A business luncheon on Sunday afternoon was the last thing Jennifer Englert needed as she busily prepared for a very important meeting with a national client the next morning. Reluctantly, she arrived at the stately Oak Room of the grand Seelbach Hotel where the hostess greeted her and politely led Jennifer to a private dining area. A cloud of confusion rendered her speechless as she stared at the table, surrounded not by business colleagues, but by fresh flowers, a photographer, and the love of her life, Tim Clark. All thoughts of the next morning’s meeting fled from Jennifer’s mind as Tim expressed his love for her and asked her to be his wife. Jennifer eagerly accepted, and the quest for their dream wedding began.

Jennifer and Tim selected wedding designer and consultant Beth Penner Torstrick, owner of Fairy Godmothers, in September of 2002, and began planning an extravaganza to be held one year later, September 20, 2003. After searching for venues all around Louisville, they found themselves yearning for something different, a unique atmosphere to mark the beginning of their life together as husband and wife. Upon Beth’s suggestion, plans began for a tented affair on the grounds of a private horse farm.

The wedding ceremony was held at Broadway Baptist Church, the bride’s family church, and was officiated by Joe Donaldson, of Southeast Christian Church, the bride’s and groom’s home church.

Moments before the wedding ceremony was to begin, there was a knock on the door of the bridal party room. The messenger, best man Chris Clark, presented Jennifer with a gold box and an envelope bearing the words “My Beautiful Bride.” The card revealed heartfelt sentiments from Tim, while inside the box were Jennifer’s favorite Godiva chocolates and a second smaller box containing a beautiful bracelet for Jennifer to wear on their special day and to treasure for the rest of their lives together.
Making her grand entrance, the bride wore an elegant ivory satin silk, princess-cut, A-line Mon Cheri gown from Patrecia For Brides. The pleated bustline revealed a heavily embroidered inset of crystals and pearls; slightly off the shoulder, the gown was embellished with French silk-covered buttons running the full length of the cathedral train. The bride’s exquisite veil, designed by Jennifer and her consultant, then handcrafted by Carol Grisanti of Classic Veils by Carol, created a mystique as it covered her entire silhouette; beginning at the tip of her toes and gliding gracefully behind her, the veil featured satin trim and coordinating beading to match her dress. Beneath the delicate veiling, Jennifer carried a teardrop bouquet of Virginia roses, Porcelina spray roses, white stock, stephanotis with pearl centers, tucked satin ribbon, and iridescent bead sprays. At the end of the aisle stood Jennifer’s groom, handsomely clad in his tuxedo from Chaps by Ralph Lauren. A white squire vest with matching bowtie and silver mother-of-pearl cufflinks complemented the full dress tails.

Tim’s groomsmen, also in Ralph Lauren tuxedos, sported the Barrington Collection with black squire vests and bowties. Jennifer’s six bridesmaids wore exquisite European satin gowns from the Bill Levkoff collection; the strapless A-line gowns with a cuff at the bust line were a stunning claret red. Hand-tied bouquets of red Intuition and Charlotte roses, Mambo calla lilies, and glass amber bead sprays completed the bridesmaids’ ensemble, while the junior bridesmaids carried kissing balls bursting with red roses. Looking like fairy princesses, the two flower girls wore ivory dresses with layered tulle skirts; halos of delicate baby’s breath, fragile greenery, and tiny red spray roses completed the illusion.

The end of the beautiful ceremony was only the beginning of an enchanting night. The guests arrived at the private location to find a simple field transformed into a grand ballroom that would rival any four-star hotel. As they made their way up the winding drive, valets greeted each vehicle at the portico of the tent. The candlelight, greenery, and rose petals lining the walkway to the cocktail lounge were only a glimpse of what lay ahead. The cocktail tent exuded a soft glow as dozens of candles floated magically above the guests heads, suspended at random heights by invisible wire, and a custom-made glass-block bar stood in the center of the room. Guests roamed the cocktail area, enjoying the fountain in the lake on the fringe of the tent and relaxing in the intimate white and ivory setting that welcomed them with the soft glow of candlelight and the scent of fresh flowers. A linen-draped table, featuring a floral-embellished chair, invited the guests to leave a note for the bride and groom in the journal that rested alongside their photo.

Suddenly, the tranquility was interrupted as the sounds of the Underhill Trio were muffled by the deep rumble of helicopter rotors cutting into the air just above them. As the pilot carefully landed next to the lake, the Fairy Godmothers staff created a rose petal path which would later lead the couple to their creative departure. The arrangements were yet another surprise for the unsuspecting bride from her loving groom.

As the bridal party began to arrive, the guests were invited into the lavish grand room. The entrance was draped with fabric swags and rosettes, held in place by bountiful swags of fresh greenery and fragrant red roses. Sitting just inside the entrance and highlighted by spotlights was the majestic four-tier wedding cake. Four-inch layers of red Charlotte roses were nestled between each cake layer. Created by Virginia Rankin of Mertz’s Cakes, this luscious tower, and the additional butler’s cakes, featured chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, butter cake with raspberry filling, Italian cream cake with raspberry and cream cheese filling, turtle cake with chocolate and nut filling, and carrot cake with cream cheese filling. The edible work of art rested on a handmade wooden base designed and crafted by the bride, and painted a soft satin gold. Flickering with candlelight, the white and ivory undertones of the room were accentuated with claret red tone-on-tone table toppers. The Chiavari ballroom chairs of the bridal party tables were also wrapped with matching chiffon love knots. Five different centerpieces, all featuring amber gems and a variety of exotic red roses and gladioli, presented a striking contrast to the candlelight as guests entered the room. The overall flow of the room was arranged so well that it was difficult to know where to look first for individual details.

