I’m not doing the usual Saturday Night post today because last Saturday I went to a wedding instead of going out to eat. And it was a very special wedding, my friends Amber and Joe got married and it was a beautiful wedding ceremony and a super-fun reception. The celebration started on Thursday at Tannins & Hops and then we all gathered on Friday to get ready for the big moment on Saturday!
The Rehearsal
On Friday we met at the chapel in Three Sisters Park where the wedding ceremony would take place on Saturday. This is the chapel before it was decorated for the wedding.
Soon everyone got busy decorating the chapel and Amber’s dad entertained us by playing some tunes on the piano. The chapel looked so pretty after the flowers, sashes and other decorations were put in place. Then Reverend Michael Brown from the Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria arrived and he did a great job of explaining how the wedding ceremony would run and we all rehearsed our different roles in the wedding. Afterwards I got a shot of the wedding party minus Ryan who somehow escaped this picture! Well, we’ll see him soon! From the left it’s: Roger, Sue, Diane, Amber, Joe, Chuck and Danielle. I spent the rest of the evening being nervous that I was going to screw up my part in the wedding! It's what I do.
The Chapel At Three Sisters Park
The chapel at Three Sisters Park is such a nice, cozy and pretty place for a wedding!
The Parents and Grandparents
The top photo is Amber’s parents, Diane and Chuck, then there’s Joe’s folks, Sue and Roger and in the last photo it’s Roger with Joe’s grandparents, Steve and Wilma. All of them looked absolutely fantastic!
Maid of Honor and Best Man
Danielle was Amber’s Maid of Honor and Ryan was Joe’s Best Man. Danielle looked so pretty and Ryan looked dashing in his kilt. Ryan, Joe and Joe’s grandfather Steve all wore traditional kilts for the ceremony in honor of Joe’s Scottish heritage.
Pre-Wedding Guests
I didn’t take a lot of pre-wedding shots because Amber and Joe had a professional photographer taking photos and I didn’t want to get in the way, but I did take a few and here they are. The top photo features some guests arriving and there’s Steve and Kathy on either side of Reverend Michael and his wife Diane. I got a shot of Jon with Amber’s dad and then I took a quick one in the chapel of the bagpipe musician playing songs before the wedding ceremony started. Then I played a quick round of dueling cameras with Loni who was taking the wedding photos.
The Father and The Bride Walk Down The Aisle
My duties in the wedding included walking Joe’s grandparents and Amber’s mom down the aisle and then I was in charge of opening the doors up for Amber and her dad to walk down the aisle. I took this photo right before of Amber and her dad and she looks so beautiful and Chuck looks very proud and handsome next to his pretty daughter. Then I opened up the doors and the wedding ceremony started with the crowd gazing happily at the father and the bride walking down the aisle.
Wedding Photos By Loni Wenzel
As I said, Amber and Joe had a professional photographer taking photos and the photographer was Loni Wenzel, the owner and photographer at Yellow Lily Photography. She got some fantastic photos of the wedding ceremony and I appreciate her letting me use them here. The ceremony was so beautiful and well thought-out. Reverend Michael gave such a nice and meaningful talk about marriage and then married Amber and Joe. After the wedding vows and ceremony Loni took some photos of the wedding party, which turned out so nice. Afterwards everyone commented about what a wonderful wedding ceremony this was. Amber, Joe and Reverend Michael put a lot of thought and feeling into what was said and it was a beautiful moment in time that we’ll all remember.
The Reception
The reception was held in the basement bowling alley and dining hall at St. Ann’s Church in downtown Peoria. This was a great idea for a wedding reception, there’s a nice bar down here complete with two bartenders (I didn’t write their names down, but they did a wonderful job), a pool table, four bowling lanes and a large dining area.
The Guests
Of course the guests are what make a wedding reception complete and there was a lot of fun, colorful and wonderful people in attendance. Here’s some of them I captured enjoying the reception with the trusty MBIP Camera!
The Wedding Dinner
The wedding dinner was catered by Childers Eatery and it was delicious! Lots of tasty dishes to choose from and everyone really enjoyed the wedding feast.
More Guest Shots
After dinner I roamed around and got more shots of the guests in attendance!
Cutting The Wedding Cake
Here’s Amber and Joe cutting the wedding cake and feeding each other the first slices! The cake was from Trefzger’s Bakery, so I don’t need to even tell you how rich and delicious it was! The top tier was vanilla and below that was chocolate!
The Bride And The Groom Begin The Bowling Portion Of The Evening
Amber and Joe were the first to start off the bowling for the evening and here they are putting on their bowling shoes and getting ready for the first frame as husband and wife! Check out Amber’s bowling ball, it’s like they ordered it special to match her dress!
Everybody Bowls!
Soon everyone got into the spirit and the party turned into some lively bowling matches! I’ve never been to a wedding reception with bowling and it was so much fun, everyone had a blast!
Congratulations Amber And Joe!
Congratulations and cheers to the new husband and wife, Amber and Joe Bohannan! I was honored to have been part of the wedding party and I wish both of you a lifetime of love, happiness and fun!
Related Posts: Amber And Joe’s Pre-Wedding Party @ Tannins & Hops, The Fourth Annual Amber Birthday Extravaganza and MBIP On Ice Featuring The Skating Talents of Amber & Joe!