This Soulard wedding got the party started with a parade

Jenna Green and Andrew Wilson married November 4, 2017 at the historic Soulard Preservation Hall.

by Jenna Fleischmann

February 22, 2018

8:00 AM

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Photo by Elizabeth Lloyd Photography

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Courtship: Jenna Green and Andrew Wilson had two first dates, and neither is shy about which one sealed the deal. In 2012, set up by mutual friends, the two hit it off, but decided that it wasn't the right time to start a relationship. Throughout the next few years, they would occasionally hang out with the same friends. In 2015, Andrew asked Jenna to the Schlafly Oyster Festival. Charmed by each other, and perhaps a little by the ocean’s most romantic food, the timing slid into place.

Proposal: Even after ring shopping together, Andrew surprised Jenna, but he didn’t do it alone. Caroline, their lab-cocker spaniel, served as his partner in crime. He suggested that they walk Caroline through Forest Park. It would be a good workout, he iterated, so Jenna’s curiosity arose when Andrew spiffed up. Caroline took care of her suspicions, however, distracting her at the bottom of Art Hill by running in crazy circles. After wrangling the dog, Jenna turned around to face Andrew, down on one knee, presenting the ring. He barely made it past “I love you,” before Jenna excitedly thrust a hand forward. When Andrew asked for her other hand, she excitedly responded, “You can have all the hands!”

Ceremony: Andrew’s family pastor performed a traditional Lutheran ceremony at Trinity Church. Jenna and Andrew wanted a beautiful yet understated atmosphere, and the venue was exactly what they had in mind: beautiful and also of a prized location. It was close to their reception venue, the Soulard Preservation Hall, and the brick path between made an ideal parade route. They doled out white handkerchiefs for waving, a Southern tradition—Andrew hails from Georgia—and paraded the hall as bar-goers, restaurant patrons, and neighbors, cheered from the sidewalks.

Reception: Jenna selected “Southern hospitality” as the reception’s theme. She emphasized Andrew and herself as the hosts of the celebration for family and friends. The interplay of historic and modern design in the Soulard Preservation Hall would serve as a sleek, yet, most importantly, warm venue. Simple, elegant greenery, white floral accents, and mood-lighting created spaces for intimate conversation. They transformed the basement play area for the kids, complete with coloring books. New management of the hall followed shortly, making Jenna’s and Andrew’s reception the last one ever held there.

The Details:

Photography: Elizabeth Lloyd Photography

Wedding coordinator: Style:Altar'd

Ceremony: Trinity Lutheran Soulard

Reception: Soulard Preservation Hall

Catering: Catering St. Louis

Music: Retro Boogie Band

Dress: Jenny Packham from Kelly's Closet (in Atlanta, Georgia)

Shoes: Nordstrom

Bridesmaid dresses: Adrianna Papell

Hair and makeup: DanielleStyle

Tuxes: The Black Tux