1. Real Weddings

Elissa & Andy: A Summer Wedding in Omaha, NE

Family tradition was the theme of the day for the wedding of Elissa deFreese and Andy Marking. They were wed by her father in the church where her gra

Family tradition was the theme of the day for the wedding of Elissa deFreese and Andy Marking. They were wed by her father in the church where her grandfather was formerly the pastor. THE BRIDE Elissa deFreese, 24, graphic artist THE GROOM Andy Marking, 24, respiratory therapist THE DATE September 18 Elissa and Andy both attended Midland Lutheran College and were introduced by a mutual friend. After securing her parents' permission, Andy set up candles all over Elissa's apartment. He presented her with a poem that he had written. He asked me to read it out loud and the last line of the poem read, 'Will you be my beautiful _____?', says Elissa. When I came to the blank Andy got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

The Wedding Party's Looks
The Favors
The Accessories
The Ceremony Decor
Elissa's dad is a pastor so he officiated the wedding, and her aunt, also a pastor, joined in. The church holds many memories for Elissa's family because her now-deceased grandfather had also served there as a pastor.
The bride and groom coordinated blooms: a bouquet of calla lilies for her and a calla lily boutonniere for him. The bridesmaids brought in more color with bright pink, yellow, white and orange roses.
There was no traditional slow dance for this modern couple who took their first twirl to Alison Kraus' When You Say Nothing At All followed by Let's Get Married by Jagged Edge.
The Gown
The lucky ladies also had custom-made dresses. Elissa designed the ones to be worn by her two sisters, who were her maids of honor. They were pink tea-length gowns with a white band at the top and bottom and a thin white belt around the waist.
The Couple
The Flower Girl Details
The Couple
Elissa and Andy cut a three-tier white cake with raspberry torte filling. Geometric shapes and yellow lilies decorated the confection.
The Bellevue Social Centre is a wide-open space with a giant wooden dance floor in the middle. To give the large space an intimate feel Elissa and Andy hung Chinese lanterns from the ceiling and had three cylinder vases filled with cut up oranges and lemons with a floating candle on each table. The only light in the room was the warm glow from the lanterns and the candles.
The Couple
A local seamstress designed Elissa's A-line strapless gown. Clear crystal beads ran across the top and then down one side. Her veil was two-tier with a few crystals mixed in to match the dress. I also wore a locket that my grandfather had given my grandma when they were juniors in college at the same college where Andy and I met, she says. Jana Mueller