Cathie Doudy and Bill Jonakin Tie The Knot!

Cathie Doudy and Bill Jonakin had a beautiful spring day for their wedding, Saturday, March 27, 2010. The jubilant bride arrived at the Cathedral of the Rockies promptly at 3:00 PM, with THE dress in hand (she had purchased about 8 different dresses and hadn’t decided which one to wear until the last minute).

The Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise, Idaho

She made her way to the dressing room to change and apply a little lipstick.

Bill arrived shortly thereafter, and once the two were ready, Steve and I took the couple outside for a few pictures prior to the ceremony.

Cathie’s beautiful flowers were provided by Carpenter’s, The Florist at Edward’s Greenhouse.

While we were out taking pictures, Cathie found a feather. To Bill and Cathie it was a very significant and special sign.

The ceremony took place in the intimate Cana Chapel.

Cathie’s son, Christopher played the piano as guests were ushered in by Cathie’s other two sons, Graham, and Patrick.

Christopher Doudy

Bill waited patiently in the hallway with the officiant, Sandy McFadden.

Bill and Officiant, Sandy McFadden await the service to begin.

Once everyone was seated, Cathie’s sister and Maid of Honor, Ginny Broilier, was escorted down the aisle by Bill’s son, James.

James Jonakin escorts Maid of Honor, Ginny Broilier.

Next, the officiant, Bill and James took their places.

Bill and his son James watching for Cathy to make her appearance.

Cathie was escorted by her brother, Steve Harder.

Cathie is escorted down the aisle by her brother, Steve Harder

In my experience, it’s usually it’s the women who tear up the most at weddings, but Bill got the prize for being the most emotional at this one. He frequently pulled out his red handkerchief to dab his eyes. It was pretty touching.

The ceremony was beautiful and one of the most personal I have ever witnessed.

Sandy McFadden performs the ceremony.

The adoring couple took their vows, exchanged rings, and  lit their unity candle.

Cathie and Bill exchanging vows.

The bride and groom exchanging rings.

The lighting of the unity candle.

The final blessing was given and the ceremony concluded as the two were pronounced husband & wife to the applause of the audience.

Officiant, Sandy McFadden, giving the final blessing.

The happy couple is pronounced husband and wife.

Happy family and friends congratulated the newlyweds in the foyer.

Bill's daughter, Kate, and granddaughter, Grace Holgate.

Cathie's Mom, Pat Harder.

Cathie's brother Steve Harder and his wife, Lisa

Cathie with her siblings, Steve, Ginny & John.

Bill and Cathie with her son, Patrick.

We gathered the officiant and family members and took them into the chapel for portraits.

Cathie and Bill with the officiant, Sandy McFadden.

Bill with his children, Kate Holgate and James Jonakin.

From Left to right: Christopher & Patrick Doudy, Ginny Broilier, Pat Harder, Cathie, Bill, Graham Doudy, Steve and John Harder.

From left to right: James & Lynn Jonakin, Kelly, Joe Jonakin, Cathie, Bill, Kate, Grace, Blake & James Holgate.

Shortly thereafter, everyone headed to the reception at Berryhill & Co. We grabbed a few shots of Cathie and Bill making their way there.

Once at the restaurant, Cathie requested one more additional important group shot: her YaYa friends.

And then on to the reception:

The first item of business, was for Cathie to change out of her uncomfortable shoes.

Ah! Flip flops are so much more comfortable!

Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, wine and good conversation.

This would be the table of texting teens.

The dinner menu offered three delicious options.

Once everyone had finished their meals, the toasting began and went on for awhile. (A total of 10 toasts were presented). Bill’s son, James started things off with an incredibly touching tribute. He had written it on a paper towel, which came in handy when he needed to dab his eyes.

James Jonakin dabs his eyes during his toast to his Dad and Cathie.

The additional 9 who raised a glass to Bill and Cathie:

Judging from all the happy faces, I think it’s safe to say that everyone had a good time.

