The Wedding Story of... Kim & Peter Wallace

There’s a lot of debate about the origin of the phrase “It’s all in the details.” Some claim French novelist Gustave Flaubert penned “God is in the details” and others attribute the phrase to Michelangelo or architect Mies van der Rohe. 

 

Whoever said it, there could not be a more apt example than the September 15, 2012 wedding of Kim and Peter Wallace in Indianapolis. 

 

“In every aspect of our planning, our first thought was to do something unique, something that people would not have seen before. From our 50s theme, to the topsy-turvy cake, to our lamp centerpieces, we felt we pulled off a fun wedding that matched our personalities perfectly,” Kim said.

 

 

 

 

The proposal was about as elaborate and detailed as it gets. Peter proposed on May 21, 2011: the day the world was supposed to end (well, one of the days). Peter told Kim they were going to spend the weekend in his family’s hometown of Winchester, Indiana and visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. But at the last minute he said a friend sent them tickets to San Francisco, a special place for Kim who got her master’s degree in the bay area.

 

After the bus stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge, Peter said they had to walk across it to meet their friend. Kim got a little suspicious. “I was worried about dragging our heavy luggage all the way across the bridge.  Peter asked a tourist to take our picture and when he came back he got down on one knee and proposed.”

 

 

 

 

Kim had some definite ideas about what she wanted her wedding to look like, and one of the things on her “have to have” list was use of the colors lime and turquoise, giving the celebration a bright and fun feel. She added white to the color scheme to accent the bright colors. 

 

More of the 50s theme was incorporated with Kim’s birdcage veil as well as the turquoise and white 1955 Ford Fairlane they ended up using as their “getaway” car. “We actually found the car randomly driving by a house near my neighborhood. We spotted the car in the garage and I knew it was the perfect car!” Kim said. “My Mom and I pulled into the driveway and asked the owner if he ever rented it out. He said ‘no’.” Kim left her information and it worked out. “The car was one of my favorite memories of the entire day.”

 

The couple took the 50s theme to the extreme: a retro diner soda fountain complete with soda jerk hats, a late night snack of mini cheeseburgers and crinkle fries, milk glass cake stands, and even hotel gift baskets with Cracker Jack, Oreos, Moon Pies and Planters Peanuts. 

 

The signature cocktail was “Love Potion Number 9”—turquoise-colored (of course). Fifties music was incorporated into the evening and groomsmen wore turquoise Chuck Taylor high top shoes.

 

“We spent about a year before the wedding visiting many antique stores all around the Midwest, collecting vintage items we could use for the wedding,” Kim said.

 

 

 

 

 

She and Peter also wrote cards before the ceremony and had them delivered to each other 20 minutes before the wedding began. She said it was so touching to read the sweet, funny words right before walking down the aisle.

 

“My favorite ceremony moment was when I started walking down the aisle and was SO nervous I could hardly breathe, but then I looked up and saw my friends, family, and Peter and everything felt so perfect. I quickly calmed down and just really enjoyed and focused on the entire ceremony and the words of the vows.”

 

 

 

 

The reception for 200 took place at the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library. Peter chose the first dance song – John McLaughlin, My Girl Tonight. The couple had spent months taking dance lessons and even learned a choreographed dance routine. “It was a great way to relax and spend time together leading up to the wedding,” Kim said.

 

One of the numerous décor details included an elaborate candy bar. Peter and Kim spent about every weekend prior to the wedding getting the DIY tasks completed. Kim said Peter organized and bagged all the candy, unwrapped hundreds of shell balls and even got some hot glue gun experience as he attached bows onto the menu cards.

 

“Peter was so helpful during the planning and preparations. He sat through many meetings and always kept a smiling face,” Kim said.