Bill & Kendra ~ May 14, 2010
August 27th, 2010 {No Comments »}
Check out the link below provided by Megan Bryant Photography to view photos from one of our BEAUTIFUL weddings! Bill & Kendra are one of the absolute sweetest couple’s we have ever worked with!
http://www.meganbryantphotography.com/?p=529
Posted in Weddings |
Andrew & Courtney ~ August 13, 2010
August 23rd, 2010 {1 Comment »}
Check out the link below to view the AMAZING photos taken by the WONDERFUL, Jenny Grise!
http://grisephotography.com/blog/?p=1865
Posted in Weddings |
Brad & Bridget ~ July 10, 2010
August 21st, 2010 {No Comments »}
Check out the following link provided by The Studio By Mark A. Rice to view all of Brad & Bridget’s AWESOME wedding photos!
http://thestudiobymarkarice.blogspot.com/2010/08/bridget-brads-wedding-day.html
Posted in Weddings |
Cupcakes!!!
August 12th, 2010 {No Comments »}
If you are anything like me, one of the BEST parts about planning a wedding is the cake tasting! YUM! But I must say, one of the more stressful parts about the cake tasting was that I fell in love with a ton of different flavors! I knew almost immediately that I wanted to do cupcakes instead of a traditional cake at our wedding, so this problem was easily solvable. Phew! The cupcakes fit in so well with our wedding. We had a dessert bar instead of finger foods or a sit down dinner, and the cupcakes were definitely a hit. So I thought for this blog, we’d just take a look at some awesome cupcake displays for weddings. Warning! You WILL want to eat a cupcake after looking at these yummy pictures! 
All Images Courtesy of Google Images
How fun are those displays?! My favorite is the last picture in the second row…It so closely resembles a traditional wedding cake, and I love how they used all the flowers! Gorgeous.
Cupcakes are also a fun choice for Bridal Showers or Engagement parties! There are so many ways to tie cupcakes into any kind of theme party, and they are always a hit. Also, if you are baking-obsessed like I am, try watching all the awesome shows on TV that are on right now. You can grab some great ideas from those for your big day! Some of my favorites are Cupcake Wars, Ace of Cakes, Cake Boss, and DC Cupcakes.
Okay, after sitting through photo after photo of pure yumminess, I am off to bake some cupcakes of my own
Posted in Weddings |
Jennifer & Richard’s Engagement Story
August 10th, 2010 {No Comments »}
Jennifer Stierer & Richard Hoggard
Wedding Date: October 1, 2011
Jennifer’s Story…..
Ricky and I met officially at a local bar on the north-side of Indianapolis called The Fox and Hound. Ok not my ideal place to meet Mr. Right by any means, but it worked out perfectly and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. But before I tell the story of our unique meeting lets rewind the story about four months earlier. My friend and I were sitting outside on her balcony at our apartment building, and saw a young man pull up and park right out front of our building. Out steps and man dressed in Army fatigues, of course our mouths dropped as we said a mellow “hi” as he walked into our building. Over the next few months, I saw the first floor army guy come and go but never said anything but hi, or apologizing for my dog always running up to him and begging for his attention. My dad was in town one night midsummer, and he suggested we meet up for drinks at The Fox and Hound, which conveniently was across the street from my apartment complex. After meeting my dad and had a few cocktails, I noticed the first floor army guy and had mustered up the guts to go talk to him. We introduced ourselves and knew that we lived in the same apartment building, so we immediately had something in common. As the night continued so did our laughter and conversations. From that point on we had become inseparable, from late night movies to secret admirer notes left on my car; I knew he was the one for me. Our free spirited romance came to a screeching halt when the day came that Ricky was being relocated for the Army. We decided that it was a fun time with each other but knew things weren’t going to last forever. Boy were we wrong! A few weeks went by without Ricky, and we both fought the feeling we knew we had for each other. We still talked everyday and our fun loving friendship and short lived relationship seemed to never miss a beat. I knew I needed to see him and confront my true feelings; I was in love with the first floor