Happy O
NE YEAR ANNIVERSARY to Holly & Drew! If there is one thing I am very honored to be a part of during the year of a pandemic, it’s a wedding. Covid-19 did not deter the beautiful bride and groom from their wedding day. Plans were altered and accommodations had to be made, but that really spun this wedding day into many beautiful memories for years to come!
Holly completed a fun interview for me to post on the blog. I hope you enjoy her interview and see some of the awesome vendors she used!
Location of Wedding: Our Lady of Fatima, Lakewood, CO https://fatimalakewood.com
Location of Reception: Parking lot tailgate party in the parish parking lot!
Cake Maker: We didn’t have cake - we had cinnamon rolls and donuts! All cinnamon rolls made by Joanna Brady (friend of the bride).
Wedding Planner: Holly is an event planner already! :) But day-of coordinator was Tori Green, Bride’s coworker.
DJ: Combination of Steve Ernst and Nick Smitley with Emcee Jonathan Clark.
First Dance Song: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” - Randy Newman (from the Toy Story)
Dress Boutique: d’Annelli (Lakewood, CO) https://danellibridal.com
Caterer: Biscuits & Berries (https://www.biscuitsandberries.com/)
Florist: Sue Kimball (Kimball Floral) - www.kimballfloral.com
How did you two meet?
We met through mutual friends at a Superbowl Party in February 2019. Funny enough, though, we learned that we had ACTUALLY met once before about seven months prior (July 2018) after a Rockies Game. Holly was with her friends Mary Grace and Alex and Drew knew Alex from high school and saw him from afar and called his name. Drew had just moved to Denver and was living with Chris and Hannah, who Holly met through Alex and Mary Grace. On Superbowl Sunday 2019, Holly and Hannah were on a walk when Holly told Hannah to just give her number out and not tell her. Hannah said that their friend (Drew) had just moved to Denver and she thought they would be a good match.
How did he pop the question?
September 21, 2019. Drew is always on time - usually early, especially for Holly’s standards. :) But I definitely knew it was going to happen that weekend. We were going to go on a hike in Estes Park that Saturday and Drew had said he would pick me up early so we could get back in time for a dinner at Mary Grace and Alex’s house. Drew ended up being an hour late. When we finally got on the road and getting closer to Estes Cone (the hike that we wanted to do), we passed by St. Malo’s - a really beautiful place with a gorgeous chapel where St. Pope John Paul II came to visit in 1993 for World Youth Day. I had never been but always wanted to go, so we took a big u-turn and went into the chapel to look around and pray. Little did I know that this was actually the place that Drew wanted to propose because he knew how much I like JP2. However, there were a bunch of people that came in to take pictures and they were needing to go hiking, so we got back in the car and started up.
About halfway on the hike at Estes Cone, Drew wasn’t sure if he was feeling good, but I said, “Let’s take some shots (from the flasks we brought) and we will make it up there.” Nothing was stopping us from getting to the top, though, because I was very much looking forward to my sandwich and trail mix. When we finally made it about 98% to the top (there really was no way to get to the top - we searched), we sat down to have lunch. Drew wasn’t eating and was fidgeting a lot. At one point Drew snatched the trail mix out of my hands and said some really sweet words, and then proposed! On the way down, it ended up being altitude sickness that Drew had. When we got down the mountain and everything was better, we went to change so we could get to MG and Alex’s house. When we got there, I insisted we go in through the back gate like normal, but Drew said no and that they were probably inside getting things ready. When we walked in the door, there were about 40 people inside for a surprise party that Drew had put together with Mary Grace. It was a blessed day and very special to have so many supportive people there!
What was your favorite moment(s) from the wedding?
Favorite moments include:
The Mass and Homily overall - just SO beautiful and we were lucky to have it all live streamed as well. The homily was given by Holly’s spiritual direction / dear friend Fr. Brendan (she had been waiting 15 years for it!) We even were blessed to have two priests and two Deacons - one Deacon had just been newly ordained and brought Drew/Holly wine from Cana! Fr. John Lager brought us a relic of St. Piux X!
Right after the ceremony was over, Drew and I went into the sacristy / back room and sjut the door and just had like five minutes alone. We just hugged a lot and it was nice just to be together and to take a real good look at each other.
The parking lot party - going to every person’s spot and handing out donuts and cinnamon rolls. Having donuts donated to celebrate our wedding day (and National Donut Day!) as well as cinnamon rolls made by a dear friend - just DELIGHTFUL!
How would you describe your overall wedding experience?
We had to be very flexible, especially as more and more about COVID-19 came into the picture. There were some losses for sure for the overall experience, but ultimately, the number one priority was getting married. Not getting married was NOT an option - even if it was just us, the priest and Chick-Fil-A! We were very blessed to have Christ at the center of the whole experience - from our marriage prep to the rehearsal and day-of. We both have been part of lots of weddings, and we may be biased, but our day was pretty dang awesome!
What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding?