Even the photographers had a great time!

Evidently this group of gentlemen (with the exception of Harry Trumanjan, far right) have a history of getting their picture taken together dropping trou. This occasion was no exception. Seriously! We’ve opted not to include that particular photo in this blog.

Cathie and Bill needed a little help to get everyone’s attention when it was time to cut the cake. Lisa’s whistle solved the problem.

Their whimsical cake was created by the one and only, Greg Marsh of Greg Marsh Designer Cakes. Included in the design, were the letters e + B,, which intrigued those of us who weren’t already privy to their meaning. The story is as follows:  One of Bill and Cathie’s first dates was to “The Festival of Trees” Gala.  Cathie had no formal attire and had to go shopping for an appropriate gown. She told Bill she felt like Vivian in “Pretty Woman”. From then on, Bill started referring to himself as Edward (who was the main character in the movie portrayed by Richard Gere), which he shortened to “e” (always in lower case).  The B came from Bill watching Cathie buzz around her kitchen and he started referring to her as “Brownie”, which she erroneously thought meant elf. Bill’s reference was to that of a very small quick moving enzyme that can only be seen under a microscope.  The Brownie became shortened to “B” and is always capitalized.

The couple had a clean feed. Cathie not only fed Bill a piece, but several of the guests as well.

Christopher played piano awhile during the reception, to the crowd’s enjoyment.

Here’s a photo of Cathie’s whole fam damily.

And one of her with her boys.

Here’s James and his girlfriend, Kelly.

Kissing in the curtains.

The evening wouldn’t have been complete without a select few taking turns to perform the renown “Alligator”.

Here, Bill is getting geared up.

You go guy!

Like father, like son.

A few final hugs

And congratulatory clinks

And it was time to call it a night. The happy couple made their way to the car.

It was a wonderful celebration from start to finish. Steve and I felt so blessed to have had the opportunity to photograph the service and festivities, but even more so to have made two new friends in the process. We wish Cathie and Bill all the best in their new life together.

To view all the photos from this wedding click on this link

All photos copyright Steve Smith Photography, 2010.

Julianna Roeloffs and Jordan Jarvis Wedding

The wedding celebration of Julianna Roeloffs and Jordan Jarvis was a beautiful and generous tribute to a handsome young couple being joined together in marriage. It was nothing short of spectacular. Every detail was carefully thought out, meticulously executed, and thoroughly enjoyed by the 700+ guests in attendance.

Steve (Smith) and I (Jeane Gadd-Smith) were grateful and honored to have been chosen to photograph this extraordinary event.

The day began at 7:30 Saturday morning, June 20th, 2009, as the bridal party and select family and friends began gathering in a suite at the Grove Hotel for hair and make-up.

Make-up artist Frances Alves worked her magic,

while three hair stylists created beautiful up-dos for each of the ladies.

Everyone looked terrific.

At 11:30 the gentlemen arrived at a different suite at the hotel, and began dressing.

Meanwhile, the ladies loaded onto the lavish Boise Party Bus and were transported to the First Presbyterian Church.

Once at the church,  the bridesmaids all got into their dressess and then helped Julianna into her exquisite gown.

Next came the bride’s jewelry,

her garters,

and her colorful shoes.

While I was with the ladies photographing them as they were getting ready, Steve took the gentlemen outside of the hotel for a few pictures before they loaded onto the Boise Party Bus.

The “reveal” took place in the church sanctuary.

Jordan was quite “wowed” by his beautiful bride.

Steve and I took photographs of the bride and groom and various combinations of the wedding party, and family members prior to the ceremony.

The wedding party sequestered themselves as guests began to arrive.

The church was overflowing with people.

Just prior to the procession, the grandparents and parents were seated, as Kellen Bennet sang “I Will Be Here”, followed by Carol Visser on piano and  Jennifer Fife on violin performing “The Ludlows”.

