A Traditional, Military Wedding at Canal 337 in Indianapolis, Indiana

Almost a decade after meeting in a physics class at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, Kaitlyn Taylor (27 and a food scientist) and Kyle Hanas (27 and a US Marine Corps officer) married in a traditional military wedding at a former church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kaitlyn wore a lace A-line gown with a pearl-trimmed veil and custom shoes as her “something blue," while Kyle donned his Marines blue uniform. She carried a bouquet with white flowers and succulents, that were also used in the boutonnieres for Kyle and his groomsmen.  

Their venue, Canal 337, was a church in another life, so its large wooden beams and sweeping views of the Indianapolis Canal won them over. They decorated simply with lanterns and flowers lining the aisle where a white cross stood as their altar. A harpist played “At Last” as the processional, which was the only break in tradition for an otherwise traditional Christian wedding. After the ceremony, the space was transformed for the reception. “We kept all the decor for the wedding very clean and simple because we wanted the venue to speak for itself,” Kaitlyn says. Tables featured low centerpieces in bowls that allowed guests to interact as well as navy blue lace runners. Potted succulents on the tables were escort cards but later became party favors. Guests dined on regional favorites like Indiana corn pudding. The wedding cake was made of three flavors because of the Kaitlyn's sweet tooth. Among the layers were raspberry sour cream cake with cream cheese filling, lemon orange pound cake with raspberry filling and almond pound cake with fudge filling. Newlyweds Kaitlyn and Kyle shared their first dance to "Springsteen" by Eric Church. —Caroline Eubanks