army guy. Ricky was visiting his family in Tampa, FL before he relocated to his base in Savannah, GA. I called him around 3PM on a Monday and asked what he was doing that evening around 10:30. He said nothing and I asked him if he wanted to take a trip to the air port to pick me up. This is the moment he says he knew I was the one. We both knew that what we wanted was to be with each other, we see the best of ourselves in each other’s eyes. Time passed and we traveled as often as we could to be together, the flights became part of our monthly lives. Our relationship grew stronger as time went by and we fell more and more in love. I knew this was the man I wanted to grow old with. The distance made our relationship much stronger forcing the communication to be key to keep us going. Because Ricky is in the Army we knew there would come a time for him to be deployed. The trips became more frequent, and we made plans for his leave of absence before he was deployed to visit both of our families and our friends back in Indianapolis. Which meant a lot of traveling within a week’s time. We went to visit his mom in Charleston SC. Our first day there we went to site see in Charleston, I had never been so I was taking massive pictures, cool pictures and some not so cool pictures; I took pictures of everything. We had finished lunch overlooking a bay where dolphins had been swimming, and headed to The Isle of Palms, where we would walk the beach. Still fascinated by everything I continued to take pictures hearing comments from the peanut gallery about my choice of pictures to taken. We were walking along the beach and I stopped to write in the sand knowing he was a head of me and if I took a picture of what I wrote I would get made fun of. I drew “I love you” in the sand and took a picture. As I turned around he was standing behind me with this gaze of “did you really just take a picture of the sand”? Waiting for the picture jokes to begin he handed me our flip flops. I griped and said I didn’t want to hold them and then he got down on one knee. With me being completely oblivious to the situation I asked if he was okay ( it was quite hot out he could have been overly hot for all I knew) He looked up at me and I started to shake as he took a black box out of his pocket. The pocket I had just soaked from kicking water on him from the ocean 5 minutes earlier, oops. I said ” oh my god no you are not are you?” he looked me in the eye and asked me to marry him. Overwhelmed and extremely excited I bluntly asked “are you sure? Is this for real? You’re kidding me,” shaking and tears filling my eyes with joy, he said ” nope I’m pretty sure I am on one knee in the sand asking you to marry me” In shock I still hadn’t answered, thinking he knew my answer already. He softly said “Baby are you going to say yes, people are staring” I looked around me and saw tons of on lookers waiting for my reply. I said yes with tears in my eyes and my face hurting from smiling so much. It was perfect in his words, and I couldn’t have been more surprised. Since the engagement Ricky has deployed to Iraq and we communicate as much as possible, but there are times we don’t get to e-mail or Skype for days and sometimes even a couple weeks. Phone calls are slim to none but getting any type of e-mail or Facebook post is the greatest feeling ever. We are planning for October 1, 2011, for the first day of the rest of our lives together, ‘to infinity and beyond!’
Posted in Weddings |
Laura & Justin’s Engagement Story
August 7th, 2010 {No Comments »}
Laura Slieker & Justin Glover
Wedding Date: August 14, 2010
Both Justin and Laura live in Bloomington, IN and are graduate students at Indiana University. Go Hoosiers!
Here’s Laura’s story…..
We started the MA program at IU’s German department in the same year. We first met at a party for new students, but became very close friends during our first semester having many classes together. Even a very interesting meal of fried rice (the recipe for which will not be featured on a throw down with Bobby Flay) and a long road trip to Wichita were not enough to scare Laura away.
Justin just finished his last year of course work for his PhD in German Linguistics. He hopes to one day get a job at a university, but if all else fails, he figures he can shovel grain at a brewery. When not studying, teaching or grading, Justin enjoys Aikido, homebrewing, watching KU sports, and spoiling Louis.