Each place setting featured a full set of silver, goblets, and a printed menu of the delicious fare for the evening. The culturally diverse guest list led Jennifer and Tim to select a variety of cuisine for their guests to enjoy; Susan Hershberg, owner of Wiltshire Pantry, created six elegantly adorned food stations. Culinary delights filled each station, offering everything from the tender leaves of baby spinach salad with a sherry vinaigrette to the spicy Indian dish of red curry chicken and stuffed naan; succulent carved beef tenderloin was paired with grilled vegetables, while two pasta chefs stood ready to craft individual selections of fresh ingredients into the perfect dish; a delicate selection of sushi, smoked salmon, and tangy shrimp cocktail rounded out the selection. Tuxedo strawberries and biscotti were available to enjoy with a steaming hot cup of frothy cappuccino. With a staff of more than seventy people on hand, Jennifer’s and Tim’s guests were left wanting for nothing as the evening unfolded.

Although the words “tent” and “elegant” may not be typically associated, the marriage of imagination and creativity produced a masterpiece. The poles of the tent were transformed into grand pillars of ivory broadcloth fabric by Todd Wright of The Wright Impression; lights were hidden inside the columns to produce a soft glow during dinner and turned red as the evening evolved and the dancing began. The crew from The Wright Impression worked two painstaking days to precisely drape more than 2000 feet of ivory broadcloth from the ceiling of the grand main tent. The attention to detail was so precise that lounges were created off the main room for both ladies and gentlemen on the way to the Luxury Loos. The men’s lounge, created to resemble the traditional library room, was outfitted with a leather sofa, beaded Moroccan pillows, and plaid wingback chairs. A masculine horizontal draping of fabric added to the ceiling. It was a free-flowing and artistic look that adorned the ceiling of the ladies lounge under which rested a white sofa and rug, glass coffee table, full-length mirrored screen, and multiple clusters of red roses in softly illuminated bubble vases. Understanding the desires of her wedding couple to create a unique ambiance, Beth arranged for intricately designed linens and chiffon overlays to be used. Their luxurious splendor adorned the cake table and the bride’s and groom’s intimate table. Beth faced a bit of a challenge when the groom, hearing of these special linens, requested that his chair be “less fluffy.” Her response of “What did you have in mind?” led to “The Tuxedo Chair.” The groom’s wishes were granted as the Fairy Godmother created a dashing and masculine chair complete with black bowtie, buttons, and cummerbund, finished with a Virginia rose boutonniere, while the bride’s chair was adorned with satin and chiffon, topped with a veil of tulle and a halo of white roses and delicate greenery. The couple’s intimate table featured a fragrant arrangement of Charlotte and Intuition roses and a silver champagne bucket with, of course, Dom Perignon.

Beth also advised the bridal couple to consider the new trend of offering a specialty drink for their guests. She even enlisted the help of Louisville-based Brown-Forman and arranged for the guests of the Clark wedding to be among the first to taste their newest product called Southern Twist. Jennifer ran with the idea and actually selected a drink for each of her six bridesmaids, tailored to fit the individual. Framed drink menus with photos and stories were placed at the bars, allowing the guests to choose one of the six custom drinks. Guest could order from the Funky Cold Medina (named for the maid of honor), La Señorita, Floridian Shell, Short and Sweet, the Spicy Red Head, or the Roaming Russian (which featured the new Southern Twist).

After the bride and groom enjoyed their first dance in the spotlight to “You’re My Everything,” the party began. A touching tribute to the sanctity of marriage came in the form of the Anniversary Dance. The emcee for the evening invited all married couples to join the bride and groom on the dance floor; as the music played, he invited all of the couples on the floor married five years or more to remain dancing. He continued to call out larger numbers, each time reducing the number of people left on the dance floor. Finally, one couple remained. Married half a century, they shared a hug, a photo, and a bit of advice with the newlyweds about how to achieve such a fabulous milestone.
In true Tim Clark fashion, the evening would not have been complete without another surprise or two for his bride. Tim asked Jennifer to join him and the bridesmaids on the dance floor. Because Jennifer had no idea where they would be honeymooning, Tim created a game for her to play in hopes of discovering the destination by the game’s end. Each bridesmaid revealed a card with a letter on it. When unscrambled, she would know more about her destination. After moving the ladies around, it became apparent that they would be going F-I-S-H-I-N-G, one of Tim’s favorite pastimes. Much to Jennifer’s delight, the ladies finally flipped the cards over revealing B-E-R-M-U-D-A on the reverse side.

As the clock struck midnight, it was time for the bride and groom to make their departure. With an adoring group of family and friends lining the entrance, the groom guided his beautiful new bride along a moonlit path of rose petals beside the candle-lit lake, to the awaiting helicopter. As the rotors began to turn, the smiles on their faces and the twinkle in their eyes revealed the real truth. For Jennifer and Tim Clark, the best of life’s surprises lie ahead.