Some things are worth waiting for. Emily Williams had spent quite a few Mondays in the office sharing stories about bad dates from the weekend when a co-worker passed her number to a friend, Jason Hartman. Even though it took Jason a little longer than most to make the call (one year to be exact!), the couple’s first date led to many others. They had been together almost three years when Jason proposed on a trip to Hawaii with Emily’s parents. “He carried the ring in his wallet on all our excursions, just waiting for the perfect time,” Emily laughs. “Our last night, we took a sailboat dinner cruise on the Na Pali Coast, and he knew it was his last chance!” At the top of the boat, staring out at the ocean with the sun shining, Jason made the romantic moment even better by proposing.
Emily immediately enlisted her mom’s help to start planning. “After going to my friends’ weddings, I knew what I wanted, so the decisions weren’t stressful,” she says. Initially she didn’t consider a hotel venue, but Emily says the views at the Ballpark Hilton downtown set it apart from the standard ballroom. She let each bridesmaid pick her own black dress, and says finding her gown was an easy process, too. “It was only the third dress I tried on, but we just knew it was the one,” Emily says.
In place of a traditional wedding cake, the couple served one of their favorites, chocolate chip cookies from Zoya’s, a Greek restaurant that served as a nod to their honeymoon destination. Looking back, Emily says the entire day was memorable and exactly what they hoped for: a great party with people they loved. “One of my favorite memories was walking down the aisle with my dad, seeing everyone there to celebrate and support us,” Emily recalls. “And the dancing was definitely fun, too!”
Emily is a licensed professional counselor at Relationship Therapy Associates, and Jason is a software engineer at Boeing. The couple resides in Kirkwood.
[wedding party]
Matrons of Honor | Laurie Bollinger, Jaclyn Yetter French
Bridesmaids | Amy Fritsche, Megan Keenan, Lauren Bialecki, Cara Orton
Best Men | Ryan Hartman, Dr. James Kirkpatrick
Groomsmen | Jon Fugina, Scott Williams, Ben Doss, Eric Jones
Flower Girls | Audrey French, Adalyn Wood and Grace Kirkpatrick
Ring Bearer | Liam Kirkpatrick
Bride’s Parents | John & Nanette Williams of St. Louis
Groom’s Parents | Paul & Connie Hartman of St. Louis
[resources]
Ceremony | Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark
Reception | Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark
Gown | Maggie Sottero
Cake | Wedding Wonderland; cookies from Zoya’s Cafe & Catering
Florist | Bloomin’ Buckets
Music | McLovin
Honeymoon | Greece
Wedding Date: March 28, 2015
Photos: Creative Crossfire
