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St. Louis, Mo.

wedding coordinator •  Josie Littlepage, Cosmopolitan Events
hair/makeup •  Christy Parson
florist •  Artistry
ceremony •  Graham Chapel
reception venue •  The Coronado Ballroom
band •  Arvell & Company
dress •  Kenneth Pool
bridesmaid dresses •  Watters
stationary •  Cheree Berry Paper

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the songs

bridal processional • “Sabrina (End Credits)” –John Williams
unity candle  • “Clair de Lune” –Claude Dubussy
necklace presentation to Merritt  • “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
recessional  • “The Wedding March” –Mendelssohn
introductions  • “Fly Me to the Moon” –Frank Sinatra
cake cutting  • “The Best is Yet to Come” –Frank Sinatra
first dance  • “Night & Day” –Frank Sinatra
father/daughter  • “Unforgettable” –Nat King Cole
mother/son  • “The Way You Look Tonight” –Frank Sinatra
daughter/mother  • “The Time (Dirty Bit)” –The Black Eyed Peas (Watching them dance was one of the highlights of my day…)

ashley+casey

What was the most memorable moment of your day?

Ashley: It was honestly all so memorable – but I would have to say there were a few big ones: We did a first sight meeting before the wedding, I was so nervous…like old school butterflies in the belly as I was waiting behind the corner to see Casey for the first time…man did I marry myself a “hot tamale!!” The other one was when we were at the church and I was waiting behind the doors with my dad. He asked me, “So are you ready?” and I said, “Yes!!” The warmth and love in the church was overwhelmingly beautiful. Everyone we loved was there rooting us on…it was pretty awesome, knowing I was walking down the aisle to the man of my dreams! The other big one: was sitting at our head table, breathing in the smell of the flowers and just in awe of how beautiful it all was. I kept thinking – This is our wedding!!!

Casey: really enjoyed hanging out with all my buddies getting ready for the wedding. My brother and my dad helping me get ready for the big day. The first time I saw Ashley in the hotel at the first sight…and when the doors opened at the church and I saw Ashley. And having my brother standing up there with me.

 

Any advice for future bride/grooms?

Ashley: 1. Hire Bobbi+Mike (This is a must!) Thanks Ashley! 2. If you can, get a wedding planner to help – ours was fantastic. She took care of everything so on the big day all I had to worry about was not tripping on my wedding dress when I was walking down the aisle! 3.  Have fun with it! In the beginning of the planning I was a little stressed out – but on the big day I was just so happy. All the stupid things I was worried about didn’t matter. All I wanted to do on our special day was just take it all in…so there may have been a few things that happened – but I didn’t even notice because I was just so happy! 4. Cherish every moment and try to take it all in! It goes by too fast! 5. Be happy! This is your wedding day!!!

Casey: The only thing I can think of is doing the first sight…I would have been a mess if I waited until Ashley walked down the aisle to see her for the first time.

 

Funniest memory from your wedding day?

Ashley: We decided to have our dog, Chewy and my sister’s dog, Mr. B come to the photo session in the park. Mr. B was so excited to see me he jumped up on me and just missed my dress. (My sister freaked out more than I did!) Chewy has arthritis and Casey was trying to get him to sit down…Chewy got upset when his leg got touched and almost bit Casey (Bobbi, it was like the devil coming out!)…two almost disasters that make us laugh nowAnother one was when I put my veil on for the first time and started weeping and I said, “I’m so happy!” I was a leaker that day for sure

Casey: Being up in the room getting ready with my buddies and Tommy Adams telling stories.

 

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

Ashley: Nope! It was beyond perfect. Maybe get a few more hours stuffed into a day? It goes by fast! Oh…and I would have gotten more pics with my buds in the Photo Booth! Almost forgot about it until the end of the night!

Casey: Make it longer!

 

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Bora Bora! Then HawaiiPerfection!!!!!

 

 

Much love friends!

