Emily & Mark

Wedding Stories

Sep 30

Written By Jenny Reber

TerracotTa, BOHEMIAN, TENT WEDDING

…in the backyard of the bride’s childhood home.

October 20, 2023

Writing this blog post has been on my to-do list for quite awhile…seeing as this magical day was almost an entire year ago…but, with the birth of Hugo and then jumping straight into busy season I have fallen behind on blog posting.

so, I’m thankful to finally have had some time to sit down and reminisce about Emily and mark’s big day.

all my couples hold a special place in my heart, but this couple held an extra special place as I have known the bride, Emily, for over 20 years.

Emily and I grew up one house down from each other and, while I was closer in age to her oldest sister, she was always my little buddy.

I have so many wonderful childhood memories of time spent with the “Meyer Girls” (Emily is one of four girls). from summer pool parties to winter snow days, and many afternoons spent playing dress up (see last photo).

as you can imagine, it was a bit of surreal moment when Mrs. meyer (does anyone else have a hard time calling adults you knew as a child by their first name?!) reached out to see if I would be interested in coordinating emily’s wedding.

Of course, i was overjoyed by the opportunity!

I learned that Emily dreamt of a big tent reception in very backyard we grew up in as kids. not an easy request, as it required filling in the family’s in-ground pool, building out a patio, and hours upon hours of yard work.

(Side Note: if anyone was up for the challenge, it was mr. Meyer! I don’t have many childhood memories of him that don’t include him carrying a shovel or pushing a lawn mower)

I visited the meyer home many times throughout the planning process (my parents still live one house down) and seeing the backyard transform into emily’s dream venue was quite the spectacle.

When the wedding week arrived, the weather threw us all some curveballs but the family, vendors, and I all rallied together to make the most of a very wet situation.

And while things may have not gone as planned weather-wise, the evening was full of so much love and laughter.

Thinking back, here are some of my my favorite parts of the day:

Emily putting on her wedding dress in her parent’s bedroom with the help of her mom and three sisters. So intimate and special!
The color palette! Aside from coordinating, I also provided design guidance and created all the signage. I loved designing with these gorgeous shades of rust and terracotta.
THe. Clear. Top. Tent. Need I say more?! Every guest omitted a “wow” upon entering!
Burger king for a late night snack! What more do you want after a night of dancing and drinking?

Coordinating this wedding felt like taking part in a mini reunion, as I was able to spend time reconnecting with the Meyer family and bumping into old neighbors along the way.

Selfishly, the event was such a special occasion for me, as well. I was half-way through my pregnancy and there was something so poignant about having Hugo along with me as I, once again ran around the meyer’s backyard…only this time i wasn’t barefoot, nor was I trying to dodge water balloons from the boys who lived down the street.

I will always remember the end of the night when we were, once again, all gathered in the meyer’s kitchen and I finally shared with them my exciting news. A moment I will cherish forever!

Dream Team:

Ceremony Venue: St. Monica Catholic Church

Reception Venue: Private Residence

Coordinator, Design Guidance, & Signage: Jenny Reber Events

Photographer: Cynthia Mae Photography

Videographer: Kyle Thacker Photography

Catering: Quality Dining - Papa Vino’s

Rentals: Burn’s Rent-alls, INC

DJ: event One DJs

Florals: Camille’s Floral Shop

Hair & Makeup: Beauty And Bliss

Makeup: Bridal by Emily Marie