Brain & Laura ~ August 15, 2009

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL

Brian and Laura are such a sweet couple! They are both so soft spoken but are truly a joy to be around. About seven months prior to their wedding we received a call from Laura's mom, Barbara. She had been referred to us by Ben and Jessica. We initially told her that we couldn't do it because we already had a wedding booked for that day (Zach and Marie) but we decided that since they were a referral from one of our past couples that we would split up into two teams and take Brian and Laura's wedding on! So we called Barbara back and began the planning process!

Brian and Laura live and go to school in Montana so Laura really entrusted the planning to her mom. Barbara and her husband also live in Montana during the winter and have a summer home here in the Indianapolis area so we began the planning process over the phone and through e-mail. Once Barbara and her husband returned to Indiana for the summer we hit the ground running. Laura had a clear vision of what she wanted for her day so it was up to Barbara and us to implement it. We had multiple strategizing and vendor meetings to make sure that everything was just as Laura had envisioned for her big day!

We were able to meet with Laura a few times prior to wedding day while she was in town. She is such a sweet and adorable person with such a caring and warm personality. She came into town a few weeks prior to the wedding to make sure all of the loose ends were tied up and that is when we found out that she had broken her wrist (she fell off of a horse) just a few weeks prior. So for her wedding she was in a cast but they were able to have a sleeve made from silk material to cover the cast. Because of the way her wrist was bent in the cast they called it the claw...too cute! Although it was less than ideal timing, Laura really had a good attitude about it!

On rehearsal day, all of the girls got pampered with manicures and pedicures and were then treated to a bridal luncheon at Plum's Upper Room in Zionsville (It was funny because they had lunch here and Zach and Marie, our other August 15th wedding, had their rehearsal dinner here that night). After the rehearsal, everyone went to dinner at the fabulous Loon Lake Lodge!

Wedding day quickly approached and was truly a wonderful and stress-free day! The girls began their day with breakfast at The Sheraton and were then picked up by Antique Limousine of Indianapolis service and taken to Allure Salon in Zionsville to get their hair done. Melissa, Natalie, Renee and the rest of the Allure Salon staff did a FABULOUS job with everyone's hair. Not only are these ladies wonderful at their jobs but they are also amazing individuals (I guess we are partial because both my mom and I get our hair done by these ladies on a regular basis)! Once the girls' hair appointments were complete the limo took them to Laura's grandmother's house where Rebecca and Ashley with True Colors BEAUTIFULLY applied everyone's makeup! The girls were also treated to lunch from Cafe Patachou. I love it when the girls are pampered and given the five-star treatment on wedding day! It just provides such a fun and relaxing environment which really sets the tone for the day!

Brian and his guys met at The Sheraton to relax, watch television and eat (they were treated to Jimmy Johns) prior to getting dressed and ready for the day. Brian and Laura had decided ahead of time that they wanted to see each other prior to the wedding so after lunch the guys got dressed and were taken to the church, St. Peter's United Church of Christ, in a limo to await Laura's arrival. Once Laura and the girls arrived we added the last few touches (the veil) to complete her look. We then took Brian out to the garden area where he patiently waited for Laura to make her entrance. Once Brian and Laura had their reveal and a few minutes alone it was time for fun group photos with the AMAZING Bobbi + Mike! You can just see from the photos how much fun everyone was having! Truthfully, Bobbi + Mike provide one of the most fun, energetic and exciting atmospheres, putting everyone at ease and allowing for FABULOUS photos.

It was soon time for the attendants to be in place and for guests to begin arriving. Barbara had arranged for two shuttle buses to transport the out-of-town guests from their hotel (The Sheraton) to the church. The guests were serenaded by The Village Quartet as they entered the sanctuary. There were many tender moments during the ceremony including Brian's father lighting a memory candle in Brian's mother's honor as well as Laura being escorted down the aisle by both her mother and father. Reverend Larry Kleiman did a FABULOUS job of delivering a very heartfelt and meaningful ceremony.

Once the ceremony was over Brian and Laura re-entered the church and personally greeted each individual as they released each row. As guests exited the church they were handed delicate paper cones filled with rose petals so that they could shower the bride and groom as they exited the church and stepped into an awaiting vintage Cadillac. The guests were then shuttled to the reception at The Indianapolis Art Center.

Once guests arrived at The Indianapolis Art Center they were escorted outside for the cocktail hour. The grounds are just GORGEOUS so the guests were able to walk the grounds or stand under the BEAUTIFUL portico or relax under the tent. The guests were treated to delicious hors d'oeuvres and drinks! Mark Beecher with Grapevine Productions did a WONDERFUL job with the music and really helped to set the light, airy and relaxed atmosphere.

