Photos! Serving a Serviceman & His Wife

If you saw my second to last post, you might have been patiently awaiting the photos to follow the story of Jessica and Patrick Zeigler's wedding day...I know I was! Well, they are here! And gosh, am I excited to show them off...even though I had very little to do with what you see in the photos. Again, I was the day of coordinator for Jessica and Patrick. Everything was planned and ready - I just had to set up and make sure everything ran smoothly - and I'm proud to say it did!

Enjoy everyone!




Bride's bouquet by Le Jardin. All the floral arrangements for the day were gorgeous. And if you know me, you know I loved the great job they did with all of the peacock feathers...wait until you get to the photo of the cake!


You may have heard me say it before, but the "first see" is one of my favorite parts of the day. I wasn't here for this one, so thank you Ben Sassani for capturing this moment for the rest of us to enjoy! And, thank you for sharing all of these photos. Your work is truly amazing!


Ceremony was held at the beautiful Plummer House in the lower gardens.


And the reception was at the Rochester Art Center.




Jessica and Patrick, thank you so much for allowing me to share in your day! God bless.


(Also, found this link. If anyone wants to watch Jessica and Patrick's Extreme Home Makeover Edition, here you go!)

MY Best Friend's Wedding

Well, where do you start when it's your best friend's wedding?! I apologize if this one's a little lengthy, but it's hard to pick and choose between all the details!

My sister Megan's wedding was beautiful, SO much fun, and I had looked forward to it almost as much as my own wedding! Megan did a wonderful job explaining her vision to her vendors, my mom and myself - one of the most important jobs of the bride. She wanted a more casual, country-elegant celebration. And that's exactly what was accomplished!

Hands down to my mom, as she really did the majority of the planning. I helped here and there, but it was a little hard to do from Minnesota to Texas. When I flew down to experience the venue myself, I helped out mostly by determining the flow of the event - one of my favorite things to think about before an event. I also did some coordinating the night of to make sure everything went smoothly for Megan and Jay. Darren Moll, from the Ashton Depot in Fort Worth, was the...should I say...the "wedding over see-er!" He and his staff did an absolutely amazing job. Darren oversaw my wedding three and a half years ago, and my dad knew he wanted to work with him again. Darren started from the very beginning by finding THE ranch that my sister had been dreaming of and wrapped up the evening with his staff providing the best 5-star service that you can ask for!

How about some pictures?!

Station Branch Ranch, Granbury, TX

I moved these crazy hay bales with Frank, the ranch foreman. Who knew I could lift a hay bale myself? Frank deserves a huge thanks as he worked harder than anyone getting ready for this wedding. I can't even list all of the things that Frank spruced up for us - buffed the barn floor, repainted the entire barn and guest house, planted flowers, and tended to the land and livestock as he loves to do!


Bob & Charles Ross in Amarillo have now made 5 pairs of custom cowboy boots for my family, amongst many other things!


Fan programs to help cool our fabulous guests.



However, God showed how He works in wondrous ways! The day of the wedding, Granbury reached a record high - 109 degrees! (It was even a little hot for me!) An hour before the ceremony a huge rain cloud (in the middle of a horrible drought mind you) rolled in over us, cooling things down a good 10 to 15 degrees.

Megan and Jay went back and forth about not getting married in a church, but the rain cloud showed that He was present during their vows. How can He not be glorified in the middle of His beautiful creation?!

Now one humorous moment during the ceremony was due in part to my dad - imagine that! He repeated something he said at my wedding. I guess you can call it another one of his funny traditions. When the minister asked who gives the bride to this groom, my father answered, "Her mother and I are good to go!" Typical!


My husband's favorite photo that he took - Jay and his two brothers!


Grand entrance to the reception.


Cafe Lights strung from stall to stall. L-O-V-E.


Decor leading you to the tent! Something you can't see in this picture is a beautiful lavender wreath that was hung around the gate entrance.


One thing that Megan completely let me have the reins over were the linens. She of course could have vetoed whatever I picked, but she knew I was dying to pick something out! We chose warm, silver taffeta floor length linens. To. Die. For!