~bobbi+mike

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Lodi, Calif.

coordinator  • Laurel Anderson, Esla Events
hair •  Stephanie Pace (Bride’s Friend)
makeup •  Jill Briggs
florist • Crimson Horticultural Rarities
ceremony & reception •  Oak Farm Vineyards
officiant •  Sanford Marshall
cake •  Freeport Bakery
ice cream •  The Velvet Grill And Creamery
graphic artist • Leigh Okies Events
dress •  Amy Kuschel
tux •  Bar III by Macy’s
tie •  Ben Sherman

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their songs

processional
Family, bridal party + Groom • I Should Have Known Better –The Beatles
Bride • Mendelsohn’s Wedding March – Performed by all 90 of their guests on kazoos
recessional • Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows –Lesley Gore (also the theme of their wedding!)
introductions  • Eye Of The Tiger –Survivor
first dance  • Moon River –Andy Williams
father/daughter & mother/son • What A Wonderful World –Louis Armstrong
cake cutting  • I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) –The Four Tops
last dance  • God Only Knows –The Beach Boys

 

molly+glen

 

What was the most memorable moment of your day?

molly: Just one? Pffft!1) Kazoos — more on those in a second. 2) Having the people who mean the most to me in this world (some of whom live far from my heart) all in once place and getting to love on them all day. 3) Hanging out just before the processional, listening, dancing and singing along to all of my favorite old songs being played for our guests while they waited. 3) The kazoo practice round, which really had to be experienced to be appreciated. 4) My dad forgetting to give me away! (He said he just wasn’t ready to let go yet. :)) 6) My dad’s super long speech!  All of our speeches, really.  7) Surprising Glen after the ceremony with custom ice cream from a local creamery. (We eat a LOT of ice cream together.) 6) Dancing like a fool. And oh yeah,Marrying the best fellow I know.

glen: The kazoos were definitely a uniquely memorable moment. After our family friends instructed all the guests on how to use the kazoos, there was a trial run while the wedding party was hidden away getting lined up for the procession. When everyone started playing “Hear Comes The Bride” it sounded like the wedding of a giant swarm of bees. It was hilarious and phenomenal and the entire party burst into laughter. It also was a great moment because you never know how wacky things like that will work with a crowd—but it couldn’t have gone better and it really set the tone for the second half of the party, which was that we were all there to have a great time

 

Any advice for future bride/grooms?

molly: 1) Fly Bobbi+Mike to your wedding.  Duh.  2) Hire a good team if it’s practical for you.  Our wedding coordinator and florist / designer MADE our wedding.  Thanks to them it was beautiful, joyous and easy.  3) Consider eating dinner first!  Food and relaxation were important to us, and we wanted to get married on full stomachs, so we ate before our ceremony.  It made for some extra considerations on the logistical side of things (like attending all my wedding dress fittings after a big lunch!), but the end result was a jolly, laid-back atmosphere that flowed through the rest of the day.  4) Embrace crazy ideas if they make you happy (like kazoos!). 5) Ignore your DJ when he says he knows your and your guests’ musical preferences better than you do. 6) Wait to get married until you’re old enough to know that very few people on planet earth dance well, so that you’ll be more likely to dance the night away with no shame or pretense and love it.  And finally, 7) Be happy happy happy!

glen: Make your wedding day fun for you and your guests — and then actually have fun!

 

Funniest memory from your wedding day?

molly: Hands down, being serenaded down the aisle by all 90 of our guests playing “Here Comes The Bride” on Kazoos.  Backstory: We REALLY procrastinated on picking a DJ.  Finally my mother proclaimed that since we were running out of time to find someone, she was just going to buy a box of bulk kazoos and we’d have the guests hum the music all night.  GENIUS!  The processional was the part of the day I was most nervous about (I’m not a center-of-attention woman), and I wanted to make it lighthearted and spread the attention around. Oh my great goodness, did I succeed — it was outstanding.  By the time I made it to Glen, I was crying from laughing so hard that the officiant had to give me a good minute to recompose myself.  My only regret is that we don’t have this on video!

glen: Kazoos!