After a few more photos around the grounds it was time for Brian and Laura to cut their BEAUTIFUL cake provided by Classic Cakes! Brian and Laura then led their guests into the library for dinner. Because Brian and Laura enjoy reading they decided to name the tables after some of their favorite authors. Instead of making table name cards that had the author's names on them, they decided to get books that the author's had written and display them! I thought that was a cute and unique idea/alternative. They also put together very thoughtful favors...they were mini jars of Huckleberry Jam made from wild Montana huckleberries with an adorable note that read "Thank you BERRY much for being a part of our special day!"

The food was provided by Jacquie's Catering. Crystal and her staff did a wonderful job of making sure everything was ready and that the food tasted outstanding. Once dinner was over the guests were escorted out to the portico where they were greeted with a glass of champagne for the toasts. All three of the toasts were so sweet and thoughtful (Kelli, the maid-of-honor, did such an outstanding job! She told many great stories filled with lots of laughter and tears of joy.). It was then time for Brian and Laura's first dance as husband and wife (they danced to Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis). Laura then shared a dance with her father to the song, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You by James Taylor. Ah...I just love father/daughter moments (I know I am such a sap!). Open dancing began and the evening was closed out with the song, We Are Family by Sister Sledge! Mark Beecher with Grapevine Productions really did a FABULOUS job throughout the evening, not just with the music but as the master of ceremonies, He kept the atmosphere fun and upbeat, making sure that the dance floor (under the portico...which I love) was full for the entire evening!

Here are the vendors who made this day possible...

• Classic Cakes ~ Always providing outstanding service and beautiful and delicious cakes!
• Jacquie's Catering ~ Jackie and her staff are always a pleasure to work with. They really do give it their all and provide a wonderful array of delicious foods!
• TLW Entertainment (The Village Quartet) ~ Terry and his staff are so great to work with. He always provides us with top notch entertainment!
• St. Peter's United Church of Christ ~ Larry was so fabulous to work with! He was so genuinely nice and accommodating. We really enjoyed working with him.
• Grapevine Productions (Mark Beecher) ~ What can I say that I have not already said...Mark is fabulous and does such a wonderful job! He had a wonderful array of music options and he really kept the party going all night long!
• Posh Petals ~ Meredith and her team did a beautiful job with all of the florals for this wedding! Everything looked vibrant and fresh and truly fit in perfectly with the vibe of the wedding!
• Engledow Group ~ Kevin and his team provided large trees to fill in around the entrance and the sanctuary of the church. The trees were beautiful and provided an excellent look for the day!
• Allure Salon ~ Melissa and her team did a wonderful job on all of the girls hair! Everyone looked beautiful!
• Sheraton Hotel (Keystone at The Crossing) ~ Greg really took care of everything for us! Everyone was so nice and accommodating and truly made it a great experience for the out-of-town guests.
• True Colors ~ Rebecca and Ashley are just amazing at their jobs! They truly made each of the girls look so stunning! They are genuinely such nice people and they truly love their job!
• Bobbi + Mike Photography ~ Again...what can I say...I just LOVE them and their work! They are fabulous at their job and create the perfect atmosphere to keep everyone upbeat and carefree! Not to mention that their photos are beyond AMAZING!
• Indianapolis Art Center ~ Iris and her staff were so great to work with! They were so accommodating and truly went the extra mile to make sure that we had everything that we needed to make Brian and Laura's day perfect!
• Loon Lake Lodge ~ They provide such a fun and relaxed atmosphere for rehearsal dinners! All of their staff is so fun to work with and the food is awesome!
• A-Classic Party Rental ~ Gary and his team always provide the best linens and rental items! Everyone who works there is so fun and truly cares about making your event the best it can possibly be!
• Antique Limousine of Indianapolis ~ Jack was so fabulous throughout this planning process! He organized all of the vehicle needs (limos, shuttles, antique Cadillac) eliminating the need to have multiple contracts with multiple companies! He is wonderful to work with and truly goes the extra mile to provide the best for his couples.

Laura's Shoes & Dress
Isn't she just GORGEOUS?
Laura and her mom, Barbara (BEAUTIFUL!) ~ Laura and the girls having fun!

Brian and the guys getting ready

Brian and the guys around the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center

Ah....Bobbi + Mike are just AMAZING! Picture Perfect!

Brian and Laura walking through the vegetable garden :)

See how much fun everyone was having :)

The little moments

Brian and Laura being showered with rose petals

CUTE!

They are so GORGEOUS together

One of the guest tables

After Kelli's Toast

Brian and Laura's first dance as husband and wife

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL under the portico?

Laura and her dad, Patrick

Laura dancing with her grandfather...so ADORABLE

Brian and Laura ~ Thank you so very much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You two are so sweet and have such wonderful demeanors. We truly enjoyed working with both of you and your families. You are both such great individuals and are surrounded with such an amazing support group of friends and family. We wish you both nothing but the best as you travel through this marital adventure. Enjoy marriage and please stay in touch!

Barbara ~ It was so much fun working with you! You are so sweet and were such a pleasure to be around! You did a fabulous job of taking Laura's vision and implementing it! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Brian and Laura's day!