Alex + Zach Wedding Day

Alex and Zach met their sophomore year of high school. Unlike their first names,  their last names are close to each other in the alphabet which meant they typically sat close to each other in class. It wasn’t long before they went out on their first date. The perfect high school date – a scary movie followed by dinner at Taco Bell.  It doesn’t get much more endearing than that. <3

Fast forward a few years to November 2016.  The two were in attending college in Cape Girardeau, MO.  They had talked about getting engaged before, and Zach mentioned to Alex that he always envisioned it happening at a nice dinner. So that November when Zach texted Alex and asked if she wanted to go to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant, Alex agreed but was suspicious because we rarely went to expensive restaurants, especially not on a Wednesday night! When Zach arrived, he wearing a button-down shirt and slacks.  Alex for sure knew something was up. They went to dinner, but nothing happened so it was beginning to look as though her suspicions were wrong.  But to her surprise, Zach drove down to Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus, which overlooks the Mississippi River, and as they sat on a bench and admired the reflection of the super moon in the water Zach asked Alex to be his wife.
And on September 29th, 2018 – that’s exactly what happened on the perfect day.

It’s been one month since these two became husband and wife, and I’m not sure that we’ve stopped smiling since.  I dare you to look at these photos of these two and not walk away with a smile yourself.  Their love is magical, and their happiness is infectious.  Enjoy a sneak peek at Alex and Zach’s wedding day!
To say Alex’s dad has a special place in his heart for his daughter would be an understatement.  Loved their “father-daughter first look”!!
Alex’s kindness radiates from her.  She’s just as beautiful on the inside as the out!  (and that’s saying something, right?  Completely gorgeous!)This guy is pretty much the bees knees as well.  So humble, gracious, and charming.  And Zach – you’re handsome as well. 😉Just the sweetest first look ever…The two had been exchanging notes since all the way back that sophomore year when they met, so of course on their wedding day – they exchanged their very last notes as boyfriend and girlfriend.I’m telling you – you cannot NOT love these two!In case you didn’t know, 4 bridesmaids + 4 groomsmen is the PERFECT wedding party size.  It not only looks the best in photos, it is so much more manageable for the bride and groom’s sanity.I cannot even handle the joy.  Can you?As guests, we miss out on seeing what’s going on before the doors open and the bride walks down the aisle.  One of the many reasons to have 2 photographers there to capture your day!  You two.  Alex and Zach’s reception was nothing short of cozy perfection.  And they had a tiered donut tree.  So even if there wasn’t a single other pretty thing there, it was a success.  (But there were PLENTY of pretty things, don’t worry)I’m not sure what even happened here, but I’m so intrigued by the expression and the pinecone that it had to make the blog post.
Love me a little mother son moment. <3ABOUT THE DAY FROM THE COUPLE…

• Most memorable moment of the day:
  We both agree that easily the most memorable (and funniest moment) was when Alex’s dad was walking her down the aisle and accidentally stepped on her dress after handing her off to Zach! Alex and her dad are extremely close, so walking down the aisle was very emotional for both of them. Alex was so focused on getting to the altar and how the hand-off would go (we had practiced it the night before & I was so nervous about it for some reason!), that she forgot to hug her dad before turning to Zach. As her dad was turning to go to his pew, he accidentally stepped on her train at the exact moment Alex had started to walk forward. While not what either of us had intended to happen, so many people came up to us afterward and said that they were glad that it happened just because it diffused all the emotion and tension of that moment!
• Advice for future bride/grooms:
  -Remember that everyone on your guest list is excited to share in the joy of the day because they want to be there for the two of you. That’s something that’s so wonderful, but so easily and quickly forgotten amongst the stress of planning.
  -Do a first look! Both of us were so glad that we had that extra time with each other and to get pictures out of the way so quickly.
  -Hire a coordinator! Truly Alex’s saving grace. It allowed for my bridesmaids and my mom to enjoy their day as well, without having to focus on time to keep me on track or to take care of little things during the wedding (picking up programs from the pews, setting up the catering tables at the venue, etc).
• Songs
  Entrance Song– The Bliss by Volbeat
  1st Dance Song– If I Tremble by Front Porch Step
  Father/Daughter– Brown Eyes by The Bacon Brothers
  Mother/Son– You’ll Be in My Heart by Phil Collins
• If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
  Take more time to sit back and soak it all in. It truly does go by so fast!
• Professional Wedding Day Vendors:
  Cake & Donuts — Berkemann’s Baker’s Dozen
  Decorations — Receptions by Robin
  DJ — Live Wire Entertainment
  Catering — Cygan Delaney Catering
  Bridal Makeup — Tricia Stoecklin
  Bridal Hair — Sasha at Designs Unlimited
  Bridesmaid Hair — Studio A
  Flowers — Flowers by Tess
  Coordination — Allyssa Elaine Events
  Videography — Tower Studios
  Dress — Bridal Manor in Waterloo, IL

We know you can’t get enough, so check out more of this fabulous day below!