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WEDDINGS •
kpcnews.com
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2013
MARRIED MAY 25, 2013
MARRIED OCT. 27, 2012
Hannah Alley and Brock Artfitch
Laura Berger and Erik Boswell
FREMONT — Hannah Alley of Angola and Brock Artfitch of East Lansing, Mich., were married on May 25, 2013, at 5 p.m. in the 1907 Heritage Barn in Fremont. Pastor Gary Rifenburg, who has been the bride’s pastor since her childhood, officiated. Harpists Lydia Wanda and Sarah Davenport, friends of the bride, provided the music. A short worship service was led by the bride’s brother, Caleb Alley; Tyler Artfitch, the groom’s brother; Emily Alley, sister-in-law of the bride; Brenda Maurer, friend of the bride; and Katie Mathews and Tabitha Cuffy, friends of the bride and groom. After the worship, the couple and guests took communion together. During the ceremony, the bride surprised the groom by singing to him. The bride is the daughter of Dr. Jonathan and Michelle Alley of Angola. The groom is the son of Ed and Kinsey Artfitch of Patrick, S.C., and Renee Sayles of Clemmons, N.C. The bride wore a full-length white A-line gown with beaded lace. Her two-tiered veil was edged with crystals. She carried a bouquet of white lilies and a handkerchief that was hand-tatted by her paternal great-grandmother. The bride’s mother carried the handkerchief in her wedding, and then turned it into a bonnet which the bride wore as a baby. The bride and groom did not have a bridal party. Ushers were Caleb Alley, brother of the bride; Tyler Artfitch, brother of the groom; Allen Prothman, friend of the groom; and Kyle Brown, Josh Jones, and Brian Littlejohn, friends of the bride and groom. Greeters were Katie Davenport and
Tabitha Cuffy, friends of the bride and groom. A dinner and dance reception immediately followed the ceremony at the same location. The couple left the reception in a friend’s Smart car convertible. The couple honeymooned in Jackson, Wyo., a gift from the groom’s parents. The bride is a 2013 graduate of Trine University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She is a private piano, voice, and harp teacher. The groom is a 2011 graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He will be graduating from Michigan State University’s law school in the spring of 2014. The couple now reside in East Lansing, Mich.
MARRIED JULY 13, 2013
Teresa Alleshouse and Rosario Nunez AUBURN — Teresa Alleshouse of Butler and Rosario Nunez of Merritt Island, Fla., were married July 13, 2013, in Rieke Park, Auburn. The ceremony took place under an arbor that was decorated by Karon Doty, the aunt of the bride. Grant Webb officiated. The bride is the daughter of Blaine and Jane Alleshouse of Butler. She wore a white gown and her mother’s pearl necklace. Isabella Nunez, the groom’s daughter, was the flower girl. Breanna Nunez, the groom’s daughter, was the ring bearer. The flower girl and ring bearer both wore fuchsia dresses. A reception took place at Rieke Park Lodge. Charlene Moore, Patty Beard, Katie Alleshouse and Jane Alleshouse were servers. The bride graduated from International Business College in Fort Wayne with an
associate degree in travel and hospitality. She is employed at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Hotel. The groom graduated from Arizona State University with an associate degree in computer information systems. He is employed by Forensic Recovery Specialists. The couple now reside in Merritt Island, Fla.
from Ball State University, Muncie, in 2013. She is a quality supervisor at Vera Bradley Designs. The groom graduated from DeKalb High School in 2003 and attended Indiana University School of Informatics in Bloomington. He is an account representative at Mid-City Office Systems.
