• Photography • Music • Floral • Beauty • Catering • Jewelry • Cakes

2009 Wedding Planner
2009
Tomahawk Leader
Wedding
Planner
• Photography
• Music • Floral
• Beauty • Catering
• Jewelry • Cakes
• Reception Venues
A special
supplement to the
Tuesday,
Feb. 17, 2009
tomahawkleader.com
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009—Page
1
Page 2—Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009
2009 Wedding Planner
Tomahawk Leader
Do You Recognize These People?
A
D
B
E
C
H
I
J
F
G
•Bridal Bouquets
•Unique Floral Pieces for Church/Reception
Your Wedding Specialists
(Fresh Or Silk)
Call or Stop By
For The Personal Touch You Deserve
Tailored for your
individual needs
and budget
121 W. Wisconsin Ave.,Tomahawk, WI 54487
(715) 453-8097
W09 SCA300
K
L
2009 Wedding Planner
M
Wedding day beauty tips
N
Did You Recognize
These People?
A - Jim & Julie Dentler
B - Jeff & Tracy Jaeger
C - Dave & Cathy Koth
D - Chuck & Emmy Lou Grigg
E - Glenn & Sharon Christianson
F - Gene & Ginny Swan
G - Dan & Dawn Baus
H - Derrell & Jeanne Lang
I - Randy & Lisa Krueger
J - Roger & Mary Schlegel
K - Jim & Cathy Meyer
L - Jim & Pam Wise
M - Paul & Kelly Nelson
N - Clarence & Elaine Viegut
O - Erv & Jean VanStrydonk
O
Get to the church on time.
Sacred
Feather
Portraits
Wedding Specialists
Jodie Lassig
Rhinelander, WI 54501
715-369-3799
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009—Page
Tomahawk Leader
Make sure you arrive there
when it matters.
Keep your car on time...
with a regular tune-up and oil change from the
auto care specialist who cares the most...
Calhoun’s Auto Repair
1612 N. 4th St., Tomahawk, WI 54487
453-3076
W09 CAL200
3
(MS) You bought the gown, scheduled the hairstylist, and picked out the bridal
accessories. But are you forgetting about one of the most important parts of looking
beautiful on your wedding day: your face?
Here are some other ways to maximize your beauty potential come your wedding day.
Cleansing and Toning
Healthy skin starts with clean skin. Be sure to remove makeup every night and wash
your face with a mild cleanser appropriate for your skin type twice daily. Toners can refresh
the skin, dry up any extra oil on the surface and clean out pores. Now is not the time to
experiment with the latest and greatest products out there. You don’t want to risk irritation
to your skin before your wedding day.
Be gentle
When cleansing, drying, or even applying makeup, treat your skin with a soft hand. Blot
gently with cotton balls or swabs, and avoid tugging or rubbing the skin. Not only can this
cause redness or irritation, it may also contribute to long-term wrinkling.
Not so ‘Sun’sational
Many brides-to-be believe that suntanning will cure many of their skin ailments. This
isn’t the case. While sunbathing may temporarily alleviate acne or breakouts, it could
actually compound the problem and make outbreaks worse over time. Other ladies think that
tanned skin will make them look better against their white bridal gown.
However, on your wedding day you should look like the best version of you, not a
complete stranger. Fair-skinned individuals may look out of place with a deep tan. Err on
the side of moderate whenever contemplating modifying your skin tone, as it will affect
makeup choices and other things as well. And avoid tanning booths or sitting out in the sun.
If you must be tan, look for artificial spray tans or bronzers that create natural-looking color.
Makeup
Conservative, natural-looking makeup should also be the rule. The photographs you
take on your wedding day will be a testament to the era and moments you shared. But you
don’t want to look dated when you reminisce years later.
Choose muted shades on eyes, lips and cheeks that enhance, rather than cover up your
beauty. Select makeup that is smudge- and waterproof so it will stand up to tears of joy and
kisses from well-wishers. Pressed or loose powder can also be your best friend. It will come
in handy when you have to touch up spots on your face or combat shine.
