Friday–Sunday, July 22–24, 2011
Posted here April 15, 2022
The wedding photos can be seen here.
I (Charlie) had a personal holiday from work today; we were going to Minnesota for Joe’s wedding.
Our car was inoperable, so Craig Bergum came around 9:30 a.m. and dropped off a car for us to drive this weekend; it was a gold Pontiac Grand Am.
Alex Jeffcoat arrived shortly after 10 a.m. amid all of our scurrying around, trying to pack and load up for the trip.
We finally were all loaded and ready to go around noon: Wendi, myself, Chrissy Lawrence and Alex Jeffcoat. We left the house at 12:05 p.m.
Stopped at Janesville Walmart (12:21–12:48) to buy beverages for the trip: bottled water, sodas, Rockstar energy for me. Also bought a gift bag and tissue for our gift to them. ~ Two Walmart workers, Ruby and Kathy, expressed congratulations to Joe for the wedding.
The four of us ate lunch at Taco John’s in Janesville before leaving town (12:55–1:39 p.m.).
Stopped at rest area, mile 76 in Wisconsin, 3:14–3:25. ~ Entered Minnesota at 4:34 and arrived at the Crossroads College Student Center in Rochester at 5:37 p.m.
Treats were in store for everyone after we arrived: the ladies were taken out for Japanese food at Jenpachi Japanese Steak House, 3160 Wellner Drive Northeast, Rochester; it was a great and memorable experience! The men were taken to see the movie Captain America: The First Avenger in 3D at Cinemagic Hollywood 12 Theatre, 2171 Superior Drive Northwest, Rochester (6:50 p.m. showing). The movie was amazing!
Afterward there was a bachelor party at Joe’s apartment at the college. Joe’s college friends, Andrew and Jason, were there; they left to make a soda and snack run. Josh Jewell, Alex Jeffcoat, Jamie Schlotte, Joe and I were there also; Tony and John Ulbrech went back to Winona. I felt out of place because I was the only older man there, but Joe tried to make me feel comfortable. ~ I didn’t eat very much popcorn at the movie, and we didn’t eat dinner, so I was still hungry; I helped Joe make macaroni-and-cheese with some cut-up hot dogs in it. I ate about half of the batch; Alex and Josh had some too. ~ The guys played Halo on Joe’s Xbox; I watched them and asked questions to learn what was going on. It was quite interesting. I left shortly after midnight; Alex stayed up with the others, playing Halo until around 3 a.m.
At the guest apartment where we were staying (room 103), Wendi slept on a hideaway bed in the living room while Chrissy took a bed in the bedroom. Alex slept at Joe’s apartment.
Wendi, Chrissy and I shared the leftover Japanese food for breakfast, around 9 a.m. ~ The wedding rehearsal was at 10 a.m. so we walked down from the guest apartment to the Administration building.
The rehearsal was a mess. Someone forgot and left all of the music CDs somewhere (possibly the Student Center) except for my “Wedding Day” CD, so they used selections from that CD for everything during the rehearsal. ~ Elizabeth was so nervous that she developed a terrible lisp during the vows. I told her later that everything would be fine during the ceremony tonight; often the rehearsal goes rough. ~ To add to the mix, there was a heavy thunderstorm during the rehearsal. ~ There was a nice meal afterward in the Student Center, around noon.
Pictures were to take place at 4:00. ~ Wendi and Chrissy had forgotten their dresses at home (we remembered it just over an hour’s drive from the house yesterday). Wendi had phoned Gary and Shayna, who had a house key for Lifeline and were coming up for the wedding; they would stop by the house and pick up the dresses… but alas, they had car trouble (starter) and would be later than expected arriving in Minnesota. ~ When they got closer, I gave directions to the college to Gary, but Shayna took a wrong turn, and they got lost. ~ Meanwhile, the sun came out and it got very muggy, with temperatures in the mid 80s. The pictures were taken outside but started late, about 4:45. The family shots would be taken last.