MARRIED JULY 20, 2013
Breann Sanders and Tim Julian PLEASANT LAKE — Breann Sanders and Tim Julian, both of Fremont, were married July 20, 2013, in a 2 p.m. ceremony at the Pleasant Lake United Methodist Church by the Rev. John Boyanowski, pastor. Brooke Batte registered guests. Parents of the bride are Paul Sanders of Pleasant Lake and Brenda Armour of Muncie. The groom’s parents are Sheryl Feltner and Laurel Pocock of Angola and the late Michael Julian. The bride wore a white strapless floor-length gown. Her attendants wore black knee-length dresses. Maid of honor was Stephanie Applegate of Topeka. Bridesmaids were Rachael Graber of Hudson, Janeva Graber of Hudson and Bailee Sanders of Muncie. Flower girl was Ayrianne Gaskill of Sherwood, Ark. Best man was Gary Wapplehorst of Angola. Groomsmen were Deejay Graber of Hudson, John Engle of Warsaw and Wayne Crowl of Pleasant Lake. Ushers were Drew Pocock of Pleasant Lake and Chris Batte of Sherwood. Ring bearer was Braiden Gaskill of Sherwood. A reception was held at the Ramada Inn in Angola.
A rehearsal dinner was held in Pleasant Lake hosted by Sheryl Feltner, Brooke Batte and Valerie Pocock. The couple’s wedding trip was to Gatlinburg, Tenn. They will make their home in Fremont. The bride attended Hamilton High School and is employed at Lakeland Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Angola. The groom attended Fremont High School and is employed as a farm hand.
MARRIED JUNE 23, 2013
Angela Beechy and Michael Dirrim
MARRIED JULY 6, 2013
Victoria Gary and Christopher Rose PLEASANT LAKE — Victoria Gary of Fremont and Christopher Rose of Angola were married July 6, 2013, at Pleasant Lake Mennonite Church. The bride is the daughter of Natalie and Tracy Gary of Fremont. The groom is the son of Kim and Tracy Rose of Fremont. The bride attended Fremont High School and graduated in 2011. She currently attends the International Business College in Fort Wayne and is working on a bachelor’s degree in business management. She is employed at Peerless Cleaners of Fort Wayne. The groom attended Angola High School and graduated in 2010. He is currently attending Associate Builders and Contractors in Fort Wayne and is employed by Premier Communications in Fort Wayne.
BLOOMINGTON — Laura Berger and Erik Boswell, both of Auburn, were married Oct. 27, 2012, in a 4 p.m. ceremony at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Bloomington. The Rev. Ned Steele officiated at the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Bud and Mary Jane Berger of Jasper. The groom is the son of Michael and Joyce Boswell of Auburn. Sarah Berger was maid of honor. Attendants were Kelly Hall, Rachel Byler, Jessica Humbert, Jaime Walker, Brittany Seltenright and Katie Zink. John James was the best man. Ross Atherton, Will Jones, Billy Snow, Grant Seltenright, Brian Berger, Eldon Byler, Alex Harkins and Michael Snow were groomsmen. Gary Moeller and Amy Neal provided music. A reception took place at the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center. The bride graduated from Jasper High School in 2005. She received a bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 2009 and received a master’s degree in business administration
The bride and groom dated for seven years before they married.
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Angela Beechy and Michael Dirrim were married Sunday, June 23, 2013, at Mission Pointe Resort on Mackinac Island. The bride is the daughter of Noah and Barbara Beechy of LaGrange. The groom is the son of Bradley and Cynthia Dirrim of Ashley. The bride wore a Vera Wang gown of ivory with a strapless, fitted bodice and 100 yards of tulle for the skirt. She carried a vintage-design bouquet of an assortment of ivory flowers. Blake Norton was maid of honor. Bridesmaids were the bride’s sister, Alicia Beechy, and the groom’s sisters, Kelsey Parker and Kyra Dirrim. The groom’s sister, Mara Dirrim, was the flower girl. Dom Swiatkowski was the best man. Groomsmen were Logan Parker, brotherin-law of the groom, Jared Beechy, brother of the bride, and Trevor Dirrim, brother of the groom. The bride’s son, Tayshaun Landis, was
the ring bearer. A reception took place in the Colonial Room at Mission Pointe Resort. The couple spent their honeymoon at Mission Pointe Resort. They reside in Ashley.