Save every time
you shop,
when you
use your
★In-Store
Fresh Bakery
Department
Has all the
CONVENIENCE,
SELECTION
& ECONOMY
to help you begin
your life together.
NORTH BAY
SHOPPING CENTER
662 N. 4th St.
HWY. 51 NORTH, TOMAHAWK
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK – 24 HOURS
453-2174
★Full Floral
Department
We deliver locally
and world wide.
Blooming plants,
arrangements,
funeral arrangements,
cut flowers and balloons.
★ Full-Service Deli
Department
★ 1-Day Photo Developing
★ Lindey Cleaners
★ Liquor Department
Tomahawk's Complete Liquor Store
– The Finest Beer, Liquor and Wines
★ Water & WPS
Payments Accepted
★ We Sell Postage
★ Major Credit Cards
Accepted
Tomahawk's complete
hometown supermarket
W09 NEL240
Page 4—Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009
2009 Wedding Planner
Tomahawk Leader
Photographing – from bridal shower to final vows
• Bachelor &
Bachelorette
Parties
• Showers
• Rehearsal Dinner
• Weddings
up to 120 people
very comfortably
W09 BIG100
Larger parties at your
discretion - 160 max
BIG MOOSE SUPPER CLUB
N8796 Hwy. S, Tomahawk • 453-6667 (MOOS)
sepia, color or black-and-white? Digital or 35-mm?
One simple solution is to arm several members of the
wedding party with a variety of cameras, pre-loaded
with different types of film, and ask them to shoot
away. Not only will the new couple get more varied
and candid images of the event, but they’ll also have a
greater variety of styles for their album and for framing.
Once the pictures are snapped, the cameras can be
given to attendants as parting gifts – or used on the
honeymoon.
5) Cyber Brides. Many brides and grooms
are creating their own web site to serve as both a
pre-wedding information center (e.g., for RSVPs,
directions, gift registry) and a cyber-album for uploading
photographs complete with captions, to share with
family and friends. Several sites also allow guests
to download images for their own enjoyment. One of
the most popular and modestly priced hosting sites is
www.ewedding.com.
With these simple suggestions, each memorable
moment can be made to last a lifetime.
Wedding hair made easy
(MS) Most brides don’t want stress while getting
well-tressed for their wedding day. Besides hiring a
reputable stylist and ensuring a practice hairdo run before
the wedding, here are a few helpful tips.
•Wear a button-down shirt when having your hair
and makeup done on your wedding day - or for any other
special occasion. This way you can take off the shirt without
touching your hair or makeup.
•Bring in your veil or headpiece in advance so your
stylist can ensure that the hair combs attached will be in the
right position for the style you’ve requested. If they’re not,
you’ll have ample time to have that rectified.
•Don’t apply conditioner to your hair on the day of your
wedding. Conditioner may make your hair too silky and
smooth, which could be a disadvantage when you want hair
BRIDAL
Northbay Pharmacy, Inc.
Style
Prompt, Professional Prescription Service 453-5996
NORTHBAY
PLAZA
SHOPPING
CENTER
G
et the bridal
style you are
looking for from
head to toe with the
help of the highly
trained staff at
JB’s New Creations.
Our staff is willing
to work with you so
you look as special
as you feel on your
Wedding Day.
686 N. 4th St.
Tomahawk
Check Out
The Expanded
Gift Department!
Northbay PHOTO CENTER 715-453-9901
Self-Serve Our Photo Lab Offers:
4 Hour Photo Service
Customer •• 124&Hour
Normal Service Available
Terminal • Reprints & Enlargements
for Digital
Media Prints
JB’s New Creations
225 N. 4th Street, Tomahawk, WI • 715-453-5531
(Across from Toddler Park)
Full Service Salon • Nails • 2 Tanning Beds
to stay put and hold combs or pins in an up-do.
•Opt for a two-piece veil if you desire a long
cathedral-style veil. This way you can keep the long portion
attached for pictures and the ceremony and then simply
remove a portion for the reception and dancing the night
away.
•If your headpiece has gemstones or crystals in the
design, have the stylist cover the stones up as much as
possible before locking in your style with hairspray. After
the wedding, talk to a jeweler about the right way to clean
the stones. Otherwise the spray can tarnish the headpiece
and potentially damage the stones.