Julianna’s mother, Coralee, and Jordan’s mother, Tracey, made their way to the Unity Table to light the candles as Marsha Anderson sang “You Raise Me Up“.

The processional started with the entrance of Jordan and his Groomsmen.

Once the gentlemen had taken their places at the altar, the bridal party made their way down the aisle followed by the flower girls and ring bearer.

At last Julianna, escorted by her father, Arie, made their entrance.

The bride was breathtaking.  Jordan beamed as Julianna approached.

Julianna’s father kissed his daughter before presenting her to Jordan.

The service began with the Greeting and Opening Prayer, followed by the Parental Blessing and the Meaning of Marriage.  John Donaldson offered the scripture reading, then Jordan Diepersloot and Jessica De Jager sang “How Beautiful”.

The minister led the couple through their Declaration of Intent, Wedding Vows and the Exchange of Rings.

Julianna and Jordan then lit the unity candle while Marsha Anderson sang “Through your Eyes”.

After the Meditation, and Prayer of Blessing, the happy couple were pronounced husband and wife,  kissed, and led the recessional of the wedding party out of  the sanctuary.

After signing the marriage license, the bride, groom and their wedding party exited the church, loaded onto the Boise Party Bus and were transported to the Boise Centre on the Grove for the reception.

Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were served to guests in The Meadows (lobby).

The buffet table had been decorated to look like an outdoor French Market.

The bride and groom mingled among their guests, enjoying their well wishes and hugs along the way.

At 6:30 the ballroom doors opened, and guests were ushered in for dinner.

Sarah Hart of Storybook Weddings, did an amazing job creating the lavishly decorated interior. Richly colored spot lights splayed up the walls of the room provided a warm atmosphere.

Elegantly draped tables were festooned with candles and beautiful flower arrangements (provided by Aphrodite’s Garden). It was a spectacular scene.

Once guests found their seats, Master of Ceremonies, Laurie DeHaan introduced each member of the adult wedding party and they made their entrance into the ballroom.

The wedding party took their places at the head table.

In honor of the family dairy business, milk shots were delivered to each of the guests.

Maids of Honor, Sarah and Kristin Roeloffs and Best Men, James and Jonathon Jarvis presented heartfelt and humorous toasts in honor of the newlyweds.

Following dinner, a photo montage of Julianna and Jordan’s lives was presented. Some of the most touching images were those of Jordan proposing to Julianna on the Eiffel Tower.

In honor of that significant time and place, Eiffel Tower sculptures were incorporated into the decor of the room.

Much to the delight of many, there was a candy buffet set up for the children, (and anyone else with a sweet tooth).

The M.C. invited the bride and groom to cut their uniquely decorated cake, which had been designed and created especially for them by Greg Marsh of Greg Marsh Designer Cakes.

The newlyweds were then summoned to the floor to have their first dance together as husband and wife.

Next,  Julianna danced with her father, Arie, and Jordan danced with his mother, Tracey.

Then all the guests were invited to the dance floor, and few people  hesitated.

The classic rock music was provided by the band Rockola, from San Diego, California. I think I can safely say it was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

The band invited various members of the audience on stage at times to join them in their performance.

As the evening progressed, the M.C. halted the dancing just long enough for the bride to throw her bouquet and the groom to toss the garter. There was no shortage of hopeful and competitive participants.

At one point, the band requested everyone grab a chair and bring it out to the dance floor, audience style.

The four band members took their seats on stools in front of the crowd, and in this very intimate setting, performed a very impressive set of songs sung a cappella.

Then the dancing and festivities continued on into the night.

From start to finish, it couldn’t have been a more perfect day.

Steve and I were so pleased to have been a part of this extraordinary celebration. It was a wonderful, warm, beautiful, & touching experience.  We wish Julianna and Jordan all the best as they embark on their new journey together as husband and wife.

To view all the images from this wedding, click here.

All photographs copyright Steve Smith Weddings.