Brenda Grace Lowber & Brandon W. Lester
July 26, 2010
Bride’s name: Brenda Grace Lowber
Groom’s name: Brandon W. Lester
Occupations: Brenda is a creative director, designer and makeup artist, and Brandon is a firefighter/EMT.
How they met: “Let’s not kid ourselves – we met in a bar. We met in the classiest bar that Anchorage has to offer: Koots. Brandon’s band was playing and our souls intertwined over a studded belt and a turquoise necklace. We will spare you the details, because truth be told, neither of us can really remember how it all began.”
The proposal: Brandon had failed attempts to propose to Brenda in front of the painting of Denali and spelling it out at the Imaginarium. After spending all day trying to be creative for his proposal, he finally sent a text message to Brenda that read “will u be my wife?” (Yes, he proposed via text and abbreviated the word “you”). “I embraced technology and said yes (I would have done it via text, but ‘yes’ is too hard to abbreviate).”
Wedding colors: “Sea foam, blush, ivory, rose, copper, gold, gray, ebony – anything with a vintage feel.”
Number of guests: 175
Most memorable moment…
For her: “Swearing during my vows.”
For him: “Seeing B and how pretty she looked.”
Funniest moments: “The bride fell down the stairs, the maid of honor fell out of the motor home, and some of our firefighter guests lit a table on fire.”
Unique aspects of the day: “Brandon played Iron & Wine’s ‘Such Great Heights’ on the guitar for me as I walked down the aisle to him. It was also my Grandma Grace’s 89th birthday. During our toasts we brought Grandma her own cake and made all of our guests sing her ‘Happy Birthday.’ The wedding party all piled in a motor home and rolled to the carnival to play and take pictures. We also had Funfetti Cupcakes, which are Brandon’s favorite.”
Three words that best describe the day: “B Hearts B”
If they had the chance to do it again, what they would do differently: “Nothing. Even after all the things that went wrong (and there were plenty of them), nothing. I spent an incredible day with all of the people I love and I married an incredible guy who lets me eat all the ice cream and fluffs my pillow for me every night before we go to bed. Who would change that?”
What Brenda loves most about her husband: “He calls me ‘Darling.’ In a time when chivalry is close to dead, he is a refreshing reminder of what every man should strive to be. He calls me out on my BS. He is my equal. And, he always, ALWAYS puts away the vacuum cleaner when I’m done with it and have left it out.”
What Brandon loves most about his wife: “A bird in nature is at its greatest beauty. She knows exactly who she is and doesn’t know how to express anything else.”
Best advice for a couple planning a wedding: “Stop complaining. I hear so many brides complaining about the stress and the process, which I embraced. My wedding was like a year-long party and the ‘big day’ felt like prom of senior year! You never get this time back so don’t stress over things that won’t be important a year from now. In 50 years what will you have left? You’ll have your rings (if they aren’t lost), your photos (if they aren’t destroyed), your memories (hold on to those) and the love of your life. What else matters?”