Featured Indiana State Museum Wedding: Kim + Mike

Jessica Strickland Photography

The Proposal
“ June 24, 2017 – It was our second year going to the Sun King Anniversary celebration. Kim was already there with some friends and Mike was meeting her there because he was just arriving back from an out of town work trip. He called her to let her know he was on his way, so she went ahead and got him a beer – GFJ. Kim is wondering what is taking him so long and unbeknownst to her, when he got to his car, he had done a quick wardrobe change before he heading to Sun King. Kim finally sees him walking down the sidewalk…wearing a one of a kind, handmade by Kim, USA Red/White/Blue Macho Man costume. Our friend Adam grabs Mike’s ticket to meet him at the gate. Right when he walks in, a Sun King photographer was there and sees Mike. “Hey man, can I take some pictures of you?”, he asks. Mike’s response was “Yeah, hold on, I’m about to propose to my girlfriend.” Adam was the first to hear and as soon as he did he got his phone out to capture the proposal. Mike walks over to Kim, who was holding two drinks, and gets down on one knee and popped the question. She seriously couldn’t believe what was happening right then and there and eventually said “YES!” Some quick phone calls to our parents and siblings, then we enjoyed the rest of the night with our friends drinking some GFJ.”

Jessica Strickland Photography

Style
“We wanted to make it fun for everybody by making our wedding 100% us. We incorporated a lot of unique things that made people say “That was so them”…We wrote our own vows, drank a beer at the altar, had a second first look, incorporated a cowbell into our first dance, and had our signature drink…The Macho Mule. The most important visual look was cohesion. Kim’s sister designed all things paper related to the wedding – from the Save the Dates to the invites to the Thank You notes at each place setting. By having our design and color scheme, purple (Kim’s favorite color) and navy blue (an ode to Penn State for Mike), from beginning to end, it just made everything come together so nicely.”

The Space
“The Great Hall was gorgeous with the full curtain wall of windows. We loved the views of downtown and the canal as well. Over half of our guests were from out of town, so by incorporating Indiana into our wedding made it special. “

Food & Beverage
“Hands down, the meatballs! But, the carrot cake and assorted cup cakes were delicious! We can’t wait for our 1 year anniversary to have the carrot cake again.”

Jessica Strickland Photography

Most Memorable Moment
“Our entrance into the reception, followed by a bridal party Macho Man music video rendition was epic. But, our first dance was the best. Has anyone else transitioned into the Saturday Night Live “More Cowbell” skit, by playing “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and mastering the cowbell whilst wearing a Macho Man costume?!?! Our DJ did a great job with doing some song mashups for those! And props to a family friend for sewing a perfect replica of Macho Man’s wedding costume.”

What Guests Have Said
“Best. Wedding. Ever! People are still telling us how much fun they had at our wedding. The entertainment, the food, the drinks, the music, everything was just so amazing. And that “Only Kim and Mike would do [fill in the blank] on their big day!”

Jessica Strickland Photography