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Theresa and Ben

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Theresa (Greving) Rawalt, 26, is in her final year of dental school at Creighton University. She enjoys jogging, listening to audio books, and baking unhealthy food.

Ben Rawalt, 33, works as a nurse on an oncology/hematology floor at Nebraska Medicine. He loves learning new skills from YouTube, woodworking, metalworking, building computers and generally playing with heavy machinery/tools.  Theresa and Ben currently live in Lincoln, Nebraska, where they are parents to two border collies, Dexter and Ripley.

Theresa and Ben met on Match.com. “He was the first date I went on through the site owing to the fact that his message was the only one, after weeks on the site, that was thoughtful and grammatically correct,” Theresa laughs. “We went out again, and the rest, as they say, was history.”

Ben proposed to Theresa at a botanical garden in Lincoln, Nebraska. “His proposal was just like our relationship – simple and sweet,” smiles Theresa.

The blissful couple tied the knot July 23, 2016, in an afternoon ceremony at Town Square in Paola. Theresa’s Maid of Honor was her sister, Katie, and her bridesmaids were her best friend, Susan, and Ben’s sisters, Rachel and Rebecca. Ben’s Best Man was his childhood friend, Steve, and groomsmen were Cam, Myles and Jason.

“The mild summer turned to simmering heat as our wedding day approached,” recalls Theresa. “The heat index was around 110, but we were so thankful that the ceremony and reception were indoors. Ben and I had gone back and forth about whether we should just elope or do a destination wedding, because the thought of planning a large event while in dental school seemed daunting. However, as soon as I met the staff at Town Square Paola and saw the venue, I instantly knew it was where I wanted to say ‘I do.’”

“The ceremony was held in the loft space on the third floor of Town Square. I’m Catholic and Ben is Lutheran, and I tried my best to blend our two traditions and personalities,” Theresa continues. “Ben is very hands on and good at woodworking, so I thought it’d be beautiful to make a wooden cross together beforehand and combine it with another made of metal during the ceremony. By ‘combine,’ we literally were hammering little nails into this dense wood while the musicians played delicate piano and violin music in the background. It was definitely a laughable moment, but it felt so special and so us. Now I smile every time I see the cross hanging in our house.”

Guests danced the night away following a sparkler salute at sunset and a delicious buffet of maple bourbon salmon and spinach artichoke chicken.

Ben planned a wonderful surprise honeymoon that was revealed when the couple landed in Athens, Greece, and they continued to Mykonos and Santorini, enjoying the splendor of the Greek islands.

Bridal Gown:
Ellynne Bridal Gallery

Bridesmaids’ Gowns:
ChiChi Styles

Groom’s Suit/Tux:
J. C. Penney

Groomsmen Suits/Tuxes:
J. C. Penney

Hair and Makeup:
Mane 1 Salon

Florist:
Town Square, Paola

DJ:
Russ Claar, DJ Tuna Z

Caterer:
Town Square, Paola

Cake:
Town Square, Paola

Venue:
Town Square, Paola

Videography:
Inscape Visuals

Wedding Coordinator:
Tammy Harris, Town Square Paola

Wedding Invitations:
Rachel Rawalt

Minister:
Pastor Mark Croucher, First Lutheran Church, Paola