Laura will start her second year of the MBA program this fall. She is very excited to take an active role in Kelley activities, especially involving the Kelley Women Association. Her hobbies, which are probably the most random mix ever, are: homebrewing beer, quilting, knitting, reading German literature, watching avant garde foreign films and running. In her free time, she spends time with the most wonderful dog in the whole world, Louis!
Posted in Weddings |
Sam & Sarah’s Wedding Video Is Online
August 2nd, 2010 {No Comments »}
Sam & Sarah’s wedding video (April 10, 2010) produced by the fabulous John & Jennifer Moon of Northernlight Filmworks is now on their blog! It is AWESOME so check it out…
http://www.northernlightfilmworks.com/2010/08/sarah-and-sam/
Posted in Weddings |
Jamie & Keri ~ September 19, 2009
July 28th, 2010 {No Comments »}
We LOVE Jamie & Keri! They were truly so awesome to work with and we continue to have a great relationship! They came to us from Scott & Trisha whose wedding was in September of 2008! I can clearly remember our first meeting with Keri…we all clicked right away! Keri knew from the get go exactly what look she was wanting for her FABULOUS wedding! We were fortunate enough to help Jamie & Keri plan and coordinate their rehearsal dinner and wedding! They really wanted to make a weekend out of their celebration so they chose the BEAUTIFUL location of Brown County (Nashville, Indiana).
We had a fairly early morning on rehearsal day! While Keri and her girls were getting pampered my mom, aunt Glenda and I were hanging various shades of pink paper balls from the gazebo ceiling at the awesome Hotel Nashville! Even though set up took most of the day the end result was BEAUTIFUL and we had one happy bride so that made it all worth it! The rehearsal dinner looked FABULOUS and the food and staff were AWESOME! It was a great start to the weekend! Wedding day was here and set up at Salt Creek Golf Retreat began at 8:00am! We put on all of the linens and chair covers and tied all of the double sashes on each chair! While we were working hard setting up the wedding Jamie and his guys were having a wonderful time golfing and Keri and her girls were getting pampered with BEAUTIFUL hair and makeup! Jamie and Keri decided to see each other prior to walking down the aisle (which is a FABULOUS idea because it helps take the nerves away and allows all of the couple, wedding party and family photos to be completed ahead of time so that everyone can enjoy the entire wedding day experience). Their photographer ( Jason Lavengood & his wife, Chrissy) had gotten through most of the pictures and were in the middle of taking family photos when we saw an ambulance pull into the resort. We were all concerned but thought it was for another group only to find out that it was Keri’s aunt! She had missed a step and broke her kneecap! So needless to say that put a bit of a damper on the day  But as they say…the show must go on so we got all of the attendants in place and guests began arriving. We were blessed with a truly GORGEOUS day and a BREATHTAKING view overlooking the golf course! Angie Kenley with Bokay Florist did an AWESOME job with the ceremony decor! Guests were greeted with the BEAUTIFUL sounds of the harp played by Jan Aldridge. Once all of the guests were seated it was time for the processional! Keri and her dad, Tim, walked down to “Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” (1st Verse) By Aerosmith played on the harp! Ahh…it was BEAUTIFUL! Jamie and Keri wanted to surprise their guests so as soon as the officiant (Keri’s aunt) said, “Jamie, you may kiss your bride,” Circle City Pyrotechnics set off FIREWORKS! It was perfectly timed and made for a BEAUTIFUL picture! I must admit that it scared the guests at first because it is a loud boom but everyone LOVED the 10 minute fireworks show! Once the fireworks show was over all of the guests lite their sparklers in a grand exit for Jamie & Keri! Once the guests rows were released they made their way into the ballroom for bridal party introductions and dinner! Once dinner was over Jamie & Keri cut the cake and listened to three AWESOME toasts! Keri’s dad’s (Tim) toast was so heart felt and their wasn’t a dry eye! Jamie & Keri shared their first dance to “My One and Only Love” by Louis Armstrong. We switched it up and had Jamie & his mom do their mother/son dance first because Keri & her dad had a huge surprise for everyone! While Jamie & his mom danced Keri’s dad changed his clothes and Keri got out of her wedding dress and changed clothes! Once Jamie & his mom completed their dance Keri’s dad and Keri made their way onto the dance floor! The song “Boom Boom Pow” began and so did their CHOREOGRAPHED dance! Yep…they had a hip hop choreographer choreograph a dance for them! They did so AWESOME! It was so fun to watch them and to see everyone crowd the dance floor! It was AMAZING! And yes, once Keri was done with her dance she changed back into her wedding dress Towards the end of the evening their photographer set up his laptop and put a ”best of” slideshow together for all of the guests to view! It was a huge hit! Every single guest had a FABULOUS time at this wedding! Everything looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL! We only had one little hiccup (besides Keri’s aunt falling)…Jamie & Keri’s wedding was on the same night that The Little Opry burned down and because of all of the water that was being used to fight that fire we had NO WATER all evening! Other than that everything was AWESOME and we were so very lucky and blessed to have worked with Jamie & Keri!
