The Sunken Gardens

Here is the view of the garden taken off the park's website. There is room for over 200 chairs in the lawn area, and while we certainly hope many of you can make it, please be considerate and let the elderly have close seating. We ask that no children under the age of 6 attend the ceremony, although they are welcome to the reception afterwards. If it's a rainy day, we'll have the ceremony at the Ramkota in the same room we're having the reception at 3PM.

The Bridal Party

I'd like to introduce you to the members of my party. All of these people are dearly important to me, and it means so much to have their support, help, and love on my wedding day. I'd like to thank them all for committing the time, money, and effort they've given just to be my bridesmaids.


The position of Maid of Honor is filled by my sister, Kristi. She's three years my senior, and we've come to be very close friends. We weren't always, though! We used to tattle, scream, punch, kick, bite, and pick on each other until we were blue in the face! As we got older and moved apart, we came to value each other's advice and friendship in converse proportion to the distance between us. Kristi calls Rapid City, SD her temporary home, so it's a rare opportunity when we get to see each other.


I chose Brittany as my second bridesmaid because we were very close friends in high school. We met in the soprano section of choir when I noticed she was reading something Gundam Wing related. We of course geeked out together and became instant best friends. We volunteered at the zoo, watched anime, stayed up late, and pretended not to notice boys together until the fateful day when we went to different colleges. Brittany also lives in Rapid City, SD.


Erica is my next bridesmaid because she has been my best friend in my college years. We met through Phil at an Amtgard practice, and since geeks of a feather flock together, we quickly became close. We play World of Warcraft together and like to go apple picking in the fall. She's living in Michigan while she works on her doctorate and will be travelling to Mexico soon to do some research.


Finally, Megan (whose picture is missing at the moment) has been my friend for 19 long years. We used to live across the alley from each other as kids, and our mothers set us up on playdates. Even though I've moved away multiple times and life has taken us in different directions, I still consider her my lasting friend. Her determination, unflaggingly positive attitude and good heart remind me to be humble and optimistic in every situation.

I know all my bridesmaids will look beautiful on the big day. Thank you all so much for being here for me.

~Karen

The Music

We chose a string quartet from DAPA to perform at the wedding ceremony. While Karen's sister volunteered to play for us, it would be difficult for her to perform her duties as maid of honor while playing "Wedding March." The members of DAPA are all high school students who audition to join this organization, and perform for private events as well as state-wide concerts.

As our DJ for the reception, we chose a family acquaintance who conveniently works for WOW! Entertainment Inc. The Niedert family has known "DJ Jay Inferno," AKA Justin, since around 2000, and we felt that having a friend over a stranger would make our evening more memorable and enjoyable.

Photography

We chose Dawnne of ShadowMoon Productions, LLC as our photographer because of the level of skill demonstrated in his work and because he's just an awesome guy. He and Phil hit it off immediately. It's a good thing we snagged him when we did, because he's all booked up for the rest of the year already! His experience begins in 1998, and he began independent work in 2002 in southeastern South Dakota. All of his work is digital and artfully done for a reasonable price. We think he will do an outstanding job on the big day.

A Big Thanks

Image property of Jamie Weber, 2008.

We'd like to thank my cousin, Jamie Weber, for all of her hard work in designing and producing the announcements and invitations. She volunteered her time and talent with no expectation of recognition or rewards, and she has really gone out of her way to make our day as memorable as possible. Thanks for being such an amazing friend and family member, Jamie.

~Karen and Phil

Our Hotel Is Awesome

For all of our guests visiting from out of town, we have a block of rooms reserved at the Ramkota Hotel. To get a room in this block you must contact the phone number provided on the announcement, not the 1-800 number. We chose this location for our reception in part because the banquet hall will accomodate all of our guests with room left over for dancing, but also because of its location next to I-29, which makes it easily accessible to travelers not familiar with the area. As if that weren't reason enough to choose the Ramkota, it also has a waterpark and a restaurant for our guests to enjoy!

Please note that there is a shuttle service to those who reserve their rooms early. This may be an appealing option to those who are unfamiliar with Sioux Falls. It's doubtful that all of our guests will be able to take advantage of this to get to the wedding ceremony, but we will research more about it.

Should the weather be inclement on the day of the 20th, we will be holding the wedding ceremony in the banquet hall of the Ramkota at a time yet to be determined.

Ceremony Information

Thank you all for viewing our web page. We hope everyone received the announcements safely and can attend! However, in case you did not receive one due to change of address or some other fault, here is the ceremony information.

When: Saturday, Septebmer 20, 2008 at 2 o'clock
Where: McKennan Sunken Gardens, 26th St & 2nd Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57105

The reception will follow after a brief break so we can finish the photography. We're very sorry for the delay, but we hope you will still join us for cake and refreshments at the hotel. We will begin with a cocktail hour at 5 o'clock during which we hope to welcome all of you to the evening celebration. The reception will start at 6 o'clock.

When: Saturday, September 20, 2008 at 5 o'clock
Where: Ramkota Hotel, 3211 West Sencore Drive Sioux Falls, SD 57107

Please reserve your rooms early! Reservation information has been provided on the announcements, but please contact us at your earliest convenience should you need the information again. Thank you!