It was a smoking hot Friday, but we were chilling downtown in Cedar Rapids at the HarMac with Casey and Jenny on their wedding day. Their story is one of love and faithfulness through trials, distance and cat hair. It was a pleasure to serve them and their families, also in part due to their hospitality that ensured food was available to anyone every other hour. 🙂
As Jenny and the girls were finishing up hair and makeup, the team from Unique Events was busy making the McIntire room (reception space) look absolutely stunning. It was basically a styled shoot setup, so I felt like I was busy shooting pretty details all day. The Unique Events team carried the load throughout the day, with decor, design and floral, coordination and planning, DJ and photo booth.
When Jenny was finished with her beauty treatments, and she was helped into her beautiful wedding dress, we had a special first look scheduled with her dad. After just a small bit of coaching from his wife on what was actually about to happen, he delivered a beautiful moment for us to capture – the love, joy and pride of a father on his daughter’s wedding day. Even though it only happens in a matter of a couple minutes, a dad’s first look with his daughter on her wedding day are consistently some of my favorite moments to be a part of.
It was then time for first look with Casey. It was a sweet moment, but surely not nearly as dramatic as their first look when Jenny had been waiting forever for him to return from his deployment overseas. As they enjoyed simply being with one another, we prepared for portraits of them and the wedding party. Like I said, it was a hot one, and I don’t think anyone wanted to spend more than 10-15 minutes outside on this particular day. Fortunately, with the HarMac being such a photogenic venue, we were able to get amazing photos and still spend the majority of our time in the comfort of one of man’s finest achievements – air conditioning.
The ceremony was short and sweet with lots of natural light shining through the big windows. Guests were able to sip custom cocktails during the ceremony because they had a cocktail hour prior to the ceremony where Casey and Jenny had a chance to greet guests and be present with them in a less chaotic setting. After the ceremony, their guests enjoyed an amazing chicken and steak dinner prepared by Peppercorn Food Company.
As everyone was finishing dinner, loved ones gave heartfelt toasts that left most of the room with a misty eye condition. You learn a lot about people from listening closely to the toasts at their wedding. These are two very impressive people that love each other and have a servant’s heart for others. Their coming together, and even their simply being alive sounded like a legit miracle.
After their first dance and parent dances, we finished the night with all the guests moving and grooving on the dance floor. We stepped out for a few photos on the rooftop at sunset, which was beautiful!
Casey and Jenny, thank you for having us be a part of your wedding day and sharing your story with us. We wish you all the best for a lifetime of love and happiness together!
Hair – Adeva Coralville
Makeup – Lindsey Michelle Makeup Artist
Cake/Cupcakes – Scratch Cupcakery
Catering – Peppercorn Food Company
Flowers, Décor, Day of Coordinator, DJ, Photobooth – Unique Events
Popcorn – Almost Famous Popcorn
Suit – Men’s Wearhouse
Dress – Heart to Heart
Photographers – Carter Photography
