Luke and I celebrated our union as husband and wife with 100 of our closest friends and family in South Bend, IN on December 27, 2019. I had dreamed of this day since I was a little girl and didn’t get a wink of sleep the night before my wedding! The excitement was beyond real.
My goal for our wedding was to create an elegant, modern environment filled with lots of romantic candlelight and greenery draping. Luke and I included personalized touches to the event, such as handwritten vows, my homemade sugar cookies, and Military Dress Blue uniforms. Our wedding was absolutely perfect and expressed our love for one another, as well as the fun, wild side of our relationship!
The day began with me and my bridesmaids at our South Bend Air B ‘n’ B. Luke and I wanted to start our day with a personal touch, reminding each other of the meaning of this day and what we love about one another. We each exchanged love notes the evening before that were to be opened the morning of the wedding. In addition to these notes, we purchased each other our favorite fragrance to be opened and worn on the wedding day. Ahhh I love him. After this tear jerking moment, I had some quick hugs and baked oatmeal with my girlies, and I was on my way to get beautified. My up-do was first on the list. My sweeping, twisted low bun was elegantly crafted by Kayse at Salon 301. Next stop, Ashley Troxel Artistry for makeup, almost… I did have to make a quick trip to CVS to purchase a toothbrush and toothpaste. Of all mornings to forget to brush?! Now I was ready to be fully transformed. The look was created by Ashley with airbrushed foundation, a brown hued smoky eye, and was completed with a muted, matte lip.
The morning filled with getting ready went by SO fast, and I hurried back to the Air B ‘n’ B to put on my dress and show myself off to my girlies. I purchased my Essence of Australia lace, fit and flare dress from One Fine Day boutique. I could not wait to show this baby off (this was my budget splurge for the wedding). My photographer, Katie Hochstetler with Foreground Design Studio, captured sweet moments of me getting ready with my momma and bridesmaids, as well as caught the first look.
Now that my closest ladies have all seen me, it was time to show myself off to my almost husband! Luke and I decided to do a first look simply for photography purposes, and it ended up being a very special moment on a downtown rooftop in South Bend. Because we had a Friday evening wedding in December, we needed to capture as many photos as we could in the daylight, as well as I did not want guests waiting for Luke and I to take photos. I enjoyed having a private first look because it allowed Luke and me to have a moment during the day just for ourselves.
Our ceremony and reception both took place at the ballroom in The LaSalle, the first hotel in downtown South Bend. This two level venue, complete with marble tiling, glamorous chandeliers, and dual balconies, gave us the romantic, timeless look that we wanted. The ceremony was filled with unique touches that provided the audience with a look into our relationship. I walked down the aisle to “XO” by John Mayer and met my groom in his Army Dress Blue uniform. Throughout the ceremony, we exchanged personalized vows in private, as well as nailed a bottle of Indiana wine and love letter into a wine box that we will open on our five year anniversary.
We were now Mr. and Mrs. Beal! Let the party begin, and let me tell you the party was wild. We made our grand entrance down the winding staircase into the reception to the song “Forever” by Chris Brown. An oldie, but SUCH a goodie. I wanted the reception to be a memorable experience for everyone and tried to incorporate touches that were unique to Luke and I and allowed the audience to get involved! After the traditional first dances (of course to John Mayer), Luke and I played the shoe game. If you haven’t heard of this, it is a fun time! The bride and groom sit back to back each holding one of their own shoes and one of their partner’s shoes. The DJ will read a list of questions, and the bride and groom hold up whichever shoe they think is more fitting for the answer. For example, the DJ asked who has the better sense of style, and we both held up my shoe indicating that we both thought I had the better fashion sense! It is such a way for the crowd to interact and get to know the couple better, as well as broke up the dancing nicely! Throughout the evening, we also had quite the intense cake cutting moment! Luke and I played DIRTY. I legitimately chased him around the reception trying to smear him, unfortunately he outran me. Glad army training is good for something. After dancing the night away, sipping on cocktails, and munching on the cookies from the dessert bar, Luke and I made our escape.
The wedding was everything I had ever dreamed of, and I am so thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life married to my bestie!
XOXO,
Abbey Rose