Just before 5:30, we were all getting very nervous. “It’s already 5:30,” Joe said to me, “and my own mother isn’t here! Could you just go and get her? She can wear whatever, as long as she is here!” A moment later, Gary and Shayna pulled in with the dresses; the ladies quickly changed and walked down to where the pictures were being taken, near the Admin building. They arrived just in time for the pictures; all was well. Wendi, especially, looked beautiful.
The wedding (6:06, scheduled for 6:00) was wonderful. They used “Groom’s Bridal March” from my CD for the processional and bridal entrance; there were the maid of honor, four bridesmaids, the best man, four groomsmen, and two flower girls, so the music ran out just as the bride was to come out and had to be hastily re-cued somewhere in the middle of the song, then faded out once she made it to the front of the room. Glenn Winch did a great job officiating, and everyone looked beautiful. ~ “When Love Overtakes” was played for the lighting of the unity candle, as planned (the candles kept going out and had to be relit). The guy doing the sound quickly switched CDs so he could play a selection from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons: Autumn” as the recessional. The CD was then allowed to play several other pieces for about 10 minutes, as everyone exited the room, before being turned off. ~ The members of the wedding party are listed below:
Groom: Joe Petitt
Bride: Elizabeth Ulbrech
Best Man: Josh Jewell
Groomsmen:
Maid of Honor: Emily Rose Schlotte
Bridesmaids:
Flower Girls:
Photographer: Amanda Aucoin
The reception, held in the Student Center (7–11 p.m.) was also excellent. There was a variety of food including meatballs; cheese, sausage and crackers; vegetables with dip; several salads; sandwiches made with chicken, ham, shoestring potatoes and corn; and a whole table full of desserts.
The party began with a toast from the best man (Josh Jewell) and the maid of honor (Emily Rose Schlotte).
Josh Jewell had his sound system set up, and he had a playlist of 64 songs to cover about three-and-a-half hours, but for the first dance, Elizabeth (the bride) requested “Father’s Prayer” from the CD I had prepared. It sounded fabulous over Josh’s sound system. Joe and Elizabeth danced, and all eyes and ears were on the scene. Some tears were shed during this.
Josh’s playlist included songs by OneRepublic (“Secrets” for the second dance), Jason Mraz, Selena Gomez and much more. Josh did a great job; even his mom complimented him on his work. ~ Wendi and I danced to the second dance; Ray and Annette Jewell danced together also. At one point, Ray was seen dancing and moshing with the young people! And Alex danced all evening, working up a terrific sweat.
The cake was marble with chocolate frosting, something I had never seen at a wedding before (Elizabeth loves chocolate).
Alex slept at Joe’s apartment again. ~ I was up in time to make church (services at Hope Summit are at 9:00 and 10:30, just like our own church), but Wendi didn’t feel well, and Chrissy was still sleeping. ~ Wendi and I went to a nearby Kwik Trip (10:28) where we bought donuts and apple juice for everyone. Alex joined us for breakfast.
We all met this afternoon at the Student Center to help clean up. There were plenty of sandwiches left, and plenty of desserts, so everyone was nibbling. ~ At about 3:00, Joe and Elizabeth opened their gifts. Teresa Ulbrech wrote everything down. There were a lot of gifts; Claire Borchard’s parents gave them several large items from their registry list. There was also cash to be counted.
Joe and Elizabeth would be going on their honeymoon about next Wednesday; they would camp in Wisconsin or Minnesota and possibly go to Chicago as well.
Finally, Tony, Teresa and John Ulbrech headed for their home in Winona. The four of us (Wendi, Charlie, Chrissy and Alex) met Joe and Elizabeth at a nearby Denny’s for dinner (6:31). We said our goodbyes and left at 6:45.
After a brief stop at Kwik Trip (6:53) for gas and Gatorade, and two rest area stops, we arrived at a place just off Highway 14 between Janesville and Evansville, where Alex was living with his friend Jeremy. ~ Got gas at Kwik Trip on West Court Street in Janesville, then arrived home at 11:43 p.m.