The priest who married Penny and Daniel said it best right after their ceremony, exclaiming,  “You have so many people who love you!” Indeed hundreds of family members and friends packed St. John Catholic Church in Bartlesville for their October 1st wedding and then joined them for an evening of fun at the nearby Hillcrest Country Club. With ten groomsmen and ten bridesmaids, ushers, ringbearers, flower girls, it was truly a wedding “party.” But in the middle of it, Penny and Daniel radiated calm. Even when they saw each other before the ceremony, with the sun glinting in on Penny’s stunning gown (blooming with cascades of fabric gathered like roses), it was with a sweet quietness. We moved the whole wedding party into Bartlesville’s historic downtown and played around for photos in the brick alleyways. What a fun group of people! And again, they were showing so much love for this pair. (And laughing pretty hard when a gigantic prehistoric-looking bug started dive-bombing the bouquets and scattering the bridesmaids.)

I’m guessing that when those who attended look back at Penny and Daniel’s ceremony, what they will remember most is Penny’s entrance and the bagpipes. When the familiar organ strains stopped and Victor Anderson of the Tulsa-based Anderson Pipe Band let the pipes sing, it was simply amazing. The organ joined in and as Victor headed down the aisle, the whole place reverberated with the wildness of the pipes and the smoothness of the organ. It was so moving, and then there in the middle of all that beautiful music came Penny on the arm of her brother, Troy.  People talked about it all night. Wow! That entrance left a lump in my throat. 

The country club made a stunning impression, too, with swaths of gauze and golden lights gathered up over the dance floor and bouquets by Flowerland on the tables. DJ Connections got people on their feet and a heavenly cake from Ludger’s made them sit down again, at least to grab a few bites before hitting the dance floor. It was a great party, especially when Penny’s sisters and brother had everyone laughing with their toasts and when Daniel’s fraternity brothers serenaded Penny on their knees. So many of Penny and Daniel’s friends talked about their admiration for this pair and their happiness in seeing them together. I’m glad that Josh and I got to be in on it, too. Congrats to you guys! _ Kelly

The first time Jennifer saw Matt, he was running down the church hallway. “He’s so cute!” she immediately thought. Even though he was older and, well, she was just a second grader, she never forgot that first impression. It took more years than a second grader could possibly have imagined for the older boy at Central Baptist Church in Ponca City to finally notice her. Jennifer was a new college graduate, a beautiful young woman just returned home, when he spotted her in the pews. On Sept. 10, the two married in an open field just outside of the church where their love bloomed. Even the heavens gave them a blessing, opening up from a dreary drizzle to reveal a gorgeous sunset just at their ceremony began.

They decided to see each other before the wedding. Jennifer flowed across that field in her ruffled gown toward the little stand of trees where Matt waited. It was a beautiful moment _ Matt nervous, turning, his eyes just kind of melting as Jennifer met him with the happiest of smiles. Matt gently touched her bouquet, touched her dress, taking it all in. Donetta, who was also shooting that day, captured the two of them in a beam of light that broke through the canopy. She also took this wonderful image of Jennifer absentmindedly touching the button on Matt’s jacket.  Sometimes love’s most tender moments are in the smallest of details.

The bridesmaids were lovely in turquoise, their hair beautifully done by The Parlour in Ponca City. Their bouquets came from Grand Flowers. Nearly 300 people gathered for the ceremony,  which included a little surprise at the end. Immediately after introducing them as Mr. and Mrs., the couple’s pastor sealed the deal by handcuffing them. (Matt is a policeman and, with a lot of the force in attendance, he seemed to have no trouble locating a key!) After the ceremony, the couple celebrated in the church’s Family Life Center with barbecue (including a barbecue fountain!) and a stunning cake made by Matt’s aunt, Laura Sheik.

Jennifer had told me she wanted her formal photos to have a little drama. The sunset proved the star of that show. Orange, purples and pinks filled the sky just as the ceremony ended making the perfect background for a dramatic kiss or two _ or three or four.  It was hard to stop taking photos of these two on such a splendid night filled with so much love. Thank you, guys, for letting us share in it! _ Kelly