Jay Patrick Langhurst - Features - Kattelmann Wedding

Kattelmann Wedding

Brad and Alison Kattelmann Wedding - May 27, 2002
So, yet another wedding...Are you ready? Well, I met Brad Kattelmann my Junior year at Creighton, his Sophomore year. I was living on Swanson Halls's now defunct Study Community on the north end of the 9th floor. Brad lived near the elevators and somehow we started talking about computers. Brad likes computers, I like computers, Brad likes photography, I like photography, and I was much funnier than Brad was. Brad, Matt (his roommate) and I became good friends over the next two years. I spent many hours in Brad and Matt's room that year fixing computers, talking with them about everything from computers to deep thoughts on life and religion. More than once I fell asleep in their recliner during a lull in conversation and woke up a few hours later at some ungodly hour of night.

Ever since I've known Brad, he's spent more than 50% of his waking time on the phone with Alison. Brad met Alison during his senior year of high school in Brookings, South Dakota where he had just moved. Against all reasonable odds they kept their relationship going for the next four years of college as Brad attended Creighton in Omaha and Alison went to school in Iowa. They were finally married on May 27th, 2002 and without a doubt they're one of the few couples I've met that I can say is truly in love. Brad and Alison will be spending a few months in Brookings and after Brad goes to training as an ROTC grad he'll be attending Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado to become a United Methodist minister.

Enjoy the photos from the wedding, I know I enjoyed my first trip to South Dakota and the festivities!

Ok...so before we get to the wedding stuff, we gotta get through the Souix Falls photos. Reasonable-sized planes don't often fly into Brookings, so I caught a flight to Souix Falls where Brad and Matt picked me up. Below are some photos from what else...the Souix Falls of Souix Falls, South Dakota.
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Well...it wasn't that scary in person...don't ya feel like you're just gonna fall right in?
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Now just a few more steps back...just a few more...
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Quite the popular destination
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Good wholesome fun in South Dakota
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Brad holds one of my lens caps next to Matt as I photograph them from an observation tower near the falls (they're much cooler than I am, since they wear sunglasses)
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Ah, now we find ourselves at the wedding rehearsal...meet the beautiful bride (she's the one below) and Anika, the daughter of one of Brad's friends, Shawn
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Brad managed to grab the camera from me and do what I hate most...take photos of the photographer
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During a pause in activity, Brad and Alison's sister, Amelia, play the organ
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The big day arrives...photos before the wedding
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A light stand and power cord fit nicely into a scene between photo shoots
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Shawn, who served as an usher, Maria (bridesmaid), and their daughter, Anika (flower girl)
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The parents of the bride, David and Diane, pose with the lovely bride-to-be
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At this point, when the photo shoot was done, all the groomsmen quietly slipped out of the church to plot and scheme. Prior to arriving in Brookings, the groomsmen (Aaron, Dan, Matt and I) had been brainstorming on what we could do to "contribute" to the wedding in a special way.
We decided our contribution would be to use an old green VW bus to kidnap the bride just after the wedding. So, here we are checking out the vehicle and trying to help Aaron start the darned thing since it hadn't lept to life in three years.
Dan tries to master the door, it had a habit of not sticking...
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Dan stands by the door while in his costume for the event. We used bedsheets to portray a mix between bitter brides and middle-eastern terrorists (thus the bus via Back to the Future).
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Aaron fiddles with the new battery he got just for the bus from Wal-Mart
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Matt sits in the diver's seat as we attempt another start of the bus
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Well, eventually we got everything "rolling" again and had a little convoy through the town back to the church. Luckily we were WAY early for the wedding, with 15 minutes to go by the time we showed up. For some reason, Brad was a little concerned. But he couldn't dwell on what we might have been up to for long...he was about to be MARRIED!
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The family and couple wouldn't let me bring my camera into the ceremony since I was a groomsman, so alas there are no photos from me of the blessed event. Here we see "Buddy," Brad's uncle, passing through the receiving line.
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The joyous couple receive their joyous guests
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Andrea opens wide her arms to embrace Brad
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Sarah congratulates Alison while Andrea hugs Brad, both friends from Creighton
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This guest was good friends with Alison and traveled all the way from Japan to be at the wedding. She barely made it and a police officer brought her to the church in the nick of time!
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Emily and Matt pose for a photo as the line moves on
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Chris and Aaron show their happiness after the wedding
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Ah yes, photos from the kidnapping
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I snapped this panoramic while retreating back into the van...note the dejected Brad standing next to what he THOUGHT was the vehicle that would take he and Alison from the church
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Ted and Alison in the VW bus during the getaway (which was hampered a bit by the bus dying several times on the way OUT of the parking lot)
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After arriving at our destination, we had only a few minutes to celebrate without the groom
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Brad rescues his bride from the evil bride-terrorists (note the suspenders used to secure our headgear)
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Brad and Alison entertain themselves while waiting for the magical bus to take them for a quick ride. The cucumber indicated we took Alison to the restaurant where they offer cucumber sauce topping. Alison is playing with a bottle of bubbles.
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