It all started with My Town (the song) by the Michael Stanley tribute band, In the Heartland, on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at Gervasi's Vinyard, Winer, and Resort. We rocked out under the pavilion and stars and had a sneak peek at this lovely venue since the wedding of my nephew (and godson) Brandon Kocan to his bride, Shana Higgins would be in the same exact location - good karma for sure!
Anyhoo, there were lots of high-octane activities, along with son Ryan's 30th Birthday, between all the wedding events (golf for guys, lunches, and the rehearsal dinner). So. Much. Fun.
The main attraction was the amazing wedding setting on a pleasant summer day (with a bit of dodging of some raindrops—all good luck, of course) and the love between the beautiful bride, Shana, and her handsome groom, Brandon. They make a striking couple (see pics below)! I am thrilled they are now Mr. & Mrs. Kocan!
My sister, Kimberly, and husband, Jerry, did a fine job raising Brandon. Quiet and thoughtful, Brandon works in finance at a large company in Burton, Ohio. He can play a mean round of golf and is a master at ping-pong! He's won the family championships on every holiday for many years. I can say the same for Tracy and Mark Higgins in raising Shana, a beautiful, sweet, and kind young woman who teaches kindergarten in the Boardman, Ohio, schools and has the biggest smile for every occasion. She is so organized - everything went off without a hitch. Whether in her classroom or creating lasting memories at the wedding venue for her and Brandon and their guests on Saturday, she does it all by being organized, thorough, and planning well. Oh, and she is super fun-loving to boot!
The wedding was simply perfect, and we are still glowing from this incredible weekend! A huge thank you to the Kocan and Higgin families for giving Shana and Brandon their ultimate dream wedding.
Cheers to wishing them a lifetime of happiness. Best wishes for a long and healthy marriage!
One more thing: The Cookie Table—photo below. We learned that the Youngstown/Boardman area has a tradition of having a cookie table at weddings. Then, we learned that other places in the USA also have the same tradition. The Higgins-Kocan wedding "employed" many bakers comprised of family and friends of the couple to a tune of 115 dozen cookies! I LOVE cookies! The cookie table also provided little white bakery bags to take home the sweet treats, so one didn't have to gorge on cookies at the reception! What a lovely idea!
bSoleille!
Terri
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