•Go with a simple style that matches your personality.
You don’t want to look like a completely different person on
your wedding day ­­– just a better representation of yourself.
NOR400 W09
Your Special Day,
Our Specialty
alkaline batteries for digital cameras and photo lithium
batteries for film cameras. Because professional photo
proofs often take several weeks to arrive, guests’
photos are typically the first photos the bride and
groom will actually see, so it is in their best interest to
keep their guests ready to capture their best moments.
3) Instant Albums. Another growing trend among
brides today is not only that of documenting their
wedding experience from the engagement through
the honeymoon, but also preserving those special
moments in personalized scrapbooks or instant albums.
An instant album is easily created by pre-decorating
album pages, then bringing a portable photo printer to
special occasions, such as the engagement party or
bridal shower. Friends and relatives can snap digital
photos, print them, and instantly affix them to the album
pages along with personal notes. With this option, no
time is wasted – each section of the photo album will
be complete before the champagne runs dry.
4) “Say Cheese!” There are many options when
it comes to wedding photography. Should photos be
• Custom Design of Your Photography
• Order Digital Prints Online at...
northbayphoto.lifepics.com
PHOTO LAB HOURS:
W09 JBS100
From Bridal News Network
A picture can indeed be worth a thousand words,
especially when it comes to weddings. Most bridesand-bridegrooms-to-be have undoubtedly booked the
best photographer their budget will allow to capture
priceless memories from their wedding day.
Many couples also realize that it is important
to capture the special moments leading up to and
following the big day – such as the engagement and
bachelorette parties, showers, the rehearsal dinner
and honeymoon.
Although a professional photographer may not
always be on hand for these happenings, newlyweds
will probably want to make certain that after the
honeymoon they have a variety of photographs to
fill their albums. Here are a few simple tips to help
preserve the memories from this special time:
1) Capturing the Preparations. Some of the
most entertaining moments occur months, weeks
or even days before the actual wedding. Therefore,
many brides, relatives and friends find it essential to
bring a camera to capture the preparations, such as
dress-shopping excursions and hair/makeup sessions.
Photos of such memorable occasions can be part of
the formal wedding album, and also will help the bride
compare wedding-gown options and select those she
likes best. A bride’s stylist can then use these pictorial
reminders to assist them in re-creating her desired
look.
2) Power at the Ready! With the mainstream
popularity of digital cameras, shutterbugs take a lot
more photos than ever before, especially when it
involves a special event like a wedding. As guests
snap away during the ceremony and cocktail hour,
many will end up with a dead battery before the first
dance. That’s why it is always a good idea, whether
at the favor table or in the vanity baskets, to provide
guests with plenty of disposable batteries to keep their
cameras powered when there is no time to recharge.
The most popular sizes for today’s cameras are AA
Monday-Friday • 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Saturday • 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Sunday • Closed
PHARMACY Hours:
Monday-Friday • 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday • 9 a.m. - 12 Noon
2009 Wedding Planner
(MS) Are you one of the thousands
of couples who got engaged over the
holidays? This is the time for you and
your soon-to-be to get everything you ever
wanted – the time to start from scratch;
to upgrade, expand and replace. To turn
a whole bunch of mismatched mine and
yours into a lifetime of ours.
A lot of couples become overwhelmed, feeling they have
to get it all done at once. Take your time and have fun. Go
back to the store as many times as needed, or update your
registry online.
Here are some additional tips to make wedding planning
a breeze:
Plan ahead: Start a bridal registry as soon as you say
“yes.” This way you will be prepared for your engagement
party and bridal shower, as well as your wedding. Periodically
update your registry by adding more products if you need to,
even after the wedding. Be kind to procrastinators.
Don’t be shy: Register for gifts in a range of prices and
categories. This will give guests and group givers lots of
options to choose from.
Do the math: Here’s an easy rule of thumb – add up all the
gift-givers for both your wedding and bridal shower. Register
for at least two times as many gifts as givers. Your guests will
appreciate having lots of choices when they shop for you. Be
sure to refresh your list regularly as gifts get purchased.
