Our First Wedding at Tirzah – Jake Roehl and Whitney Joeckel’s Wedding

Jake Roehl and Whitney Joeckel are the very first couple to celebrate their
dream day, their wedding, in this beautiful historic building, Tirzah!

Jake and Whitney’s wedding was a very meaningful and intimate
occasion. Having a small wedding let them incorporate special
moments that would be difficult to include in a large wedding.
For instance, as their guests entered, each one found a
card on a prayer board with a prayer inside that was written just for them.

For the couple’s Guest Book, the guests signed a
large wooden letter R with messages of love.

The couple chose not to have a first look prior to the wedding.  Jake arrived
first at the venue, and he went into a separate area so that Whitney
could go upstairs for the final touches of getting dressed for their wedding.

As the Bride was alone with her father before they walked down the aisle,
they said a beautiful prayer together. They walked in to the song called,
“Oceans … When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours, and You are mine!”

Jake sees Whitney for the first time in her wedding dress as
she is walking down the aisle.  This is a look of a man in love!

Both the Bride and Groom wrote their own vows to each other.
At the beginning, the Bride seemed a little nervous, but as the Groom
was saying his vows to her, you could see her nervousness
fade away and be replaced with a radiant smile.

Two signature stand-out moments in this intimate ceremony
included a Blessing of the Rings and a Feet Washing Ceremony. Their
wedding rings were passed around the room on a beautiful small dish that read,
“Amore.”  Each guest prayed a blessing over the rings, and then they passed the rings to the next guest.

In the Feet Washing Ceremony, Whitney washed Jake’s feet.
The beautiful symbolism of the act depicted their love and commitment;
it demonstrated a humility of the heart, a sign of being humble, thoughtful,
and willing to serve just as Jesus encouraged us to follow in his example.  In John 13:1-17,
Jesus washed the disciples feet and instructed that we should do the same.

Another personal touch was that they had a display to meet the
“Maids and Men.” Each had four attendants, and then Jake also had
a Best Girl, his daughter Paige. Letters were written about each of the
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen with a story introducing each one.  The letter
mentioned how they met and why it was important for them to stand by the
Bride and Groom on their wedding day, and then some trivia that the guests
might ask them to start a conversation.  It was a very nice
way for the guests to learn about the wedding party.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds took pictures in the courtyard
with the rustic rock wall as a backdrop.  The photographers for
the event were Jade and Kyle Pierce.

Since Jake proposed to Whitney on the beach, the reception design
incorporated candle-lit lanterns with greenery and seashells.
The colors of the wedding were navy with a hint of blush.

The florist for the event was Revyn Marburger with Ivory Bell Floral and Boutique.
She provided the floral arrangements as well as the lanterns.

Jake and Whitney had a Sweetheart table at the head of the Grand Room.

The Bride and Groom chose to have a dessert table with brownies
that the Groom’s daughter had made and a small white cake; however, for their
cutting of the cake, they cut the cutest cupcake with a little red heart on the top.

After toasts and eating a delicious Bar-B-Que meal from
Miller’s Smokehouse, they danced the night away under the stars. The first
song that the couple danced to was “Who I Am With You” by Chris Young.

When it was time for the Bouquet and Garter Toss, Jake’s daughter Paige caught the bouquet.

The couple said their goodbyes and had their final farewell. They laughingly
entered the Grand Room, and they stopped to tell
me bye and described their day as “magical!” ❤

For their getaway, they left in Jake’s jeep, and Jake lifted Whitney
up to help her inside. They honeymooned in San Antonio, the
City of Romance, and stayed at Hotel Emma on the Riverwalk at Pearl.
Hotel Emma is a historical hotel that was once a 19th century
Brewhouse.  The hotel was named in honor of Emma Koehler, who ran
the brewery during Prohibition after her husband died.  This riverfront
hotel has a genuine cultural flavor filled with a warm social experience.

Filled with faith and full of love, they each married “God’s Best”
for each other.  It was a beautiful, heartfelt day full of personal touches!!