local wedding
Eleanor Hasken
& Harrison Wagner
E
leanor Hasken had never done karaoke before her
date with Harrison Wagner at the Bluebird, where
he wooed her with a rendition of “Ace of Spades”
and convinced her to perform on stage as well. Their
first date story is a relatable one; a series of mishaps in
communication through dating apps delayed the first
meeting but once it occurred, they discovered they had
much in common.
Now, their mutual interest in the supernatural as well as
the macabre has shaped much of their wedding planning.
Eleanor and Harrison announced their engagement at the
Mothman Festival, and originally planned to honeymoon
on the UFO highway. The wedding itself will be “art
deco” and Halloween themed. Eleanor’s eye for detail
and background in cryptozoology have inspired her to
design mini spooky scene center pieces, including the
black lagoon creature. She has also Mothman pin party
favors, and old school trick or treat baskets. She will
be further expanding the vintage theme by using her
mother’s wedding veil from the 1970’s.
Eleanor states that she “always kind
of knew” that they were meant to be.
Though Harrison had to move to Chicago, Eleanor
luckily discovered that she could complete her
Folklore PhD program at IU a year early and research
the Mothman in Chicago, the second best location
for Mothman fieldwork. While the couple was in
Chicago getting ready for the big move, the song
Flesh and Blood by Johnny Cash came on. Amid all the
uncertainty and stress involving the move and what was
to come, they were able to find comfort in one another
and in the lyrics of the song. After Harrison performed
“Flesh and Blood” on a karaoke night, it became their
song. The couple has chosen “Flesh and Blood” as
their wedding song, because it reminds them of their
commitment to each other. wg
The proposal, much like the wedding, took much
planning. Harrison had gotten the ring custom molded,
with most of the diamonds and a sapphire from a family
heirloom, due to Eleanor’s interest in antique jewelry.
Harrison’s mother and sister did the design work. Harrison
hid the ring in his room mate’s room, and chose Friday
the 13th due to the auspicious nature of the date in
Eleanor’s family, as well as the fact that it was on a harvest
moon. With the details settled, he took Eleanor on a walk
through Bryan Park through a row of wildflowers, and
then veered off to the side, where he asked her if she
would make him “the luckiest boy in the world” after a
year and a half of dating. They dried off the wildflowers in
the basement, and as they say, the rest is history.
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2020 SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA WEDDING GUIDE
The couple chose to include a live band to perform
karaoke as an homage to those first few karaoke dates.
For Eleanor, karaoke is an opportunity to “be in control
and forget everything else,” while Harrison appreciates
the performative aspect, as a music minor in college, and
the chance to sing “silly” songs by the Cure and Billy
Idol. The intimate bed and breakfast venue, Richwood
on the River in Madison, Indiana, was chosen by both
the bride and groom, and is located in between their
hometowns, Louisville and Indianapolis.