Demi + Nick | Black and White Military Wedding | The CityFlatsHotel Ballroom | Grand Rapids, MI

December 20, 2023

Weddings

beautiful military catholic church wedding with classic vintage car in downtown grand rapids at cityflats hotel by josh and andrea photography

The dance began as so many others do during a wedding reception, as Demi took his hand and softly led him to the dance floor. All eyes in the room turned to watch, and as the music started, the pair proceeded to erupt into an energetic dance that would garner applause from the harshest of critics. But tonight, this dance meant so much more than a traditional formal dance during a wedding. You see, this dance was not between Demi and Nick, her new husband, and it was not a dance between Demi and her father either. While both of those dances had already taken place, this was the dance that Demi wanted to make sure happened that evening. The final formal dance of the evening was a dance with her grandpa, and what a dance it was!

The balance of combining the traditions of the military and a wedding is a narrow line to walk, but anyone enjoying Demi and Nick’s celebration would have no idea as these two effortlessly flowed from moment to moment throughout the day. While Demi and her girls spent the morning being pampered and prepared by stylists and artists, Nick and his friends spent the morning practicing military customs and looking forward to the grand party which would be taking place after the wedding. Demi and Nick’s first moment seeing each other was straight out of a fairy tale as Demi was escorted down the long aisle at St. Andrews Cathedral by her father, and soon they exited the same church to the cheers of the crowd and a formal “congratulations” in the form of a military sword arch.

“Timeless” was the word that Demi kept using to describe how she wanted her wedding to be remembered, and as anyone can tell, she and Nick succeeded in that dream ten times over! From the beautiful classic Mercedes Demi and Nick used as their get-away car, to the grandiose candle-lit staircase that led up their reception space, the details of the day flowed into a tapestry that created a truly “timeless” sensation for their guests. Per request, the majority of guests arrived in all black and white, a simple yet effective idea that created an elegant atmosphere for the reception, especially when Demi and Nick’s band began to play, inviting their guests into an evening of live music and dancing.

Demi and Nick, in a rare occurrence for us, we entered into your day having never had the chance to meet face-to-face. After spending the morning with you and your friends, we already found ourselves missing the opportunity to have known you for longer, as your kind spirits and fun-loving nature had us loving this day the more time we spent with you! We so appreciate the perspective that you two displayed throughout the day, by making sure that the things that were the most important to you happened, and the things that weren’t could fall by the wayside. In a world that falsely tells us we can “have everything,” you both already understand that priorities matter in this life, and nowhere is that more important to understand than in marriage.

All our best!

J + A

beautiful military catholic church wedding with classic vintage car in downtown grand rapids at cityflats hotel by josh and andrea photography