Older brides like fancy gowns, garter belts and DJs NEW YORK (AP) — SherryLynne Heller-Wells always wanted a fairytale wedding. So when she tied the knot last year, she spared no detail. She walked down the aisle in a flowing ivory gown with a long veil and lacey bolero jacket. Ten flowertoting bridesmaids and seven groomsmen were in the wedding party. And after the ceremony, 100 guests dined on beef tenderloin, clams casino and a three-tier vanilla cake. The cost, including a fireworks show during the reception, was $45,000. Heller-Wells wasn’t some blushing new bride, though. When the retired registered nurse, 64, wed her husband, Clyde, a small-business owner who is 65, it was her second time at the altar. “I met my Prince Charming. He swept me off my feet,” says the Clearwater, Fla., widow whose first husband died in 2003. “We’re hoping this will be the last marriage. Why not celebrate?” Only a few years ago, it was
considered in poor taste for a bride over age 55, particularly if she had been previously married, to do things like wear a fancy wedding gown, rock out to a DJ at the reception or have the groom slip a lacy garter belt off of her leg. But those days are gone: Older couples no longer are tying the knot in subtle ways. The trend in part is being driven by a desire to emulate the lavish weddings of celebrities of all ages. But it’s also one of the results of a new “everything goes” approach that does away with long-held traditions and cookie-cutter ceremonies in favor of doing things like replacing the first husband-and-wife dance with a group reenactment of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. That’s left older couples feeling less self-conscious about shelling out serious cash to party like their younger peers. “The rules are out the window … whether it’s what you’re wearing or the cake you’re serving,” says Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings, a wedding
magazine. “Sixty is the new 40 and that is reflected in the wedding.” Couples age 55 and older made up just 8 percent of last year’s $53 billion wedding business. But that number has doubled since 2002, according to Shane McMurray, CEO of The Wedding Report, which tracks spending trends in the wedding industry. It’s in part because more couples are marrying in their golden years. In 2011, women ages 55 and over accounted for 5.2 percent and men in that age range made up 7.9 percent of the more than 2.1 million marriages performed in that year in the U.S., according to Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research, based on analysis of census figures. That’s up from 2001 when 2.6 percent of new marriages performed were among women in that age group; for men, it was 6.6 percent. And those older couples spend more. That’s because they’re usually empty nesters who don’t have the same worries as their younger
counterparts: They aren’t saving for their first home, for instance, and they aren’t burdened by huge student loan debts they must worry about paying off. As a result, older couples dish out about 10 percent to 15 percent more than the cost of the average wedding, which was $25,656 last year, down from the pre-recession peak in 2007 of $28,732, according to The Wedding Report. That’s meant big business for companies that cater to brides and grooms-to-be. Zaven Ghanimian, CEO of Simon G. Jewelry, which sells engagement rings and other jewelry to about 900 small stores across the country, says men in their late 50s and older have been investing more on engagement rings. A few years ago, they were spending $1,500 to $2,000; now, they’re shelling out $4,000 to $8,000. And at David’s Bridal, the nation’s largest bridal chain with 300 locations across the U.S., business from older couples has doubled in the past two years, compared with modest growth for the younger age
group, says Brian Beitler, the chain’s chief marketing officer. And while older customers represent only two to three percent of overall sales, the company expects that figure to keep growing. And they’re a lucrative bunch. David’s Bridal, which is based in Consohocken, Pa., says older brides spend about $700 to $800 on gowns, including accessories like necklaces. That’s higher than the $500 to $600 that customers in their twenties and early thirties typically spend. But older brides aren’t just spending more, they’re spending differently. For instance, in the past, older brides tended to stick with special-occasion dresses, but now they want more traditional wedding gowns. “She’s our dream bride,” says Catalina Maddox, fashion director at David’s Bridal. “She wants everything that the 25-year-old bride wants, but more.” The trend is so prevalent that David’s Bridal is looking at ways to better connect with the older wedding crowd.