Rae & Ben

The Venue

How did your Love Story begin?

Ben was home on winter break from Omaha and didn’t realize that the OkCupid mobile app updated based on current location. He was quickly struck by the new beauty who appeared on his phone that day and decided to send her a message despite not living in the same city. The gamble paid off. After two spectacular dates, Ben sadly had to return to Omaha, but he and Rae continued to talk until fate would reunite them five months later.

Tell us all about the proposal!

Ben took Rae to the Listing Loon in Northside, which was the first stop on their very first date. After nervously enjoying a drink and awaiting confirmation that his brother was in the secret spot to take photos, Ben hustled Rae down to the bench in front of Northside Tavern. Knowing he needed a diversion, Ben asked Rae to look under the bench to see if they could unbolt it to the ground to take the bench as a token of their love. She kindly took the bait and allowed him time to take the ring out of his pocket and get down on one knee. Many tears and giggles later, she said yes.

What was your favorite part of the engagement and planning process?

Thinking about, finding inspiration for, and ultimately deciding on the colors, table decoration, and the overall feel we wanted the wedding to have. They also enjoyed creating the reception playlist.

What was the most challenging experience while planning?

Planning a wedding from afar is certainly a challenge. Fortunately, we have wonderful and supportive family members who were our eyes and ears in the area. That and hoping it didn’t snow.

Do you have any advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?

Give yourself plenty of time to plan the wedding but also remember, a wedding is one day–a marriage is forever. Spend time planning your life together as well.

Tell us about your experience working with us!

Brent was a pleasure to work with. She was organized, knowledgeable, and available when we needed her, McHales went above and beyond to make us comfortable during our reception–checking in with us, our bridal and grooms party, and our families at their respective tables.

We had our reception and ceremony in the same room. The staff flipped the room quickly and made the tables look beautiful. All we really had to do was bring in a box of decorations and tell Brent what we envisioned the room to look like. Couldn’t have been easier.