The Blooming Bride did a wonderful job with the flowers.





Cakes were provided by The Cake Guys. They were delicious!




The reception was a blast! My mom (above) is clearly having a good time! My dad had a heart-felt speech prepared for Megan complete with music (Another One Bites the Dust) and all! Jeffrey and I, on the other hand, were pretty nervous about our speeches. We made a great pair - both shaking and had no idea what to say! But, we both did a great job...if I do say so myself!

And you have to notice the amazing, purple Waterford champagne flutes that Megan and Jay used. GO FROGS!


Other vendors included Davy Knapp Photography (thanks for the wonderful photos) and New Ground Band.


Can't ask for much more than to celebrate with the closest friends and family. We are truly blessed and all have so much to be thankful for. Megan & Jay we love you!

Sneak Peak: Serving a Serviceman & His Wife

Yesterday, I had the great honor...privilege...pleasure...opportunity (you choose the word!) to coordinate the ceremony and reception of a serviceman and his bride - Staff Sgt. Patrick Zeigler and his wife Jessica. Many of you may know the inspirational story of the Fort Hood survivor and his amazing wife. This is a real couple, and this was a real wedding!

Jessica called me the day before the wedding to see if I would be willing to be their day-of-coordinator. I was not only willing, I was thrilled! It's not an everyday opportunity to thank, or for that matter, serve someone in the military, their spouse and their family in return for all that they do. While I don't know every detail about the couple or their story (not many can, I'm sure), it was easy to pick up on a few things - what they mean to each other, their family, and their friends. With only spending 24+ hours with the bride and groom, I can tell you they represent the meaning of marriage - determination, commitment, selflessness and thankfulness.

Jessica and Patrick had a small, beautiful ceremony at the Plummer House in the lower garden and then celebrated their reception at the Rochester Art Center. This was a wedding that completely showed who they are and what they love! The bold navy and eggplant, bright green and accents of gold and peacock feathers represented the bride's rich personality. They were surrounded by supportive and loving family and friends. They served Mai Tais as their specialty drink and had friends from Hawaii sing and play guitar (they were amazing!). The groom lived in Hawaii for several years as his dad was stationed there, and Hawaii is where the couple met! One of the most unique details was the memorial table mixed among all the other tables at the reception. It was set with complete place settings and draped in a sheer gold overlay. The purpose of this special table was not only to remember their dear friends and family members lost, but to also remember those currently serving our country. Patrick said a few heart felt words after cutting the cake, reminding everyone of those currently serving in our military and why they serve - Love and Freedom.

Many of us were more than happy to support this couple and to symbolize support of our servicemen, women and veterans. What an honor. What a great way to say thank you! All vendors included: Le Jardin European Style Floral who also provided the linens, Sassani Photography (Ben came all the way from Houston, TX! To view his photos from their first wedding, click here.) Canadian Honker the caterer, Brad O'Conner Photography supplied the photo booth, Hy-Vee provided the cake, Seize the Moment Entertainment was the DJ, and live music was provided by Mr. and Mrs. Randy Allen from Hawaii.

I hope to post photos soon, so check back often. But for a sneak peak, you can watch this video clip from local KAAL News Ch. 6.

I truly believe every couple has a love story, but this is a story I will never forget!

(I didn't feel right telling the bits and pieces of their story that I know, so here are a few links if you'd like to read more about Jessica and Patrick: About the Couple, Extreme Home Make Over.)

Happy 4th of July

The first party at our new house. We were so excited to celebrate 4th of July - two fold - with a housewarming party! With that came fun decor and details!



Specialty drink! White wine, carbonated lemonade, lime and mint.


Patriotic planters.



Biggest flag on the block. Do have to say we are proud!


Impromptu dessert. I'm a strawberry girl!


And a very unique piece created by my husband. We've saved many wine bottles just waiting to use them in a fun way! So, in an attempt to keep the mosquitoes away and add a little classy touch, we made these...




Paper lanterns and cafe lights.



It was a great party, and we enjoyed celebrating with everyone. To those who were here, thanks for allowing us to share our new home with you!