Register now, because you won’t buy it later: You may
think you will... but you won’t. Now is the time to let others
get you the stuff you’d never buy yourself. Your friends and
family might even get together to purchase a higher priced
“group gift.”
Remember the rule of three: When it comes to setting
your table, if you choose bold patterns for your china and
flatware, pick a more simple style of glassware. Prefer
intricate stemware? Pair it with simpler patterns of china and
flatware. So, it’s bold/bold/simple or simple/simple/bold.
Three sheets is a win: Register for at least three sets of
sheets – one for the bed, one for the linen closet and one for
the hamper. This way you won’t be forced to do laundry.
Congratulations and best wishes on your engagement!
By Bridal News Network
Discerning brides-to-be seek the most extraordinary
wedding dresses and dream of being a princess on that
once-in-a-lifetime day. Fortunately, the recent couture
designer collections are filled with luxurious gowns
presenting tasteful brides with exquisite choices for their
exchange of vows.
Catching the runway spotlight, one of the key styles
of the season are breathtaking, ultra- feminine gowns
with a touch of sweetness and innocence. These truly
ravishing dresses are made of quality fabrics chosen with
exceptional care and accented with the most enchanting
design details, hints of color and embellishments. In fact,
when listing the top fashion trends of the season, charm
is how the editors of the prestigious Brides magazine
describe this graceful new direction.
Though there are many variations on this theme,
the Carmela Sutera couture collection seems to capture
the essence of this very romantic point of view. With
a connoisseur’s eye for the perfect Italian fabrics,
rarified ribbons and embroideries as well as Swarovski
crystal beadings, the designer worked her magic with
magnificent results.
The gowns seem to hint at the elegance of times
past; the eighteenth century French and Russian courts
as well as the later heroines of Jane Austen and Edith
Wharton novels. Such lavish references along with
the range and combinations of fabrics and details give
definition to these exceptionally charming dresses.
Recently featured on Lifetime TV’s daily wedding
program, Get Married, Carmela talked about her new
collection and her vision for modern brides. “A bride
should strive for absolute perfection on her wedding
day, wearing the most beautiful gown imaginable and
created in the finest fabrics and workmanship possible,”
she said. “The choices in the Sutera collection are
refreshing. Along with
the always appealing
strapless gowns, there’s
a strong emphasis on
necklines and sleeves.
Alternatives range from
lace bolero jackets worn
over gowns, romantic,
• Cheese Trays
long, Juliette sleeves and
• Squeaky Curds
carved-neck dresses with
Real Moments...
Real Memories
• Wedding • Family • Senior
• Children • Sports
Photos by Sundee
715-536-2040
Irma, WI
photosbysundee.blogspot.com
laced edged cap sleeves.”
One of the designer’s favorite fabric choices is linen;
a fabric unusual in bridal gowns. For a summer nuptials,
a strapless, A-line dress is embellished with rarified pink
French ribbon - perfect, she says, “for destination beach
weddings.”
Catering to the classic, romantic bride, Carmela
feels it is most important to feel especially beautiful and
comfortable on the day of her marriage and not concern
herself with the dictates of fashion.
“The wedding day is like no other day in a woman’s
life and her dress should reflect the importance and
formality of the occasion,” noted Sutera. “No matter what
the trends, she should make personal style a top priority
and choose a design that highlights her best features. In
that way, she is sure to be a stunning bride.”
The
Cheese Shoppe
• Gift Baskets
& Boxes
W09 PHO100
5
Charming designs and exquisite details
bring romance to bridal fashion
W09 XYZ800
Getting engaged is
just the beginning
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009—Page
Tomahawk Leader
Prices to fit
all budgets.
30 OFF
• Weddings
• Anniversaries
• Rehearsal Dinners
• Showers
Come visit &
see our selection
11 S. 3rd St.
Tomahawk
715-224-2627
Hours:
Tues.-Fri. 10-5 pm
Sat. 10-2 pm
[email protected]
Bring in this ad to
receive
%
until the
end of February
Fine Jewelry
We can show you a wide assortment
of engagement rings in yellow or
white gold.
