The Wedding Story of... Nicole & Grant Cook

Photos ByLifetime Photography

Written By

Date

March 3, 2015

Classic Elegance

Describing something as “timeless” can mean many things. It can mean that something reflects the aesthetics of a bygone era positively ingrained into our cultural consciousness. Or it can be something that stands the test of time. Regardless of the definition, very few weddings are truly “timeless”. That said, the wedding of Nicole Rash--model, actress, singer and former Miss Indiana--and Grant Cook--musician and engineer--is timeless; the wedding of this pairing was never going to be anything but.

Nicole and Grant Cook

“HIS GRACE KELLY”

The look and feel of the wedding was in no small part the idea of the happy couple—they wanted to incorporate elements of their personalities, and Grant was fond of calling Nicole “his Grace Kelly”, and wanted to incorporate that idea into their wedding.

While the decor and look of the wedding itself was beautiful and seamless, the day leading up to the ceremony and reception were, as Nicole and Grant put it, “unforgettable for many reasons.”

AN EVENTFUL MORNING

The day began with the bridesmaids boarding tour buses at the Double Tree in South Bend and maneuvering their way to Pure Emerald, formerly Emerald Cut Salon & Day Spa, and Camellia’s Cosmetics in Granger. While getting their hair and makeup done, Nicole recalled, “we were drinking mimosas, eating muffins, laughing and having a great day.”

Time began to run a bit short, and Nicole even ended up doing one of her bridesmaids’ makeup while en route to the church. It was at that time that the girls came upon an overturned vehicle.

“We quickly realized it had just occurred,” Nicole began, “Two of my bridesmaids have medical backgrounds, so we all quickly sprung into action.” They called 911 and the girls ran out of the bus to help. In the end, no one was seriously injured, and once the police arrived, travel to the church resumed.

Due to the accident response, the window of opportunity for bridal party pictures had passed, but everyone had just enough time to take a breather before the ceremony.

ROYALTY

Despite running a bit behind earlier in the day, things were right on schedule as the ceremony began. The bridesmaids were adorned in floor-length navy blue gowns, while the flowers of choice were fuchsia orchids and the aisle was lined with sparkling white tulle. After a “short but sweet” ceremony the now-married couple exited through a shower of confetti by way of a vintage 1955 Studebaker President.

While the couple was having photos taken, the guests were shuttled to the beautiful Morris Performing Arts Center for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

For the bridal party entrance, the guests were ushered into the attached Palais Royale Ballroom where the bride and groom entered from the balcony. “We truly felt like royalty,” Nicole described, “It was such a unique experience.”

The reception maintained its timeless appeal through and through. The festivities began with speeches by the best man and maid of honor followed by a blessing. Then it was time for the entertainment.

When the traditional first dance came around, the bride and groom made their way to the floor and started dancing to ‘God Gave Me You’ by Dave Barnes. Initially, the song was being played through an iPod, but unforeseen problems caused it to keep cutting out. Without missing a beat, a friend and music partner of the groom took the stage, sat at the piano and performed the song.

“To this day, people have their suspicions that we planned it that way,” Nicole said. “It just happened, and ended up being even more special than it would have been had it all gone according to plan.”

A MUSICAL EVENING

After dinner formalities, the band--High Society Orchestra--began to play as the dance floor opened up.

“Because of Grant’s musical background, we had to have a live band to play good, classic music that we knew everyone would enjoy,” Nicole explained. The High Society Orchestra played all styles to fit all tastes; the couple even joined the band on stage throughout the night.

“I surprised Grant by singing ‘At Last’ by Etta James and his best friend sang ‘Let’s Stay Together’ by Al Green,” Nicole said. Grant and his music partner Mike even put on a reunion concert of sorts and performed songs including “Sweet Home Alabama”.

LOVED BY MANY

Photographers Jandie and Aaron Waggoner of Lifetime photography were on hand all day to capture every moment:

“[Nicole and Grant’s wedding] was modern in every way that it needed to be, but so much of the day felt like it could have happened just as easily in the mid 40’s. It was magical.”

Weddings are a celebration of a couple and a bringing together of families. Weddings are also the couple’s first chance to define their relationship in the eyes of their loved ones. Nicole and Grant embraced that opportunity and had a day that reflected them at every turn.

“From personal stylists, to bridesmaids assisting in an accident, to a groomsmen performing when the first dance song cut out, to homegrown flowers--it was a beautiful day and this couple is so obviously loved by many,” Waggoner said.

Not every wedding can or should be described as timeless. But every once in a while a couple comes along who put together a day that truly stands the test of time, and Nicole and Grant Cook are that couple. Nicole herself said it best: “The wedding was our perfect vision of classic elegance.”