It’s a Small World, After All
by Tiffany Batchelor
“It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears. It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears. There is so much that we share, it’s time we’re aware. It’s a small world after all.” Robert Sherman, Richard Sherman
There are certain moments during a wedding reception when I pause to embrace the memory. Wedged between the couple’s first dance and opening food service, the Host and Hostess typically share a few words to welcome guests and honor the bride and groom. These sentimental pearls of wisdom invariably offer a perspective of the couple that I did not know and leaves me pleasantly surprised.
Bride Katie is the daughter of two career educators, Karen and Bill. When Karen and Bill stood in the spotlight offering a toast, I expected to hear about past students not worthy of their daughter’s hand and even qualifications Karen and Bill had spent a lifetime making note of. What I did not expect to hear was that Karen and Bill were co-workers and friends with the Groom’s parents. Additionally, father of the bride, Bill, had been the Groom’s high school golf coach. “It’s a small world” seemed an understatement.
Katie and Karen came to Avenue I Events with partial planning complete. Their goal was to manage the heavy lifting on the front end, then have a professional complete the planning process and to execute wedding day. Our work began at the Art Museum of South Texas, walking through the venue to create a floor plan that worked for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.
One of the most beautiful venues in the Coastal Bend, the Art Museum is, well, a museum. Therefore, the curated art may or may not be the same during planning as it is on wedding day. Additionally, restrictions for food, beverage, lighting, and sound may change, further altering logistics. Six months after our initial layout, new art called for a new floorplan. While a seismic shift can create unrest for the bride, a seasoned planner sees beauty in new opportunity.
Edits to the layout, reworking the design and carefully walking the family through the revision helped the wedding day run seamlessly. Florist, Peggy Keaton of Keaton Designs, fit into the small world story as a long-time friend of both families. Peggy brought beautiful blooms to the event with colors of blush and crimson, perfect tones for that late February romantic wedding.
The intimate ceremony in the Upper Gallery was only matched by the festive mariachis calling guests to cocktails below. (The mariachis may or may not have interrupted the quiet prayer at end of the ceremony, offering a big south Texas laugh.) The rooftop photo session with photographer and childhood friend Jaycie Hillard truly captured the wedding day’s magical moments with perfect lighting and a view for miles over the bay. Childhood friend of the bride, Amy Netek of Amy Netek Bakes sweetens the story with her talents on display, baking the bride’s and groom’s cakes.
Katie and Ryan’s wedding was a night that brought together old and new friends, sharing stories, dancing and celebrating. With love, laughter and stories old and new, the night proved it is a small world after all.
For more photos click to see the KATIE and RYAN GALLERY
Photography by Jaycie Hillard Photography