Terri & Brett Jensen | 11.2.2024

Why did you host your wedding at Celebrations on the River? 

We chose to host our wedding at Celebrations on the River because it was truly all-inclusive and offered everything we needed in one convenient location. From the ceremony to the reception, they provided everything—decor, food, a full bar, AV components and an amazing staff. What really sold us was the fact that we didn’t have to worry about buying decorations, setup or tear-down; we could simply show up and enjoy the day. It took so much stress out of the planning process, and we were able to focus on having fun and celebrating with our guests.

What was your color palette? Why did you choose those colors?

Fall colors

What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?

We had an Impromptu Wedding meaning guests had about 6 weeks’ notice so we were all about ensuring our guests had a great time, especially since many had to travel. We received so many compliments on the event, which made it all worth it. Being an older couple, we added the unique touch of doing dueling pianos as we knew not as many would be dancing so wanted more of an entertainment type feel. They were fantastic and kept the crowd engaged. We only had our photographer for the ceremony, so we decided to use the Everlense App QR codes to let our guests upload their own pictures and videos from the evening. This was such a great way to capture the full vibe of the day from everyone’s perspective. Not only did we get to see hundreds of photos almost immediately (which was awesome because it can take weeks to get formal prints back), but we were also able to print some of those guest photos to include in our thank you cards for an extra personal touch.

Would you change anything if you could do it all over again?

If I had to do it all over again, the only thing I’d change is being more mindful of my role on the day. The venue was absolutely perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. However, as someone who likes to be in charge of the details, I didn’t realize that I’d essentially be “hidden” in the bridal suite for hours before the ceremony. This meant I wasn’t available to oversee last-minute details or help with final touches.

What was one thing you obsessed over, but realized it did not matter? 

One thing was the timing of getting everyone down the aisle to fit my chosen song. In the end, we just played the song on a loop, and it didn’t matter at all! Another thing I stressed over was hair and makeup. Looking back, I honestly think you’re better off doing it yourself because you know what you like. All of us who had it done at Metropolitan ended up redoing everything from start to finish anyway. It was a good lesson in coming as you are and just enjoying the moment!

What was one thing you obsessed over, but realized it did not matter? 

One thing was the timing of getting everyone down the aisle to fit my chosen song. In the end, we just played the song on a loop, and it didn’t matter at all! Another thing I stressed over was hair and makeup. Looking back, I honestly think you’re better off doing it yourself because you know what you like. All of us who had it done at the salon ended up redoing everything from start to finish anyway. It was a good lesson in coming as you are and just enjoying the moment!

What advice do you have for future couples planning their wedding?

My biggest piece of advice for future couples planning their wedding is to plan more time to pause and truly take in the moments. Our original plan was to stick together all night, but with so many guests to chat with, that didn’t happen. We ended up missing several songs we had intended to dance to, and honestly, I think we only danced to our first and last song. The night goes by so fast, and looking back, I don’t recall as much of it as I’d hoped. Make sure to carve out moments for just the two of you to enjoy the celebration and soak in all the love and joy around you!

Who were your vendors? (DJ, Photographer, Hair/Makeup, Florist, Dessert, etc.) How did you choose them?

• James Byrd Photography: James did an incredible job, especially with our tight timeline and budget. We found him through Bark.com, and he really captured the essence of the day.
• Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos: We discovered them through Google and YouTube, and they were absolutely fantastic! They kept the energy high and entertained our guests all night long.
• Hair and Makeup: After some disappointing experiences with a local vendor, we decided to do our own hair and makeup. It ended up being the best choice since we knew exactly what we liked and felt comfortable with!
• Dessert: The venue provided the cupcakes, and they were amazing—definitely one of the highlights of the evening. Each vendor helped make our day memorable, and I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out!