No matter how far in advance we book a wedding, there are almost always some last minute requests and changes to the original questionnaire we send to our brides and grooms. The one we received for the McVey wedding at the Kickapoo Creek Winery in Edwards, IL was a particularly special request.
The week leading up to a wedding is usually filled with stress from last minute planning and finishing touches, but for this bride it was especially tough. The bride’s family had just experienced the loss of her grandmother days before the wedding. On top of all those last minute details for the wedding, this family also had a funeral to plan and attend that week. When she asked if we could play a polka in honor of her grandmother, we were more than happy to comply. It turned out Mother Nature had some plans of her own.
An Unexpected Interruption
The Kickapoo Creek Winery offered a beautiful setting for an outdoor wedding. There was a nice patio ideal for wine tastings (or in this case a cocktail hour) and a large tent where the ceremony was set to take place. The wedding planner, in an effort to put a focus on the happiness of the new marriage instead of the grief they’d dealt with that week, had told the bride to look for a sign that her grandmother was there for the ceremony. She didn’t have to look hard. Just after everyone had taken their seats safely under the tent, the ceremony started, followed almost immediately by torrential rainfall. It was almost comical how loud and present this rain was, and it lasted just about exactly the length of the ceremony. It was, at the very least, one heck of a coincidence.
Kickapoo Creek Winery Tent
After the cocktail hour outside, the guests headed inside for dinner and dancing. We of course played the polka to honor the bride’s grandmother, and then began taking requests to get everybody dancing. It turns out a winery is a great place for a wedding reception- Kickapoo Creek had a great selection of wine for guests to choose from as well as a full bar! The dance floor was full before long and it ended up being an unforgettable night. There was lots to remember between a cowbell competition and a dance-off among some of the kids, but what I’ll remember most are the smiles on the faces of a family who really needed that celebration after a trying week.
For more information on the Kickapoo Creek Winery in Edwards, IL, visit www.kickapoocreekwinery.com. To book Felix and Fingers at your next event, visit www.felixandfingers.com.