Bride Blogger Nicole: The Ceremony

Choosing where you are going to have your wedding ceremony can be a tough decision. Ryan and I are not the same religion--he's Catholic and I'm Methodist--so we had to talk about how we would get married. I was very active in my church in my hometown, but since moving to Lincoln I hadn't found a church to attend yet. I used to live close to St. Mark's United Methodist Church, and I always wanted to go there. Before I met Ryan, I didn't have anyone to go with me, so I just kept putting it off. One day I asked Ryan if he would go with me to that church and he said that he would.

We walked in to the sanctuary and I was taken aback by how big and beautiful it was! There is seating for nearly 1,000 people, beautiful woodwork and windows, and it's just overall amazing. It was a great experience; we loved the sermon and felt at home there. We continued to attend services, and after we got engaged, we decided to become members.

We were impressed with how much St. Mark's had to offer. There are so many options to get involved in the church and the community through the church--there is a group for everyone and everything and they put on many concerts for charity.

Ryan and I attend the 10:30 service on Sundays, which is the Contemparary Service. There's a band called Creation that plays before and during the service and they're wonderful. It's definitely not your typical church music--it's more upbeat and jazzy. I got these pictures from the Journal Star, and in one of them you can see the band playing and you can also see one of the big screen projectors behind them. The other is Pastor Wayne giving a sermon.

Lincoln has many options for outdoor weddings also. A friend of mine got married at the columns at Pioneers Park last year and it was beautiful! There's also beautiful golf courses like Wilderness Ridge,  Hillcrest Country Club, Hidden Valley, and HiMark; the Sunken Gardens (how cool to be surrounded by beautiful flowers); and many other options--if you're brave enough to chance the crazy Nebraska weather! :)