We feature an in-house goldsmith,
stone setter, and watchmaker to
service all of your jewelry needs.
3436 East Main St.,
P.O. Box 901, Merrill, WI 54452
Phone (715)536-5189
COU151 W09
Page 6—Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009
2009 Wedding Planner
Tomahawk Leader
Calhoun’s classic guitar music
creates perfect wedding atmosphere
If you would like to be included in
upcoming special sections, contact:
Traci Saindon
By Sunnie Mercier
Tomahawk Leader Reporter
Customer Service/Advertising Representative
[email protected]
Dierdre Strass
Customer Service/Advertising Representative
[email protected]
W09 GRE350
Phone 715-453-2151
Fax 715-453-1865
for the entire wedding party
• Beautiful updo
• Elaborate curls
• Sleek shiny twist
Music is an essential part of your wedding day.
The musical stylings of classic guitar soloist Jeff Calhoun of Tomahawk
are promised to add elegance and create the perfect atmosphere at weddings.
Classical, acoustic, finger picking, with the integration of a Flamenco method gives
Calhoun’s music a very unique appeal. His 30-plus years musical experience
additionally are sure to generate a romantic mood during the wedding ceremony
and set the pace throughout the reception.
Calhoun’s music has been heard and enjoyed by many – including restaurants,
dinner parties, graduations, grand openings, business meetings and weddings.
Weddings, though, are one of his favorite events, Calhoun admitted.
“I enjoy weddings because it is a very important time in a couple’s life and I feel
honored that they would ask me to do this for them,” he observed.
Calhoun takes a lot of pride in his music.
“I have to be good. Nowadays, everybody videotapes their weddings,” he noted.
“They are going to be watching this for a long time, and I’ll be there, a part of it.”
The wedding day belongs to the bride and groom. Calhoun’s soft background music will not detract any
attention away from them or their special day – just create the perfect wedding atmosphere, the guitarist indicated.
Calhoun has compiled a large library of wedding songs to make that dream wedding a day to remember,
some old favorites and others new. A list of songs can be viewed on his web page. Experience the classical brand
that he has developed by going to www.jeffcalhounclassic.com and listen to his sound tracks.
Jeff Calhoun will work directly with you to plan the wedding of your dreams. Call 453-5373 or 453-8349 for
more information or to book a date.
Tanning
also available
Great Northern
Hair Co.
Call for appointment
453-3431
698 N. 4th St., Tomahawk
W09 XYZ400
W09 SAT150
MEC PARTY RENTALS INC.
NRISERSEW- DANCE FLOORS - TABLES
mecparty.com
WHITE WEDDING TENTS
CHAIRS - WHITE CHINA - GLASSWARE
CHAMPAGNE FOUNTAINS
CALL FREE
(877) 849-5758
TNT
ENTERTAINMENT SPECIALISTS
DJ/Karaoke
Tim and Tanya Haring
715-453-4535
or 715-966-4536
You’re
Invited...
• Bachelor Party
• Bachelorette Party
• Showers
• Rehearsal Dinners
• Smaller Weddings
(seating up to 50)
Come Have a BLAST with us!
W09 LOA100
W09 MID325
W09 XYZ800
433 S. Tomahawk Ave. • 453-3800
2009 Wedding Planner
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009—Page
Tomahawk Leader
Deployed couple find way to tie the knot
Thomas Brewington and Jessica Kraus
Prior to her deployment to Iraq, Jessica had begun a romantic
relationship with Thomas Brewington, also an Army pilot,
when both were stationed at company headquarters in
Germany.
The special connection with the community simply
started with Mary and Dale talking to friends about Tom and
Jessica being deployed. Karin Fouriner overheard and stepped
Your destination headquarters for tux rental.
Wedding Apparel
Tuxedo Rental
Formal Wear
Accessories
Shoes
Invitations
Attendants’ Gifts
Mothers’ Dresses
Flower Girls
123 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Downtown Tomahawk
715-453-1103
NOR675 W09
forward, wanting to help. Not knowing a soldier, she wanted been as together as I was.”
to so she could send things, feeling she was doing her part.
