Diann Elizabeth Lee Shumaker
Lance Thrane Cage
May 12, 2001
St. Louis, Missouri

ABOUT THE BRIDE: Diann is originally from Columbus, Ohio, but now resides in St. Louis. She is a graphic designer and the owner of Mercury Paperworks.

ABOUT THE GROOM: Lance is from a military family, so he can call a number of cities "home". He is a project manager at ARCO Construction Company in St. Louis.

HOW WE MET: The couple initially met at a New Year's Eve Party in 1997. Lance was living in St. Louis and Diann was finishing her degree at the University of Cincinnati. They were quite taken with one another, but distance and other relationships put a damper on romance.

After Diann's graduation, she made the decision to move to Seattle. A mutual friend arranged a night's stopover in St. Louis. Lance treated Diann to dinner and a moonlit tour of St. Louis. Interest grew, but neither was interested in long-distance dating.

A year later, Diann received a surprise call from Lance. He was planning a vacation in Seattle and the third time proved to be a charm. The two fell in love almost immediately and Diann moved to St. Louis three months later.

ENGAGEMENT: While sitting outside after an evening cookout for two, Diann broached the subject. "Do you think we need to have a talk about marriage?" Lance was ready. While fiddling with a piece of tin foil he replied, "Well, the way it usually goes is one person asks a question and the other answers yes or no." It turns out the tin foil was hiding a beautiful diamond and platinum engagement ring. Lance had been carrying the ring all weekend, waiting for just the right moment and Diann provided the perfect segue.

PLANNING: Being brand new to the city, having no St. Louis friends and virtually no wedding experience, Diann began looking through the yellow pages for potential vendors and wedding sites. Although that provides many options, it doesn't provide much of a screening process. Luckily Diann quickly found Wedding-Club.com and St. Louis Bride Magazine which made planning much, much easier.

ATTIRE: While visiting a small Dayton, Ohio bridal boutique over Thanksgiving, Diann found her A-line strapless dress with pearl beading on the bodice. In lieu of a veil, she chose an organza shoulder wrap made by a family friend. Diann's only bridesmaid wore a sleeveless floor length dress in periwinkle from Jessica McClintock. The flower girl wore a white sundress layered with a sheer periwinkle apron.

Lance wore a black Joseph Abboud suit with a silver tie. The best man and ushers all wore their own black suits with butter colored ties. The twin ring bearers wore black shorts, white short sleeve oxfords, and yellow bow ties.

THE CEREMONY: The ceremony was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in the Central West End. Complete with wonderful stained glass windows, a long center aisle, and booming pipe organ, you couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding location. The pews were exquisitely decorated by the Flower Girl with hydrangea-filled cones and the altar held beautifully created topiaries.

THE RECEPTION: The east ballroom of Windows Off Washington held the couple's 150 wedding guests for dinner and dancing. As guests arrived, they were greeted with a glass of champagne and entertained by a flute and cello duet. During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a wide variety of hors d'oeuvres before they were seated for a dinner of salmon and steak. After dessert, the couple danced their first dance to a local band's rendition of "At Last" by Etta James. As the band played into the night, guests continued to enjoy the candlelight and unique floral décor. The balcony was decorated with trees, ivy, and twinkle lights for family and friends to enjoy as they looked out over the St. Louis skyline.

HOW WE PERSONALIZED THE WEDDING: Diann carried a bouquet of tulips which reminded the couple of their first day spent together in Seattle at the Skagit Valley tulip festival. They also chose wines and champagne from Washington State wineries.

Diann used her artistic talents to create the invitations, programs, place cards, guest book, and gifts for the guests.

THINGS WE LOVED: "What wasn't to love?" was the response when the couple was asked about their favorite parts of the wedding. "The weather was wonderful, all our friends and family were with us, the flowers were gorgeous, the food was incredible, the music, the ceremony, everything was beyond our expectations. But when it was all said and done, we were married, which was definitely the thing we loved most of all."

Photography by Gina Farris
Invitations by Mercury Paperworks
Flowers by The Flower Girl
Ceremony/Reception at Windows Off Washington

If you have questions or comments for Diann and Lance please e-mail them at dianns@mercurypaperworks.com.