Don’t have too many high expectations. If the color of napkins doesn’t match, it’s not that big of a deal. Your wedding day happens once and you want to enjoy every part. One of Holly’s friends told her to remember the senses - the texture of the suit / dress, the smell and brightness of the flowers, the taste of the food, the sound of those around you. The day is a complete, fast blur but you get to be with your best friend through it all. Ultimately, don’t forget who brought you to one another (God) and to always make the three of you (bride, groom and God) the most important part. Don’t stress about the little things and know that it’s going to be a great and beautiful day no matter what because people who come to celebrate you are there for YOU.
What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple?
If there is something special that you want to remember or a specific shot, or grouping of people, make it happen. If you’re Catholic, getting a picture of the priest holding the Eucharist high up in front of the couple kneeling, with the photographer behind you, is super beautiful! Let the photographer do their job and be creative - that’s why you chose them! :) But if you have something you want specifically, make a list out ahead of time! Kim was AWESOME to work with. Very personable, wanting to hear the stories and get to know the details. It helped that Kim and I have been friends and I’ve seen her work in other areas.
Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one?
Went to two shops total - the first place was David’s Bridal and for me, it was better to try on silhouettes first to get an idea. The second place, d’Annelli, was a great experience. I was able to bring my mom, my future mother-in-law and a close friend / bridesmaid. Wasn’t expecting to find it but when I tried it on, I just imagined myself standing next to Drew in it. Super beautiful with a lace back and buttons up the back. I honestly had NO expectations so when I found it, Drew’s mom started to cry, and that’s kind of when I knew. I felt comfortable, beautiful and could not stop smiling!
Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell me why or why not!
We chose to not see each other before walking down the aisle - we actually didn’t even talk at all the day of the wedding. No texting or phone calls - the first time Drew saw Holly the day of the wedding was when she was walking down the aisle with her parents. I know some couples do a prayer beforehand or touch beforehand, but my mom and bridesmaids prayed over me before walking down the aisle and that was JUST perfect.
Tell us about the vendors you chose!
Dress - d’Anelli
Holly’s Shoes - TOMS (Donut Toms) - what they looked like: https://www.pinterest.at/pin/59954238792625084/
All Men’s Tuxes: Generation Tux https://www.generationtux.com/
Donuts (15 dozen) - donated by LaMar’s Donuts http://www.lamars.com/
Holy Matrimony donut bags (for cinnamon rolls and donuts) - Oriental Trading Company
Donut Cups (for drinks, etc.) - Donated by Donut House http://thedonuthouse.com/
Cinnamon Rolls - homemade by Joanna Brady and Caryn Ritosa
Reception Dinner - Biscuits and Berries https://www.biscuitsandberries.com/
Flowers - Kimball Floral http://kimballfloral.com
What were you most anxious, nervous or fearful about regarding your wedding day and what was the outcome?
Super nervous about the overall feel of the parking lot tailgate party. With COVID-19, our plans changed a lot, didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable, and we were super calm and knew no matter what, it would be awesome. We met A LOT with our day-of coordinator, Tori, who went above and beyond. Nervous about what everyone would think of our changes, but it ended up being one of the most fun weddings people had ever been to. We had coolers with drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and donuts and cinnamon rolls that we put in individualized bags and pulled in a wagon to each group’s parking spot. Since we got married on national donut day, we were able to have a LOT of fun too! Lamar’s actually donated 15 dozen donuts for us to have for the parking lot party. The parking lot party was awesome - after the wedding and taking a few Church photos, the bridal party and Drew/Holly were announced. Everyone had a specific parking spot where they were assigned and they all had their own creativity to use for their parking spot if they wanted.
On all the flower bouquets (for all the girls), Holly had put a different tiny saint on each of them to represent her “Saint Squad”. Holly had a donut pin, St. Mary Magdalene and rosary from Benedictine College that was close to her. The other “saint squad” members included the Blessed Mother (Mary), St. Josephine Bahkita, St. Raphael, Pope John Paul 2, St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Therese of Liseaux.
Holly carried a handkerchief that her aunt Theresa, sent her, which was from her wedding and also considered part of her “something blue”.
Something old: Blusher (her mom’s veil turned into Holly’s blusher)
Something new: Dress
Something borrowed: Veil (borrowed from cousin, Alicia)
Something blue: Lace handkerchief
What kind of food was served at your reception?
We ended up using Biscuits & Berries - catering company that Holly works with A LOT for her job.
MENU:
Herb Seared Chicken Breast
All natural Chicken Breast seared in fresh Herbs and topped with a Champagne Butter Sauce.
Peppercorn Crusted Beef Medallions
Accompanied by a Field Green Salad with Feta, dried Cherries, Candied Pecans, and a White Balsamic Vinaigrette,
Pesto roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Tuscan style grilled Vegetables, Sweet Yeast Rolls, and Pastry Chef Desserts
What was the first song you danced to as…
First dance: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” - Toy Story
Father-Daughter: “My Girl” - Temptations
Mother-Son: “Because You Loved Me” - Celine Dion