Making a hometown feel like home is something that
Karin and her husband, Greg, began sending notes and cards Tomahawk should be proud of, according to Mary. She
and other specialties to Jessica. Over time, Mary has called explained the situation to everyone involved in the planning,
the Fouriner’s the “glue” that helped her family together.
from Inshalla Country Club, who booked the reception, to
“It flowed into a friendship for all,” according to Kraus. the DJ and the photographer. All businesses involved had
While Jessica and Tom were deployed, wedding plans to understand the matter, knowing that in a world of hectic
surfaced amid an engagement announcement. Originally, work days, if they got a silent phone call from a bride, not
a small wedding was planned with hopes to have a bigger to hang up out of frustration for the dead air … it was the
celebration in Tom’s hometown of Pembroke, N.C., later time delay caused from calling from Iraq to Wisconsin, and
down the road. Then, ideas changed and the numbers it was likely the few opportunities Jessica would have to
suddenly increased, right along with the pressure. The more contact anyone.
difficult part for the parents of the bride was how to plan it
Anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows that
with no bride in sight – much less in the country.
July may be the height of wedding season. Unbelievably, as
Going from about 20 guests to over 70 was only half Mary began calling around, Inshalla and A to Z DJ Service
the problem. Jessica had specific ideas of what she wanted, of Wausau, both explained they couldn’t believe the date
as is every bride’s dream. She wanted a sage green cake, not was open, but it was.
bright green. She wanted the invitations on recycled paper
“Boom, boom; two things done,” Mary said of checking
because she is eco-conscience. She found her dream dress down the list. “I don’t know why those dates were not yet
online, with no way of ever making it to a seamstress from taken. That’s when the magic came in.”
overseas. Finding a photographer, cake testing, ordering
With things beginning to fall into place, Chris at
flowers ­– plan after plan – things would have to come Northwoods Bridal was working with Jessica through Mary,
together with Mary behind the wheel, despite only having detailing the dream dress by the measurements the bride
occasional time-delayed phone calls with the future bride took overseas. Tom, meanwhile, had to depend on local
and the groom.
Pakistani tailors to get his measurements right.
For Mary and Dale, who had yet to even meet their soonChris and Dawn met the challenges head on, Mary said.
to-be son-in-law, wedding planning came as a distraction that
“With the bride not there to envision things, Dawn has
perhaps gave them something comforting to do besides worry worked through groups of flowers, styles of flowers,” Mary
about the safety of the Army soldiers. Working closely with said.
Chris at Northwoods Bridal and Dawn at Scarlet Garden, the
Dealing with strangers is part of the business world,
Kraus’ were able to put together a perfect wedding.
continued on page 8
“People in this area
have made this easier,”
said a tearful Mary as she
pondered the safety of her
child in a war zone. “We
Located
aren’t natives to Tomahawk,
Located at
at Merrill
Merrill Area
Area Recreation
Recreation Complex
Complex
but we were treated like we
were. Without this kind of
1100
1100 Marc
Marc Drive,
Drive, Merrill,
Merrill, WI
WI
support, I wouldn’t have
SMITH
MITH CENTER
ENTER
Merrill
Merrill Parks
Parks &
& Recreation
Recreation Department
Department
715-536-7313
715-536-7313
Acoustic
Classic
Guitarist
W09 MER200
Small town life can secure certain things for a family:
friendly get-togethers, dependability and a community
support system for times in need. For Dale and Mary Kraus,
who have only called Tomahawk home since April 2007,
are not only fitting right in, but recently have come to be
near-perfect examples of what communities can do when they
pull together.
Since July, their daughter, Jessica, has been serving in
the United States Army as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot.
7
2006-2007
2009-2010
2006-2007
Dates
Dates
Dates
Available
Available
Available
u Weddings u Banquets
u Private Parties
Performing every
Wednesday at Besse’s
On Clear Lake
Jeff Calhoun
(715) 453-5373
(715) 453-8349
www.jeffcalhounclassic.com
W09 PPD100
200’x85’ Arena Is Available For...