Here are the FABULOUS vendors who helped us pull this AWESOME wedding together…
 - Save The Date
 Invitations  BEAUTIFUL RING SHOT  The Handsome Groom, Jamie  The STUNNING Bride, Keri
 I LOVE this picture of Jamie  The Groom, Jamie, Anxiously Awaiting For Keri  She's Ready To See Jamie  The Big Reveal
 The Wedding Party ~ They Were All Such Troopers...It Was Hot That Day!  Jamie & The Groomsmen  Keri & The Bridesmaids  The Entire Wedding Party  The Sign In Book & Basket of Sparklers With Personalized Matches  The Aisle  The BEAUTIFUL Circle of Rose Petals  The Ring Bearer & Flower Girl  Keri & Her Dad...I LOVE This Picture!  The Kiss...Notice The Fireworks In The Distance...So ROMANTIC!  Watching The Fireworks Display  The Grand Finale  YAY...They Are Husband & Wife...What A Way To Start Their Marriage With An Aisle Lined With Sparklers...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE This Photo!  Escort Cards  The GORGEOUS Head Table  A Room Shot Looking At The Back Of The Head Table  A Close Up Of The Tables  Another Room Shot  The HEAVENLY Cake  The Cake Up Close  Keri's Dad ~ He Gave A Great Welcome Speech & A Very Touching Toast  The Father~Daughter Dance...It Was An AMAZING Choreographed Hip-Hop Routine  The Father~Daughter Dance In Action  Everyone Having A FABULOUS Time On The Dance Floor  The Happy Couple Sharing A Dance  So AMAZING!  I LOVE This Photo...It Is Just So Sweet!  On The Path To A WONDERFUL Future Together Jamie & Keri ~ It was an honor and a pleasure to get to know and work with both of you and your families! You are both AMAZING people and the love between the two of you is very evident! We wish the two of you nothing but the best as you move forward in this journey together! Keri ~ We miss your daily e-mails and phone calls! You were AWESOME to work with and we have absolutely loved going through the planning process with you! You always knew how to make us laugh Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness!
Posted in Weddings |
Emily & Michael’s Engagement Story
July 21st, 2010 {No Comments »}
Emily Sterley & Michael Cragen
Wedding Date: January 22, 2011
How we met
Michael and I met at Lids at the Indianapolis Airport. I was at the airport for work, marketing to the different ticket counters. After I was done working, I had some time to kill, and thought I ’d stop in the Lids store for a Colts jersey. I entered the store, and saw Michael from a distance. My heart literally stopped when I saw him. He was wearing a black shirt with a black Colts hat and khaki shorts, and a grin from ear to ear. Michael approached me, and we stood and talked for 45 minutes. We immediately hit it off! We talked about where we went to church, about our families, where we went to highschool, and the conversation couldn’t have gone any better. I knew after just a few minutes that Michael was different than most men. He was Christ-centered, talked about how the Lord was using him in different areas, about his family and how close they were, and from that moment on, I knew this man was different.
