Photography by Moonshadow Studio

The doors of the church opened in dramatic fashion as the beautiful bride entered. The guests peered around other heads in the crowd, and their faces lit up as they watched Sarah Hoffman, soon-to-be Asche, start her walk down the aisle. Among all the faces of anticipation and joy was one face that couldn’t go unnoticed.

Tyler Asche cracked a half smile as he got a glimpse of his bride. His face expressed emotion only someone who had spent the past seven years of his life getting to know Sarah could portray. “That’s my girl,” his smile seemed to say.

It was the beginning of the most picturesque afternoon in Columbia. The feel of summer had officially arrived, and the 75-degree sunny weather was the perfect backdrop to this love story. May 3 was a long-awaited day for both Sarah and Tyler. The couple had spent the past 14 months planning the opening to their fairy tale life together. Their courtship had spanned their college years, even though both had attended Hickman High School.

“Tyler doesn’t remember me in high school, though he won’t admit it,” Sarah says. “We even had a class together.”

But there was no lack of attention toward Sarah after the two connected at a party through mutual friends after their freshman year of college. From that day on, they talked every day and often enjoyed making trips to visit Tyler’s family in Nebraska to watch Cornhusker games. They valued how they were each raised with similar morals.

On March 18, 2013, the ring Tyler purchased for Sarah to ask for her hand in marriage was burning a hole in his pocket.

“He had randomly asked me earlier in the night if any of my friends had over-the-top proposal stories,” Sarah says.

“I wanted to make sure she would be OK with something low-key,” Tyler says.

The couple spent the evening at Taste of Mid-Missouri and stopped by the grocery store on their way home to purchase one of the beers they tested at the festival. Little did Sarah know, they soon would be cracking open the beer in celebration of their forever.

The ease and excitement of their proposal night flowed effortlessly into their wedding day. Sarah and Tyler were as composed as anyone could be on their special day, and each time they glimpsed each other, it was obvious they had found true happiness.

Mint, gray and navy decorations added a touch of class to the Columbia Country Club ballroom. The couple had thought of absolutely everything to make their guests feel welcomed and part of their story. The bathrooms were stocked with emergency necessities, the bathroom doors were adorned with kid photos of Tyler and Sarah, and the take-home gifts on the tables were rolls of mints with crafted labels that said, “Mint to be.” Everything was in place — except one important thing was missing.

From an outside perspective, it would seem that all the important people were in attendance. Even the deceased members of Tyler and Sarah’s families were represented through photographs on the gift table. But as successful as Keenan Simon was at performing all the best man duties of the day, Tyler’s younger brother, Cody, was absent. The original best man had another obligation that day: performing as starting third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Prior to dinner even being served, DJ Alex from Complete made an announcement that excited the crowd. Cody had hit a home run for Tyler, as promised.

“You know his brother was the first thing that was going through his mind when he hit that,” Kayla Hagedorn, matron of honor, says.

Although Tyler did his best to hide his emotions, the act overwhelmed him a bit. It was evident that there was an empty spot in the day that nobody but Cody could fill. And his presence was felt through his game-time homer and the touching toast video that he had pre-recorded for the couple.

There was an excitement that stayed present throughout the rest of the evening as guests dined and drank, and Sarah and Tyler soaked up each moment surrounded by friends and family. The dance floor was full the second the first dances were complete. It was clear the guests were there to celebrate the couple in true party fashion.

Revamping A Venue

By Leighanne Naeger-Geiss

The current trend with weddings is all about repurposing. By taking those old Mason jars and wrapping them with a little twine and lace, you have the latest rustic style. People forget that repurposing doesn’t have to stop with the tiny details of your wedding. Let’s think bigger with other aspects, such as your reception venue.

Layout: If you live in a small town, or even a large town for that matter, chances are you know someone who has used the same reception venue as you are considering for your big day. Now, I know that we all want our weddings to be different. You just can’t have your wedding where your second cousin did because then your weddings will look the same, right? Challenge yourself to see past the standard banquet chairs and tables. Trust me, no one will recognize the room once you put your personal touches on the space using creativity and imagination.

If HGTV showshave taught us anything, it’s that the layout of a room will make or break a space. It’s similar with a wedding. The design of your reception space sets the tone for the evening. Comfy couches or a nontraditional seating arrangement can make a square room look like a beautiful one-of-a-kind event space. I bet your cousin didn’t think of that one.

Lighting and linens: I like to take a look at these elements together, especially if you’re on a tight budget. Lighting has come such a long way over the past few years. Not only can you get twinkle lights and traditional colored upright lights, but you can also get trees or snowflakes illuminating the walls of your event space. If you don’t have enough money for specialty linens, use all white linens and chair covers. Couple that with specialty lighting, and your room will be completely transformed.

Overall, you can never go wrong with linens, but with so many options, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed. First things first: Set your linen budget. Otherwise, you might find yourself falling in love with handmade sequin linens that you’ll have to take out a second mortgage to afford. Once you have that established, mix and match different colors, patterns and textures, but don’t forget a few statement linens for your cake or sweetheart table.

Photos by Moonshadow Studio