Ahh...Mike & Jamie! We absolutely LOVED working with them and their families! We started working with Jamie and her family around October of last year and it was such a wonderful experience! They had virtually all of their vendors in place when they hired us, because Jamie's sister had gotten married the year prior and was satisfied with the vendors she had chosen. So, from there we met numerous times and went over and over the details to make sure that everything was picture perfect for their big day!
The rehearsal went great and Jamie's dad had arranged for his company's shuttle bus to pick all of the guests up at the Marriott downtown (where virtually everyone was staying) and then take them from the rehearsal to the rehearsal dinner at Loon Lake Lodge.
The wedding day was just absolutely STUNNING and such a blast! In the morning we arrived at the church to make sure everything was going smoothly and that everything was set-up and ready to go. From there we headed to Jamie's parents house where all of the girls were getting ready! Their day was very stress-free. Hair and make-up was done at the home, so everyone was comfortable and they were able to eat and move around freely. They took a majority of their photographs at the home because their home is magnificent and it backs up to woods so they were able to get some stunning indoor and outdoor photos with the green foliage and blue sky! Ahh...I just LOVE outdoor pictures...you just can't beat the lighting and colors!
Mike and the guys were stationed downtown at the Marriott prior to arriving at the church, so their day was very relaxing as well. They were able to eat and lounge around and have the photographer come to them and get some great photos of them in the GORGEOUS hotel!
It was then time for pictures, so the guys were up first and once all of the photos with Mike were finished Jamie and all of her girls were brought to the church in a stretch hummer. The girls did their photos and then it was time for the guests to arrive! Most of the guests were once again shuttled in a bus from the Marriott downtown to the church and then back to the Marriott for the reception! Everything went so great and everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do. The ceremony was so intimate and romantic. It was just beautiful.
Following the ceremony we gave guests some rose petals and had them line the walkway out of the church. Once everyone was in place the guests showered Mike & Jamie with rose petals and Mike and Jamie made a "fake" getaway and were brought back for more photos while the guests headed to the cocktail hour via the shuttles! Everything was just so AWESOME looking at the cocktail hour and reception! In order to set the mood for the event, we had a cabana placed in front of the entrance for the guests to walk through to give it that exclusive and intimate feeling. Mike proposed to Jamie in a cabana in Mexico, so it had symbolic meaning to them as well. From there the guests were just treated like royalty with AMAZING food and unlimited drinks.
After photos at the church, Mike & Jamie along with their wedding party stopped downtown and took photos at Monument Circle and then headed to the Marriott downtown for their private wedding party cocktail reception.
Following the cocktail hour we opened the doors to the elegant reception ballroom! Jamie wanted a black, white and silver theme so we had white table linens with white chair covers and a silver and black sash tied in a bow on the chairs. The centerpieces alternated with high-low arrangements. The high centerpieces were silver stands with a huge arrangement at the top and the low arrangements were three varying size glass cylinders will floating orchids and floating candles. It was very elegant. Mike is from Texas so we named each table a city in Texas and had adorable table numbers with the state of Texas on it along with the city's name. The name cards had a matching motif! They also had food stations and each station had white uplighting to give the room a really elegant glow.
Once we got all of the guests in the ballroom and seated it was time to introduce the wedding party! Once the wedding party was introduced we showed a video montage of Mike and Jamie and then we had the big introduction of the new couple! Following that it was dinner time! The food stations were absolutely AMAZING and all of the guests had nothing but compliments on the food, service and staff! It was then time for toasts, cake cutting and special dances! For a surprise to Jamie's dad we put together a video montage of just pictures of the two of them as Jamie was growing up! It was so sweet and there was not a dry eye in the place (including Bob, her dad).
