Heather Splain was never the type to just hand out her phone number to someone she’d just met, but she made an exception for Danny Jordan.

There was definite chemistry and sure enough, her instincts were right. About a year later, she was invited to join Danny and his family on a trip to Ireland. All of her friends told her he was probably going to propose on the Emerald Isle, but he put the kybosh on that, announcing in advance that he would most certainly not be proposing.

“Of course, he was lying,” Heather says with a laugh. “He proposed in the seaport town of Dingle, a place I’d especially wanted to see. It was perfect.”

They married at the Orchard Creek Lodge in Lincoln, a place they fell in love with as soon as they saw it. They knew it could handle the crowd they had in mind—lots of family were invited—and the beautiful grounds were a perfect setting.

Unlike many brides, Heather hadn’t spent her life envisioning her wedding day—something made all the more ironic by the fact that her mom owned a bridal shop. “For us, the most important thing [for our wedding day] was to have our loved ones there,” Heather says. “No matter what goes right or wrong with the wedding, as long as you have your family there, you’re fine.”

They wrote their own vows, but didn’t share them with each other until the actual event. In an especially touching moment, they discovered that they’d both picked the exact same words for one line, promising to be at the other’s side “when love is simple and when it’s an effort.”

That may be one more reason Heather didn’t spend much time thinking about her wedding; for her and for Danny, the celebration wasn’t the wedding, but the start of a marriage.
“We set up a special table to honor the marriages that had come before us,” Heather says. “We had photos from four generations of wedding days in our families. With our huge extended families all around us, it was wonderful to look on these marriages that unified all of us.”

Sadly, not everyone could be there to witness the ceremony. Danny’s father, who was supposed to be Danny’s best man, passed away suddenly only weeks before the wedding. It made for a bittersweet day, especially during the reception as Danny’s mother raised a toast and had the DJ play the song that she and Danny’s father had danced to on their wedding day—they had been married for more than 30 years, and, as the song played, there was not a dry eye in the place.

There was plenty of laughter and joy too. During the mother-son dance, Danny planned a little joke. When all eyes were on them, five seconds of “Baby Got Back” blasted through the speakers, to Danny’s mother’s surprise (if not horror). Then, with a special announcement of “just kidding mom,” Danny danced with her to “A Song for Mama” by Boyz II Men.

Ceremony Site: Orchard Creek Lodge at Sun City Lincoln
Officiant: Paster frank Espegren
Photographer: Love at First Click Photography   Phone: 916-505-2329
Videographer: Reel to Real Productions
Wedding Planner: Les Detailes
Reception Site: Orchard Creek Lodge at Sun City Lincoln
Hair: Espie Gonzales, Serendipity Salon & Spa
Make-up: Sandy Respetti, Serendipity Salon & Spa
Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Groomsmen Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Ringbearer Attire: Men's Wearhosue
Bride's Jeweler: Dalin Jewelers
Groom's Jeweler: Dalin Jewelers
Invitations: Created by bride and mother of the bride
Flowers: Flourish   Phone: 916-212-5179
Cake: Pastry Heaven
DJ/Entertainment: Premier Entertainment
Favors: Tiffany blue boxes with silver Hershey kisses, created by bride and mother of the bride
Honeymoon Location: Kauai, Hawaii
First Dance Song: All My Life by K-Ci & JoJo
Father/Daughter Dance Song: Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole
Mother/Son Dance Song: Song for Mama by Boyz II Men
Cake Cutting Song: I Wanna Grow Old With You by Adam Sandler
Bouquet Toss Song: Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
Garter Toss Song: You Sexy Thing by White Chocolate; and Another One Bites the Dust by Queen

Any tips you'd give to brides and grooms planning their wedding:
Heather says, "Remember that planning is a family event, so make sure to set aside extra time for enjoying the planning with your family and keeping quiet time for yourself." Danny says, "Although you feel like you're helping by asking and that everything will be fine, if you don't have a planner taking care of every detail, make sure to help your future wife out to help alleviate the stress of the crazy week."
What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
I would have postponed the wedding in order to not have the sadness of two close family tragedies so close to the heart on the wedding day.