• Weddings
• Banquets
• Concerts
• Shows
• Sales
• Meetings
• Birthday/Anniversary
Parties
• Ice Time
• Recreation Programs
• Walking, Jogging
& Biking Trails
www.merrillparkandrec.com
20
20
Page 8—Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009
DEPLOYED COUPLE continued from page 7
but the way Mary and Dale saw the wedding plan out has
been a surreal effort to help a soldier in need, they noted.
“It’s my daughter, yes. But this has been (something
they’re providing) for someone who is serving our country.
You can see a different light in their face,” said Mary.
“That’s pretty much the heartbeat of the Northwoods and
Tomahawk.”
With bride and groom thousands of miles away, in a
dangerous job in an even more dangerous environment, the
couple wasn’t even scheduled to come back to the states
with less than a week to the wedding. Throw in possible
sandstorms and the ups and downs of military life, and Mary
says it was questionable if they would make it back at all. All
they could do is sit and wait for the kids to make it home.
That they did (two days earlier just to surprise Mary
and Dale!) and in the middle of planning a wedding, hectic
moments fell by the wayside for a moment while things came
into focus.
“I had two soldiers home safe,” says Mary, who now
says she thinks she hugged Tom until she broke bones in his
body. Between laughter and tears, the family was relieved to
be in each other’s presence and relished it for whatever time
they would have together, a time that Mary called “complete
sensory overload.”
For the soldiers themselves, being home is about time
away from the war zone to spend with their families. Many
of Tom’s relatives were able to come from North Carolina to
Tomahawk for the wedding and, of course, at the center of
attention was Jessica’s eight-year-old daughter, Mykenzie.
Fittingly enough, the little girl was born on the 4th of July.
With the wedding in the past, and the couple now already
back in Iraq serving with the Charlie Company 3 – 158th
Aviation Regiment, Mary takes stock of what her life has
Tomahawk Leader
been about this past year and feels remarkably content with
her daughter’s choices. Always supportive of everything
Jessica has ever wanted to try, Mary says her daughter’s
dreams came true when she could begin training for a medic
flight nurse. Turning down the safe duty Jessica was accepted
as a guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Jessica
followed her heart and learned how to fly a helicopter.
Among the places she has been stationed and the jobs she
has performed, she met Tom, the love of her life and future
groom.
“All I know is that when she’s been here and speaking to
him on the phone, I can see my daughter’s heart smile,” says
Mary. According to the young couple, in Iraq they get to see
each other one or two times a month and are about a 30-minute
chopper ride away from each other. Until those times when
the newlyweds can meet up, Jessica says they and soldiers
everywhere depend on letters from home, from family or
strangers alike; it provides a “spark,” letting them know there
is indeed life out there, outside of military commands and
regulations. Simple prayers, words of encouragement, and the
random baked goodie from well wishers make a soldier’s day.
The wedding itself was gorgeous. Everything fell into
place says Mary, who relays the flowers were great, the
people partied like never before and Tom wept as he saw
his bride walk down the aisle. “He was awed,” she says.
According to Mary, her son-in-law stood to give a speech at
the rehearsal dinner held at Tomahawk Lodge the night before
the wedding.
“He said you have to love someone, because the mission
you go out on might be your last. It was so heart touching.
Even the wait staff was crying,” says Mary.
While the Kraus’ want to thank everyone who helped
along the way, Mary believes her daughter’s wedding
provided an opportunity for everyone out there to say
thank you to soldiers everywhere. The small window of
2009 Wedding Planner
Jessica and Thomas Brewington
opportunity in which the Brewington wedding took place
may seem impossible to families out there planning their
nuptials but as Dale said, “The community bent over
backward for us.” and that made it all more bearable, easier,
and most definitely possible. • Small Receptions up to 80
• Large Receptions up to 350 or more
• Outdoor Weddings • Off-site Catering
• Bridal Showers • Rehearsal Dinners
• Private Dining Room & Bar
Think of Us
Contact Peggy Hein, Banquet Manager, to make
an appointment for a
FREE CONSULTATION AND HELPFUL WEDDING GUIDE.
as Your Wedding Consultants
N11060 Clear Lake Rd.,
Tomahawk, WI 54487
715-453-3130
www.inshallacc.com
Dates still available for 2009
W09 INS200