Photo credits: Tina Halturin Photography

Sara and Derek
September 23, 2000

ABOUT THE BRIDE: Sara is a native of Kirkwood. She currently works for The Saint Louis Brewery Tap Room as both the Operations Manager and Banquet Manager.

ABOUT THE GROOM: Derek is a Minnesota native, but was raised in St. Charles. He currently works in St.Charles for a family owned prescription packaging company.

HOW WE MET: In the summer of 1998 Sara's best friend/ roommate was marrying one of Derek's good friends and they were both in the wedding. Sara was Murray's maid of honor and Derek was one of Rob's ushers.

ENGAGEMENT: In July of 1999 Derek asked Sara if she would be able to get away from work for a long weekend in November. He gave her small hints about the trip but that was it, until the night before when she found out they were going to New York City. Derek proposed the following morning after she found the ring box under her room service napkin.

PLANNING: The planning of this wedding actually started back as far as Sara could remember, as she spent summers growing up on their family farm and she always dreamed of getting married there. This wedding was a wedding of details. Every aspect had to be thought out and planned very thoroughly. Everything had to be rented, from the tent, to the 'Party Pleaser' restrooms. And as there is plenty of room for parking there was concern of inclimate weather, therefore valet parking! As Sara runs The Saint Louis Brewery Tap Room she had the chef cater the reception. She had Lynn Hagee help with staffing, rentals and hands on coordination the day of the wedding.

ATTIRE: The evening that Sara and Derek got home from New York, her mother and father had planned a little celebration at their house. While drinking champagne Sara, her mom and sister-in-law, Anne got the idea to go up to the attic and find her mom's wedding dress. The dress had been 'hermetically' sealed decades ago and they expected to find it flawless, instead they were quite shocked to find spots and stains all over it. As Sara's mother and aunt had worn the dress she was determined to make it work. So, after four months of dry cleaning and several trips to have alterations and fittings Sara's mother finished it several days before the wedding by applying new lace.

Sara didn't want the bridesmaids wearing typical bridesmaid's dresses, instead she found knee length red sleeveless dresses that looked smashing on all of the girls. Sara's flower girl looked precious in a sleeveless, ivory colored dress with small rosebuds on the sash. The groom, groomsmen and ushers wore black tuxes with four in hand ties and black vests (white vest for Derek.)

THE CEREMONY: The ceremony took place in the yard of Fiddle Creek Farm. While a string quartet played traditional wedding music Sara's father walked her out of the house, down the aisle and towards the 'white garden'. The 'white garden' is an area that Sara's mother planted for the wedding around a memorial that was planted for her mother and father, the original owners of the farm. This site overlooking a flowing field and garden full of zinnias, sunflowers and the reception tent. The backdrop to the whole event was hundreds of acres of woods. Mr. and Mrs. Derek Jensen walked down the aisle to the ringing of the old farm bell.

THE RECEPTION: The tent (just a short walk from the ceremony) held numerous dining tables with centerpieces of zinnias and sunflowers, bars, food stations and two cakes (the 'wedding present' cake and a carrot cake, Sara's favorite!). After the ceremony the quartet moved to the tent and played until the band, The Mighty Big Band started. The food stations were filled with different hors d'oeuvres setting the stage for a perfect cocktail party atmosphere.

HOW WE PERSONALIZED THE WEDDING:The entire wedding was personalized! As Sara and her mother love to work in the yard and there are flowers growing everywhere they thought it would be fun to grow a lot of their own flowers for the wedding. Instead of the traditional guest book Sara and Derek had guests sign a picture mat that will go around a picture of them taken on their wedding day.

Catering: The Saint Louis Brewery Tap Room
Photography: Tina Halturin
Wedding Assistant: Lynn Hagee
Tent Rental: Traube Tent
Flowers: Seeds Florist
Wedding Cake: Lubeley

If you have questions or comments for Sara and Derek, please e-mail them to sarajensen@schlafly.com.