March 14, 2009
Third Time's a Charm
How many times do you try to get the girl? Some might say "as many as it takes." For Daniel Banter, that number was three.
Daniel met Lindsey Bruemleve in December 2006. He was a platoon leader representing his unit at their annual military ball. She was the event coordinator for the evening. "We got to talking and were surprised we'd never met since we knew so many of the same people. I was very attracted to her but once she told me she had a boyfriend, I left her alone," remembered Daniel. Although Lindsey was in a relationship, it was coming to an end. "I still felt somewhat attached and didn?t want to get something started with anyone else that soon," she said. Or so she thought. "I guess it made her pretty mad when I didn't talk to her the rest of the night," said Daniel. "She ended up telling one of my army buddies to give me her phone number."
Daniel waited the mandatory three days before calling Lindsey. "I called her three times," he said. "She never answered my calls nor did she call me back." On that third and final call, Daniel left a polite but firm message saying that since she hadn't returned his calls and didn't seem to have any interest in him, this would be the last time he called her. Upon hearing that message, Lindsey realized she might be losing someone special and finally called
him back.
By the following spring, Daniel knew he wanted to spend his life with her. "She's beautiful, smart, strong and she's got everything going for her. She was everything I was looking for." Lindsey felt just as much for him. Their relationship would be challenged by distance though because Daniel had orders to leave for Iraq in January 2008 and would be gone for nearly a year. He proposed to Lindsey on August 26, 2007 as the evening sun set over the lake. Exactly two months later, they went to the courthouse and got married.
While Daniel was gone, Lindsey planned their vow renewal ceremony and reception for March 14, 2009 so they could celebrate their marriage with family and friends when he returned. "Everything went smooth until the day before the wedding," she recalled. "I got a call from the pastry chef who was making our cake. He was stuck in Texas and didn't know if he'd be back in time to finish it. Since he's a friend and the cake was our wedding gift from him, I didn't feel I had a right to overreact. I figured I'd just make a bunch of cupcakes and it would be fine, our day would still go on." She soon discovered, as she arrived to decorate the reception hall, the pastry chef had played a joke on her. He was right there in the kitchen finishing up the cake!
Looking back on their special day, Daniel said having the Honor Guard there to perform the Arch of Sabers ceremony was really special. Lindsey loved walking down the aisle in her gown. "Only a couple people had seen it so no one really knew what to expect. It was neat to surprise everyone." After almost a year apart and a year of planning a spectacular wedding, Daniel and Lindsey spent a relaxing honeymoon cruising the Caribbean.
Aldersgate United Methodist Church
Fort Wayne, IN
Reception Location:
The Landmark Conference & Reception Center
Fort Wayne, IN
Wedding Coordinator:
Linda Maggert
Once of a Kind Events
Caterer:
The Landmark Conference & Reception Centre
Fort Wayne, IN
Photographer:
Photographic Images & Weddings, Inc.
Huntington, IN
Wedding Gown:
David's Bridal
Fort Wayne, IN
Bridesmaids' Gowns:
David's Bridal
Fort Wayne, IN
Hair Salon:
Cottage Cuts
Roanoke, IN
Nail Salon:
DW Nails
Fort Wayne, IN
Tuxedos:
MW Tux
Fort Wayne, IN
Wedding RIngs:
Andrews Jewelers
Muncie In, &
Kay Jewelers
Fort Wayne, IN
Flowers:
Lillian Rose
Avilla, IN
Invitation:
Hobby Lobby
Fort Wayne, IN
Wedding Cake:
Max Neal, Pastry Chef
Fort Wayne, IN
Reception Band:
Stylus Productions
Bluffton, IN
Rehearsal Dinner:
Pizza Hut
Fort Wayne, IN
Honeymoon:
7-day Caribbean Cruise
Cayman Islands, Cozumel,
Belize, Isla Roatan