The night was AMAZING and everything turned out absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The dance floor was PACKED all night long and it was so great to see everyone having a great time. To end the night the DJ, Rick, played one last song and it was so sweet because they all stood in one big circle and sang a song together as a group (there were about 60+ people still there at the end of the night!). From there we sent everyone out to the front door to wait for Mike & Jamie to make their exit into a horse and carriage! It was just a perfect ending!
Because there were so many guests who stayed at the hotel that night once Mike & Jamie returned from their horse and carriage ride and changed clothes they had pizza brought in and the bar reopened! I think they said the continued to party until 3:00am! It was such a GREAT night and I could see not wanting it to come to an end!
I must say that they were one of the funnest families we have been privileged to work with! It is so nice because we still have an ongoing friendship with them and we LOVE to get together with LouAnn (Jamie's mom) and just talk about life! Both families were so nice and an absolute pleasure to work with!
Here are the vendors who helped Mike & Jamie's day magical:
- Castleton United Methodist Church with officiant Bill Schwein - This church was newly remodeled and updated so everything was SPECTACULAR!
- Marriott Hotel Downtown - Lisette was just absolutely AMAZING to work with and we cannot say enough about her organizational skills and willingness to work with us! The hotel is just GORGEOUS and the food and amenities are OUTSTANDING! The staff went above and beyond to make sure that everything was first-class and flawless!
- Rue de Fleurs - Florist
- The Studio by Mark A. Rice - Mark & Shelley were AMAZING to work with and took such time and paid such close attention to every detail and every shot! They really thought through the process and made sure that each photo was magical! Not only are they great photographers, but they are all around great people!
- Hal Graves Productions (Videographer) - Hal was so nice and easy to work with! He was so generous in sending us a copy of the completed DVD of Mike & Jamie's day! He provided wonderful work and a timeless piece for Mike & Jamie and their families.
- Heavenly Sweets - The same result as always...AMAZING! Tanya and her staff just send out such a quality product and really take the time to make sure it is everything the bride wants and more!
- DJ's Direct - Rick did such an OUTSTANDING job with the music for the night! He was a great MC (master of ceremonies) and he was really fun for us to work with! Such a great personality which translates to a great DJ! The dance floor was FULL all night long!
- Luxury Services Limousine - Robbie and the driver, Greg, were just AMAZING! They are so GREAT to work with and went out of their way to make sure everything was just PERFECT! They are definitely first-class!
- Wendi Closser (Flipped Out) - Wendi did such a GREAT job with everyone's hair!
- Kathy Moberly (Make-up) - Kathy provided the make-up and it was STUNNING! She airbrushed all of the girls and gave them that flawless finish!
- Yellow Rose Carriage - You cannot go wrong with them! The nicest drivers and just impeccable to work with!
- Jill Pitz (Harpist) - There was actually a trio who played for the ceremony and they did an OUTSTANDING job! The music just brought tears to your eyes thinking about the meaning of marriage and the step that Mike & Jamie were taking in their lives today!
- Bokay Florist - Mrs. Angie Kenley is just AMAZING! She provided the set-up and tear down of the cabana and let me just tell you that it was STUNNING and really set the stage for the evening!
- Paper By Appointment - Michele is just unmatched! Her personalized service just makes her customers want to continue to come back to her for every event! Michele provided the name cards and table numbers with the state of Texas motif! She is just GREAT at what she does!
I still can't believe this wedding is over even after all of this time! Like I said earlier, we just LOVED working with everyone involved and we truly are thankful for the friendships we have established!
We want to wish Mike & Jamie the absolute best! They went back to Mexico (where they got engaged) for their honeymoon and then Jamie moved down to Texas to be with Mike and his family. They bought their first house and Jamie found a teaching job! The didn't have to evacuate for Hurricane Ike, so that was good! It sounds like they are doing AMAZING and we just want them to know that they were such a pleasure to work with and get to know! Thank you to the both of you and your families for allowing us to share in your special day. You both looked AMAZING on your wedding day and we hope you have an AWESOME life together! Remember to live, laugh and love!
