We work with a lot of couples with ties to the Notre Dame community, and many of them come to us from across the country after graduation to help make their events special and unique. Many of these weddings are incredibly beautiful and well planned, and it’s always an honor to be a part of their success, but the distances involved can pose a challenge. In Annie’s case, her situation was even more unusual as she was still attending ND as a grad student and her fiancé Matt was actually a grad student at Texas A&M University. Through the use of modern technology like Skype and Facetime, we were able to bridge the distances and keep the lines of communication open, which was especially vital to help achieve the vision of this busy couple.
For their Notre Dame Basilica of the Sacred Heart wedding we also had the pleasure of working with Cher and her outstanding staff at Merry Me, who brought their fabulous signature style to the event along with a rock solid timeline for us to work with.
Annie and Matt also chose an exceptional new venue in Granger, IN for their reception, the historic St. Joseph Farm. The Barn at St. Joe Farm was a wonderful choice for many reasons, not the least of which was its ties to the brothers of Notre Dame. The space is open and impressive, but still cozy, and Cathy and Molly do a great job with making both vendors and guests feel right at home upon arrival. Matthew with Merry Me was on site all afternoon to make sure all the décor and appointments were perfect and Corndance supplied a wonderfully unique meal of fried chicken and waffles with bison meatloaf to keep guests from going hungry.
Annie and Matt’s Notre Dame area wedding DJ, Sticky Boots, brought out our Platinum wedding package for the entertainment, which was an ideal match for the large open barn space with its powerful sound system with subwoofers; and he was able to make all the announcements sound crystal clear for the Grand entrance and toasting throughout the entire barn.
Guests arrived to hors d’oeuvres and cocktails with an eclectic playlist of alternative and AAA selections that are a favorite of the newlyweds featuring artists like Matt & Kim, The Shins, Beach House, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Decemberists. After a simple entrance announcing just the bride and groom, cocktails continued before guests were seated for dinner and toasting. The multi-course meal was served and cake was cut, all expertly guided by Merry Me and emceed by the Granger wedding DJ, then it was on to open dancing for the rest of the evening.
One of South Bend’s most versatile wedding DJ, Sticky Boots, rocked the dancefloor for the next few hours with his signature blend of party favorites, Top 40 bangers, and even some guest favorites like the Time Warp, all while avoiding the cliché overplayed wedding standards that Annie wanted to steer clear from. With most of Matt’s family coming from Texas, they were even treated to a couple of Red Dirt and classic country selections before the night was over.
A late night snack rounded out the celebration with delicious parfaits and hot and chewy pretzels from Ben’s Soft Pretzels. The pretzels were a great choice to soak up all the craft beer provided from some of Matt’s favorite independent breweries. Guests wrapped things up at 11:00pm with many commenting as they left it was the best wedding they’ve ever attended….and how can you argue with that? Congratulations to Annie and Matt!
Reception song selections:
Grand Entrance: Here Comes Your Man - Pixies
Cake Cutting: Grow Old With You – Adam Sandler
First Dance: All My Days – Alexi Murdoch
Father & Daughter Dance: Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Iz
Mother & Son Dance: Forever Young – Bob Dylan
Wedding Party Dance: Just Like Heaven – The Cure
Bouquet Toss: I Believe In A Thing Called Love – The Darkness
Vendors:
St. Joseph Farm
Merry Me Events
Gary Riggs Photography