Get the Look
Photographer: Pond Photography Ceremony Venue: Christ United Methodist Church Reception Venue: Aspen Room at the Stanley Gown: Amore Bridal & Tuxedo Menswear: Tip Top Tux Invitations: Kensington Creations Cake: Raspberry Rose Florist: Good Earth Floral Hair & Makeup: Traci Morby Styling Catering: Hy-Vee DJ: Complete Music Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal Rentals: Ultrapom Event Rental
William & Jennifer’s Love Story
Bill and I met at Missouri State University through mutual friends. We were friends for several months before we began dating. We dated for four years before getting engaged, and then two more years before we said “I do.” Although we had a long courtship, we fell quickly in love and knew within the first month we’d be married. Bill invited me to St. Louis for his dad’s big 50th birthday party shortly after dating for a month. It just felt perfect. After that, we quickly fell in love. We decided to take the “slow track” while we finished college. Then I started law school, so we decided to wait until after those three years were over.
Every year we have an annual Christmas dinner with close friends. We typically drive around to look at Christmas lights. As we made a stop and got out of the car to look at a display, I turned around to find Bill down on one knee. It was a total surprise! My immediate reaction was to grab the ring straight from the box and put it on. Bill responded by asking, “So, is that a yes?” It was a wonderful night with our friends that we will always remember.
We wanted our wedding to feel timeless, but with personal touches. We wanted to be able to look back on the pictures on our 50th wedding anniversary and it still be just as beautiful. We didn’t want any “what were we thinking? reactions down the road. We kept the notion of romantic timelessness in our minds throughout the planning process.
We hired a planner almost immediately. She was the second vendor we booked after our photographer. I was in law school and the idea of planning and organizing a wedding while completing my studies was too much to handle. The wedding “crunch time” was going to occur right as I was studying for the bar exam, and we didn’t want the wedding to interfere with my studies. Instead of a theme, we opted for a color palette of blush, gold, and ivory to incorporate throughout the wedding.
Once the day arrived everything was very smooth! Our coordinator did a fantastic job keeping everything on track and moving wonderfully. We had a beautiful ceremony with family and friends there supporting who traveled from all over the country (we had guests in attendance from 11 different states). Between the ceremony and reception, we celebrated with our closest friends while we took pictures. We had so much fun celebrating! Our photos were filled with fun and laughter. We had a beautiful reception that came together wonderfully. And best of all, we danced the night away!
A Few Special Pieces:
The bridal party was from equally divided sides of the state – one group from Kansas City and the other from St. Louis. Our wedding occurred when both teams, the Royals and Cardinals, were in the playoffs. We decided to embrace the timing and wore personalized shirts from our respective teams for our entrances into the reception. It was great! One side of the room would erupt with cheers and the other with boos. It really got the guests excited!
The Groom’s Favorite Part of the Day
My favorite part of the wedding day was standing at the altar with Jenn in front of all of our family and friends.
The Bride’s Favorite Part of the Day
While it was all beautiful and perfect one moment stands out the most. We had a classic car take us from the church to our first photo location. It was such a perfect exit and it was wonderful spending that 20-minute car ride with just the two of us right after we said, “I do”.