 

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

We would have eaten more!  Specifically: BBQ + ice cream.  Otherwise, not a thing!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We just bought a house, so we postponed our “real” honeymoon until next year.  Instead, we spent a few days in Yosemite National Park, and we’ll save three weeks in China and Tibet for our first anniversary!

 

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Grand Rapids, Mich.

hair • Kayley Herringa
makeup • Mary, The Leslie Studio
florist • The Flower Garden
invitation & program designer • Megan Gilger of Hitch Design
church • St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
reception venue • Johnson Park
cocktail band • The Crane Wives
dinner musicians • Garrett Stier and Jack Droppers of Stationary Travelers
& Katie Schell and Eric Michaels of Paper Thick Walls
dj • Alex Kontras
desserts • Wednesday Evening Cookies
caterer • Marie Catrib’s
beer • Founder’s Brewery Grand Rapids
wine • Leelanau Cellars
hard cider • Tandem Ciders
dress • Watters
bridesmaid dresses • Lulu’s
suit • Topman

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their songs

first dance • “Can’t Help Falling In Love” –Ingrid Michaelson
father/daughter • “The Way you Look” –Steve Tyrell
mother/son • “What a Wonderful World” –Louis Armstrong
last dance • “First Day of My Life” –Bright Eyes

mae+bryan

What was the most memorable moment of your day?

mae: So much of the day was memorable! I can honestly (and gladly) say that the day seemed to pass at the perfect pace, giving me many moments to just sit back and soak everything in. I loved getting ready with my girlfriends and my mom, loved seeing Bryan for the first time during our first look, loved our portrait time. Walking down the aisle and seeing Bryan crying at the end was a moment I know I will never forget, as was being announced husband and wife. I loved arriving at our reception site in a huge downpour, seeing all of our friends and family partying on the porch of the lodge, dancing to The Crane Wives. We had hoped for months for clear skies during our cocktail hour but alas, it rained and somehow was even better for that. Waltzing through the crowd on the porch, with the rain pounding on the roof was such a beautiful, memorable time. The power going out because of the rain was QUITE memorable and I am humbled by the ways our friends and family rallied together to supply us (immediately, it seemed) with hundreds of candles to light the tables, as well as generators to get the PA up and running for our dinner musicians to play. Honestly, if we could do it again I would almost ask that the power go out because it created such a cozy feel and really highlighted the beauty of the people who surround us. Oh, and beyond all those moments that I remember so well (I warned you…so much of the day sticks out so clearly in my mind), our first dance was beautiful, dancing with my dad was so meaningful and our last dance, surrounded by our friends and family to one of our favorite songs makes me tear up just to remember. And then, TRULY the most memorable part of the day (this was what you REALLY asked for, wasn’t it?) was running out through the sparklers at the end and standing by our car watching as our guests ran around and danced on the lawn. Bryan and I just stood there leaning against each other, watching all the people so dear to our hearts have a blast and it was completely perfect.

bryan: Well, now that Mae just about covered it, can I second everything she said? I’ll share my two favorite memories: seeing her walk down the aisle and watching our friends dance like crazy on the lawn with the sparklers. I guess I could add the dancing in general. We wanted to throw a great dance party and I’m proud we were successful. We had folks doing the worm, backflips, and I hear that Mae’s dad even did the splits. So, so good.

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Any advice for future bride/grooms?

mae+bryan: Relax, have fun, and throw a party that is uniquely you. And when things go wrong, watch the ways that they resolve themselves or the ways that your friends and family make it work. It is so wonderful. Also, be sure to take the time, even if it is just for a moment, to stand back and watch your guests have a blast. It is a beautiful thing to realize that all of those people are having such a good time because they are celebrating your love and supporting this next step of your life.

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Funniest memory from your wedding day?

bryan: Shoving cake in Mae’s face (and up her nose) and Bobbi [knowing that their plan was to shove cake in each other's faces] in the background saying [as they held up their cupcakes ready to lodge them], “I just want you to know that I do not approve of this idea…”

Bryan, don’t you give me that look!

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Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We went to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee and then to Asheville, North Carolina for a few nights.