After our conversation and not even buying a Colts jersey, I left the store with Michael on my mind! I left the store looking behind me, hoping he would follow me and ask me for my number. But, being the gentleman that he is, he did not ask for my phone number or even a date. He waited…
I thought about him the entire day and knew we had a special connection. I called my mom and said, “Mom. I met someone today!” She could hear something different in my voice: there was peace. I immediately started praying for Michael, and if we were supposed to meet again, that God would allow us the chance to see one another again.
I got home later that evening and had a facebook message from Michael. He looked me up that evening and heard the friend I was with call me Emily, and he remembered I went to Hope College. Michael looked up “Emily” and “Hope College” and I was the first person to show up on facebook, out of the hundreds of Emily’s at Hope! He then sent me a long message about how great it was meeting me, and that he would love to take me out for coffee someday.
I later replied that I would love to meet him for coffee, 1 week went by, and we had our first date!
How we got engaged
Michael and I took the day off work on Friday, April 16th. We couldn’t wait to spend the whole day together, since most of our time spent together is after a long work day, we were so excited to spend a relaxing day off of work. He came over around 10 AM and made me breakfast, and we spent the afternoon downtown. We had a delicious lunch together outside and Michael took me shopping afterwards. We went to the Starbucks where we had our first date, and walked around the circle. I thought the day couldn’t get any better….but it did!!
Michael told me we had dinner reservations downtown, and that I needed to be dressed up and ready by 6. He told me he needed to run by the airport to pick up his last check that he had been waiting to pick up at Lids, and that it would only take a few minutes. I didn’t think anything of it, hopped in the car, and we headed to the airport. As soon as we got into the store, Michael said he’d be right back. He went to the back room to get his check and in the meantime, my favorite song was playing over the stereo called, “God Gave Me You” by Dave Barnes. Michael started walking towards me, and his hands were shaking. He pulled me in close to him and said, “Emily. Someone very special is here that wants to see you.” I looked behind me, and my Dad walked out from the back room with his camera in his hands! Tears flooded my face as I heard those sweet lyrics that “God gave me you for the ups and downs, God gave me you for the days of doubt, For when I think I’ve lost my way, There are no words left to say, It’s True….God Gave Me You.”
Michael began telling me the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard, and then, he got down on one knee, exactly where we first met and where we first talked. I looked to my left, and my Dad was there, capturing every moment with his camera. Michael then opened the ring box, and the most brilliant, shiny diamond ring was then taken out of the box and placed on my finger.
Michael and I hugged and kissed and cried together, and after we had our few moments, he told me he had one more surprise for me. He said, “Emily. I have to be honest with you. We don’t have dinner reservations downtown. Instead, we have reservations for 10, here in the airport!” He took my hand, and we walked out of Lids together with Dad beside us, and walked towards the Indy Brickyard Grill. I walked into the restaurant, and both of our families were there to surprise me! My mom, brother Grant, sister-in-law Sara, and Michael’s mom, dad, sister Carrie and his brother-in-law Daniel were all there sitting at a table waiting for us!
After we ate dinner together with our families, Michael and I wanted to have some time to ourselves and to call our friends and tell them the good news! We then went to The Cheesecake Factory (my favorite restaurant) and got cheesecakes to celebrate. What better way to end the night than with delicious cheesecake in a cozy booth!
It is unbelievable how Michael planned and organized this entire day. He was so thoughful, so detailed, and could not have been more wonderful about the proposal. I have been praying for a man like Michael my entire life, and my Savior has finally brought him to me. The long wait was so worth it! Michael gave me the proposal of my dreams, with a ring to match!
Posted in Weddings |
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