ARTICLES  » Featured Weddings  » Personal Touch: Kimberly + Bill

Every bride wants her wedding to be special, a true reflection of the personalities and values of the bride and groom and their families. Kimberly and Bill knew immediately that they wanted their wedding to take place in Kimberly's hometown of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, at the church she attended as a child. Sainte Genevieve Catholic Church is 250 years old, full of beauty and rich traditions.

Kimberly planned a traditional wedding with the help of her mother, sister Kelly, and dear friend Becky. Because Ste. Genevieve is the first French settlement west of the Mississippi River, they incorporated the French fleur-de-lis into the wreaths on the church doors, the invitations, programs, and even the wedding cake. Bridesmaids' gifts incorporated a fleur-de-lis charm on a necklace. Another personal touch in honor of their grandparents was placing each grandparent's wedding picture near their guest book.

Bill and Kimberly are both baseball fans; their engagement and rehearsal dinner each incorporated this personal touch. Bill surprised her with a proposal at the History Museum's Busch Stadium exhibit with a dramatic written proposal hidden under a draped easel. Their first date had been at the same museum to see the traveling Cooperstown Hall of Fame exhibit. The rehearsal dinner incorporated a St. Louis Cardinals theme with gorgeous red floral arrangements, glass vases with baseballs to be "autographed" by the guests, and a Cardinal cap on the cake. Attendants received tickets to a baseball game and Bill's wedding gift was a trip to Cooperstown, NY, to see the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Because Bill's mother and grandmother both suffered from MS, the favor for wedding guests was a donation to the Gateway Area chapter of the national Multiple Sclerosis Society. The final personal touch Kimberly kept a secret so she could surprise Bill with his grandfather's wedding ring during the exchange of vows. Kimberly inscribed the ring with the initials of both couples, a truly inspired personal touch!