A San Angelo Wedding to Remember
July 8, 2017 was a beautiful day for Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey and Sarah Mercado! CV Linens had the opportunity to collaborate with Tinker Keeney of Happily Ever After located in San Angelo, Texas, to bring a dream military wedding to life. Her vision brought together a host of amazing vendors to provide an entirely free wedding for the couple. With a father who served in World War II, patriotism was foremost in Tinker’s upbringing and feels a personal drive to help those who serve her country.
“Except for them buying their own personal items, like garters and toasting glasses, they haven’t been out one penny,” said Tinker.
Jeffrey is currently a medic in the Air Force and has been stationed at Goodfellow AFB for three years. The pair met in San Angelo, and after hearing their love story, Tinker knew this was the perfect couple to embark on this big day with.
The wedding was sponsored by other amazing local vendors, including Southwest Florist, Eclipse Mobile DJ, Kenny Blanek’s Village Cafe, and The Cactus Hotel. For local businesses, the wedding was an opportunity to give back to members of the military. 130 guests attended the wedding and had a great time dancing, laughing, and enjoying a great meal – all while dressed in attire from the 1940’s.
“At first I thought, ‘is this real?’ I was very skeptical (because) it’s a lot to do for someone. It’s unheard of,” Jeffrey said.
The wedding also featured a Missing-in-Action ceremony. It included a table with five empty seats remaining untouched. The five hats resting on the table represented all branches of the military and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Various items also rested untouched at the table. The items included a lemon, representing the bitterness of the prisoners-of-war, salt, to honor of the tears cried by family members, a rose, in remembrance of those lost, and a yellow ribbon, to signify that the military has not given up on them.
The ceremony was set with a gorgeous, thick white aisle runner surrounded by red rose petals and glowing candles in glass jars. Banquet chairs for guests to sit on were covered in ivory polyester chair covers and adorned with a champagne embroidery chair sash each. Period piano music from the 1940’s filled The Cactus Hotel as Sarah made her way down the aisle. At the altar, Jeffrey couldn’t keep the smile off of his face!
“[I was] taken away. It was really beautiful. It was better than what I had imagined in my head,” said Sarah on the decor of the venue.
With a gorgeous, traditional color palette of navy blue, champagne, and ivory the reception was picturesque. Champagne crushed taffeta tablecloths draped the guest and head tables while the cake table featured an ivory leaf petal tablecloth. Navy blue taffeta napkins and chair sashes tied the room together by making a bold color statement.
After the wedding Jeffrey and Sarah enjoyed a beautiful trip to the Dominican Republic for their honeymoon. Tinker hopes to keep the giving going by providing an all-expenses paid military wedding once a year.
Thank you again to Tinker for creating such a memorable day and reaching out to us so we could also take part in it!
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Informational Source: San Angelos Standard-Times.
