The Wedding Story of Jennifer and Andrew Bard

It’s true our friends sometimes know us better than we do and, lucky for Jennifer, she had her girlfriend by her side the day she spotted what would be her future husband. “We first saw each other while we were having lunch at the Skyline Club downtown. I had just moved to Indianapolis from New York and was having lunch with a friend of mine from college, Katie. Andrew was sitting at a table near ours, dressed in a full suit, clearly having a business lunch with colleagues,” Jennifer recalls. Jennifer's friend promptly labeled Andrew as Mr. Right and noticed how he kept looking over at the two. As it turns out, a mutual friend who worked at Skyline happened to have Andrew's email address, and Katie sent him a random introduction right away. “The email that she sent him was so sweet and made me seem like a combination of Claudia Schiffer and Mother Theresa,” Jennifer recalls. “He got my contact information from her and reached out to me. He asked if we could meet for coffee at the Starbucks on Monument Circle. The rest is history. Moral of the story: Good friends know all your stories, and best friends helped you write them.”

With his two sweet little boys by his side, Andrew later proposed to Jennifer. She says, “I’m so happy he decided to include them in that moment that we all share now, together as a family.”

Inspired by friends' amazing weddings she had attended and some extra helpful assistance from her mom, Jennifer began to plan the glam, Hollywood-inspired wedding she always wanted. 

The couple’s wedding designer, Gene Huddleson of Detail and Design, was one of Jennifer’s most precious resources. “I met with him face to face early on and I could tell he really understood my vision,” Jennifer explains. “We were on the same page from day one. He really is such a talent, and he brought the whole vision to life. He did every aspect of the flowers and décor in each space: the ceremony, the cocktail lounge and the ballroom for the reception.”

Jennifer had always loved the feeling of the Columbia Club because of its elegance and old-world vibe. The venue’s exquisite menu and full bar with premium wine and spirits was also an attractive draw.

Jennifer purchased her stunning Berta Bridal dress from a Miami boutique called Chic Parisien. “Going to a boutique that you know carries the designers you love is key,” Jennifer says. “Wedding dress shopping can get scary if you end up in a place that’s not your vibe. I knew I wanted something fitted and simple.”
 

Soft elegance and glamour describe the overarching aesthetic Jennifer hoped to achieve with the help of all of her talented vendors. “I thought the décor really made it special,” she says. “The ceremony, especially, was just more beautiful than I had imagined. The structure that we got married under was a real stunner (Gene strikes again) and the music was on point. Brian Whitis, our DJ, did an absolute phenomenal job setting the mood at each stage of the day and night. Another thing that made it special was just how present Andrew and I were. We really got to enjoy it and take it all in.”

 

Advice From the Bride

Jennifer says, “Make the big decisions like venue, date, dress, color scheme then get the right team around you to help see it through whether it’s friends and family or outsourced help.”
 

 

 

 

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