page 118 X metropolitan weddings X summer/fall 2020
written by | Janette Hobrath-Liddle
photographed by | kellie michelle photography
�the rockin' years�
In a city the size of New York, finding true love can hinge on
luck and the right dating app. They matched on a Tuesday,
spoke on Thursday and fell into each other’s hearts on their
first date on Friday. “It was a perfect night,” Quinn remembers.
After drinks and an impromptu visit to a comedy venue, “It was
love at first hug. I felt so comfortable in his arms – like I had
known him forever.”
Their love continued to grow, through the simple everyday
of life. After dinner one evening at Quinn’s favorite NYC restaurant,
they found themselves at Washington Square Park.
It was a blistering cold January evening and the park, usually
bustling with tourists and fellow New Yorkers, felt nearly
deserted. The quiet, peaceful space became all their own and
that night they both made the promise to say, "I do."
In planning their wedding day, Quinn and Caleb wanted to
keep things small and simple. Both confessed introverts,
they “wanted to make it a day that we would both enjoy
first and foremost.” Quinn credits their wedding planner for
being a huge help in pulling together their boho, non-traditional
and budget savvy ideas into a perfect working theme
for the whole day.
Cost and location were also factors. Even though Quinn grew
up in NYC and the couple shared a life there, Caleb’s family
roots ran deep in Willard, Mo. Since NYC venue costs were prohibitive
and it would be easier for Caleb’s older family members
to attend if they planned the ceremony in Mo., it was settled.
Quinn admits that “I had never even been to Missouri when I
started planning for the wedding!” Caleb’s mom was more than
ready to help. She became their eyes and ears with vendors in
Missouri while the couple continued to plan from afar.
They decided on an outdoor ceremony & reception at Willard’s
Heritage Chapel venue. With late summer trees still in full
bloom, mother nature lent most of the decor for the backyard
wedding feel. The bride’s bouquet and altar flowers burst with
dandelion yellow, berry, orange and blue against the simplicity
of the natural greenery around them.
True to the simplicity and thoughtfulness of their planning,
they opted out of a traditional wedding party. Most of their
friends had recently graduated or were military and spread out
across the world and on different coasts. All in the same place
for the first time, the evening before they got to know each other
over dinner and a little axe throwing. “They got to enjoy the day
with zero stress, which they really appreciated.”
The spirit of deep roots and new traditions flowed through the
entire ceremony. Quinn built her bridal look around a birthday
gift from her mom – a necklace she wears almost every day. Her
mom walked her down the aisle. “My mom is my best friend...
We have stood by each other through so much. I wouldn’t have
wanted it any other way.”
Quinn and Caleb’s vows to each other were crafted with the
common thread of traditional marriage vows with a few special
words of their own. At the altar, they stood upon a marriage rug
designed to follow them throughout their entire lives.
Capturing the essence of their own union, their wedding song,
Rockin’ Years, covered and performed by Springfield’s Porter
Union, was a perfect fit for the sentiment of the day. For Quinn
and Caleb the selection, “was so beautiful and painted a picture
of what we want our relationship to be.”
Imperfectly perfect, however, the day was not without its near
misses behind the scenes. Quinn’s hair and make-up artist from
NYC got stranded in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport as a massive
storm canceled and delayed flights the night before the wedding.
Saving the day, her mom gave her salon spot to Quinn
and a friend at Studio 417 volunteered to do her makeup after
overhearing a panicked phone conversation. Even the threatening
stormy weather kindly parted it’s clouds at the last minute
so the pre-wedding photoshoot could commence as scheduled.
Attune to life’s small miracles, Quinn and Caleb drank in each
moment of their day. “After the ceremony and lunch, Porter
Union played beautiful music, family and friends spread out on
fun couches and chairs, The Traveling Tin Co. kept the drinks
flowing, and we laid out lawn games for everyone to take part
in. It was unabashedly us.”
The couple’s parting words of wisdom: “Do things because YOU
want to do them, not just because other people have done it in
the past or you think you should because it is 'normal.' This is
your day and whatever you decide is the right choice!” XmB