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The National Confederate Park Civil War-era chapel at Higginsville was the setting for the May 30, 2009, wedding of Kristen Lea Ellis and Justin Ray Jennings.
Honorable Shane Alexander, friend of the bride and sitting judge in Division 1, Clay County Circuit Court of Liberty, presided at the marriage of the daughter of Phyllis Dible, Trenton, and the late Stan Ellis, Gallatin, and the son of Ray Jennings, Higginsville, and Lois Blankenship, Windsor. Grandparents of the bride present for the ceremony were Paul and Emogene Jackson, Trenton, and of the groom, Irma Gregory, Windsor.
Prelude, processional, and recessional music was provided by violinist Elías Carballo-Jackson, nine-year-old nephew of the bride, and the organist utilizing the chapel’s antique pump organ, Kimberly Jackson Carballo , sister of the bride, both of Bloomington, Ind.
During the processional, the mothers of the bride and groom and the father of the groom were escorted by the groom. Flower girls Chloe Moritz and Annika Riekhof, dressed in sleeveless ivory dresses featuring faux-pearl embellishments and ribbon lattice detail on the bodice and hem, were escorted to the altar by flower girl attendants, Lance and Mason Dukes, all of whom are friends of the bride and groom. The flower girls carried ivory baskets as they scattered the petals of ivory roses.
The bride was attired in an ivory allover-beaded lace trumpet gown with empire waist, cap sleeves, and chapel-length train. As accessories she chose a cathedral-length comb veil with pearl accents and a single strand of pearls that had belonged to her late paternal grandmother, Norma Ellis, and an antique gold heart-shaped locket, a family heirloom belonging to the bride’s maternal grandmother, Emogene Jackson, was attached to the bride’s garter.
While processing to the altar, the bride carried a bouquet of ivory roses, orchids, peonies, and stephanotis with ivory ribbon and pearls. Additionally, she carried a single, long-stemmed red rose that she placed at the altar in memory of her father.
The groom wearing a black suit with ivory shirt and tie and ivory orchid boutonnière awaited his bride at the altar.
Paul Jackson, the now-deceased grandfather of the bride, opened the double-ring ceremony with a prayer of blessing for the couple.
After the recessional, the couple greeted the guests, all family and close, intimate friends of the bride and groom, in the garden on the grounds of the chapel, all within the National Confederate Civil War Park and Cemetery.
A formal dinner and reception were held for 300 guests on the lawn of the groom’s father’s home in Higginsville. The ivory linen tablecloths with black overlays covered the tables that were decorated with orchids at each place setting and centerpieces of monogrammed ivory candles on black candle holders adorned with strings of pearls. Ivory tulle with white twinkle lights hung throughout the wedding tent, coming together in the peaks at three large garden wrought-iron lanterns filled with numerous ivory dinner candles. A table at the entrance to the tent held the engagement picture of the couple as well as bouquet of candles in memory of loved ones who were not present. The couple’s table, centered at the head of the dance floor, was captured in a spotlight of the couple’s monogram.
Sheryl Warren of Seasons on the Square of Gallatin catered the hot buffet from which the guests were served. The dessert buffet, featuring several kinds of cupcakes, chocolate mousse, fresh fruit tarts and miniature peach pies was provided by Cheri Holder of Platte City. Ms. Holder also baked and decorated the couple’s cake, a strawberry-filled torte with ivory icing and fresh strawberries.
For the dinner and reception followed by a dance, DJ Darren Matson, friend of the bride and groom, provided music. At the introduction of the couple, they entered the reception to "You are the Best Thing" by Ray Lamontagne. Following the toast to the couple by close friends Brandi Moritz, Lori Hill, Jeni Claspill, Jill Steward, Jeremy Kirchhoff, and Jeremy Wade, the couple’s first dance was to "At Last" by Etta James.
Kristen and Justin Jennings are at home at 601 W. 29th Street, Higginsville, where the bride is an assistant prosecuting attorney for Lafayette County, and the groom is co-owner and operator of the 19th Street Gym.