the audience, James came from behind the stage curtains and got down on one knee. I turned around to see him and was in disbelief! It felt like an out-of-body experience. Turned out, there was no need for a “fake” auction but it was the perfect reason to have all of our closest friends and family there to witness the proposal! After getting engaged, we immediately hired our family-friend, Kim Ho from You’re Invited. She took our vision and made it reality. I will never forget when I walked into the tent just hours before the wedding. It took my breath away! We both wanted a country/vintage feel for the wedding but I wanted a little bling too. It turned out to be better than we could have imagined. Having it at my parents’ house allowed for the perfect setting. I got ready in my parents’ bedroom while looking out the bay windows to see everything coming together in the backyard. I loved looking out watching guests start to arrive. Special Touches The wedding program was my favorite special piece. A family friend of mine has done “stick figure” sketches for family reunions, school events, and many other fun projects. We asked her to sketch out our parents, flower girl, ring bearer, bridesmaids, and groomsmen for the program. We picked a unique part about each person that stood out to us, or that showed how we were connected. I had a few friends that I had met through cheerleading and so she sketched them in our college uniform. It was fun to see the uniqueness of the group of family and friends that we have to support our married adventure! Another unique touch is the maid of honor speech my sister performed. My sisters and I always loved making up dances when we were younger and performing them for friends. A few years earlier, when my older sister got married, we did a remake of three great songs and put together a dance. My sisters did the same thing for my wedding. Their lyrics perfectly described our relationship- so funny!