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Olivia Russell and Mark Donnithorne
February 21, 2004
St. Louis, Missouri
Photography by CLC Photography
ABOUT THE BRIDE: Olivia is a native of St Louis and attended
Saint Louis University. Olivia has spent the last few years working in
the for-profit and not-for-profit industries as an event coordinator
and is currently making arrangements for an upcoming move to
Washington, D.C. Olivia is looking forward to Mark's safe return this
summer!
ABOUT THE GROOM: Mark is a native of North Carolina but has
lived all over the world. Mark is a captain in the United States Air
Force and is currently deployed in Iraq. He attended Duke University
and has enjoyed converting Olivia into a Duke basketball fan. Mark
was stationed in Idaho, Korea, and England before moving to
Belleville.
HOW WE MET: Olivia was planning fundraising events for a
local non-profit group, the Saint Louis Ambassadors. Mark was a
member of the organization and served as "slave labor" for most of
Olivia's events. The bride says he was her favorite volunteer! After a
few months, it was clear to both Olivia and Mark that had they found
something wonderful in each other.
ENGAGEMENT: We had season tickets to The Muny last summer
and enjoyed picnics in Forest Park beforehand. That day, July 13th --
just two days after Mark's 30th birthday -- there was a little bit more
to the usual pre-Muny picnic: a proposal, ring, and champagne! Mark
had been acting odd all day long, and Olivia couldn't figure out why.
It seems the groom-to-be was a bit nervous! The proposal came as a
complete (but wonderful) shock to Olivia, "I knew I would be
absolutely happy with Mark and the proposal was such a surprise!"
PLANNING: The wedding planning was going very smoothly until
just before the Christmas holidays when Mark learned of his impending
deployment to Iraq. For a moment, Olivia and Mark entertained the
idea of waiting for Mark's return, but scrapped it almost instantly.
Olivia said, "We just knew we didn't want to wait." So, the date was
moved up to February 21st and planning began anew. Almost all of
guests from the groom's side were coming in from out of town, so we
wanted everyone feel comfortable and get a taste of St. Louis. The
spot selected for pictures after the ceremony was outside The Muny. We
couldn't have made any of it happen without the help of some great
local friends: bridesmaids Jill & Amy, and friend/wedding day
coordinator Melissa.
THE CEREMONY: We got married at St. James the Greater
Catholic Church in Dogtown. Olivia lived in the parish so it was a
perfect location for her Irish family; Mark's family is English and
Scottish so it's a "mixed marriage" according to our very Irish
priest! Mark's most vivid memory was his first glimpse of Olivia as
she started up the aisle. "She was absolutely breathtaking! I
couldn't stop grinning and thinking I was the luckiest guy in the
world." The ceremony ended with the Air Force Song; we thought Off
we go, into the wild blue yonder perfectly captured the feeling of
the day.
THE RECEPTION: We really wanted to find a location for the
reception that was interesting and relaxed, but still elegant. The
Wildflower Loft, in the Central West End, fit the bill perfectly. Anne
helped us create a nice yet affordable menu of hand-passed hors
d'oeuvres and finger food that was perfect for a mid-afternoon
cocktail reception where our goal was to socialize with as many people
as possible.
ATTIRE: Olivia wore a strapless dress by Casablanca Bridal
with beading at the neckline and a delicate corset back. Her bouquet
was a compact bundle of red roses and a few mini calla lilies. The
four bridesmaids wore white satin blouses with long navy blue skirts
by Alfred Angelo. They carried simple bouquets of large calla lilies
tied with navy blue ribbon. Mark, two groomsmen, and all the ushers
wore their formal Air Force mess dress. The other two groomsmen wore
black tuxedos from Gingiss Formalwear. The SEVEN flowers girls, all
cousins of the bride, wore different navy blue dresses and carried
white gerbera daisies for their group procession down the aisle.
THINGS WE LOVED: The presence and participation of our
family in the ceremony made it a day we will all remember for years.
We loved our photographer, the pictures were fantastic!
VENDORS WE USED:
Photography - CLC Photography
Flowers - Alex Waldbart Florist - Brian Bentley
Cake - Sugaree Baking Company
Reception - Wildflower Catering Loft
BBJ Linen
A Perfect Touch Limousine
If you have questions or comments for Olivia and Mark please e-mail them.
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