Extol August/September 2017 | Page 47

Jacquelyn Koerber | Alex McClure did my invitations said, ‘I will be happy to do this, but I just wanted to let you know this is kind of a faux pas,’” Koerber recalls. “My father is just as much a part of this wedding as my mom is. … His name should be on the invitation.” Rather than offering guests a traditional, tiered wedding cake, Koerber asked her aunts to bake their famous desserts. “Anytime you go to a Koerber family event – my dad was one of 12 kids, grew up on a farm and there’s now over 40 people – everybody brings their famous dish. I wanted my wedding to have that family feeling because it is a family event. … I had carrot cakes and apple pies and all kinds of different desserts, and I had labels made with who made it. … “I’m not a (traditional) cake eater, anyway. I don’t even like cake. Why would I pay all this money for cake? I would much rather eat a piece of my aunt’s carrot cake or a fudge brownie. I got so many compliments for doing that because who doesn’t want a slice of homemade pie?” Koerber and McClure also displayed wedding dresses from Koerber’s family, including those from her grandmothers and great-grandmothers. But her own mother’s dress wasn’t among them. Instead, Koerber cut the gown short and wore it the night of her rehearsal dinner. McClure’s favorite part of their wedding? “Being surrounded by all of the people we care about most as we celebrated our special day,” he says. “We both have family and friends from all over the country, so to be able