Unruh, Pekarek wed in candlelight ceremony
A candelight ceremony on June 26 at Hillsboro United Methodist Church was the setting for the wedding of Robyn Unruh of Overland Park and Brian Pekarek of Lawrence. Rev. Frank Pekarek, father of the groom, performed the ceremony assisted by Rev. Laney Kuhn.
Parents of the couple are Robert and Priscilla Unruh of Durham and Frank and Shirley Pekarek of Kensington. The bride is the granddaughter of Leland Kaiser of Hillsboro.
The bride wore a strapless lace gown embellished with beads and rhinestone. The chapel train was highlighted with scalloped edges. Her bouquet was white roses, lilies, and asters.
The matron of honor was Shawn Springer, sister of the bride, of Derby. Bridesmaids were Danielle Rogers of Canton; Rebecca Unruh, sister-in-law of the bride, of Dayton, N.J.; Leanne Grauerholz, sister of the groom, of Detroit, Mich.; and Jennifer Pekarek, sister of the groom, of Fort Collins, Colo.
The best man was Byron Grauerholz, brother-in-law of the groom, of Detroit, Mich. Groomsmen and ushers were John Rosseau of Kansas City, Mo.; Lance Albin of Stafford; Brent Unruh, brother of the bride, of Dayton, N.J.; and Shawn Springer, brother-in-law of the bride, of Derby.
The flower girl and ringbearer were Molly and Joshua Springer, niece and nephew of the bride, of Derby.
The honorary bridesmaids that presented a tribute to the "Grandparents in Spirit" were Kate Hagman of Garden City, Kelly Hiatt of Langley, W.Va., Ashlee Frigon, Spring Hill, and Natalie Kirk of Kansas City, Mo.
Scripture readers were Kara Bartow of Topeka and Jay Carter of Overland Park.
Music was provided by soloists Caitlin Welch of Newton and Brian J. White of Shawnee with Genevieve Bishop of Lindsborg on the organ and piano and Andrew Bishop of Columbia, Mo., on the trumpet.
The bride's personal attendant was Sarah Kerner of Overland Park. The program attendants were John and Seth Albin of Hays. The guest book attendants were Jennifer Albers of Shawnee and Diana Koslowsky of Lawrence.
The gift attendants were Kirsten Krug, Erin Malcolm-Gross and Alison Beck, all of Overland Park.
The flower/decorating coordinators and video/photography were Rev. Curtis and Connie Wiens of Hillsboro and Charles and Suzanne Jones of Canton.
Hosts and hostesses for the outdoor dinner and dance at the bride's parents' home were Jerry and Lois Dahlsten, uncle and aunt of the groom, of Lenexa and Darold and Joyce Grauerholz of Kensington. The outdoor setting and tent were highlighted with miniature clear lights, tulle, lanterns, and flowers.
The cake servers were Greg, Carrie, Grace, and Reid Hildenbrand of Lawrence. The bird seed bag attendants were Courtney and Savannah Unruh, cousins of the bride, of Fort Collins, Co.
The groom's parents hosted a rehearsal dinner and program at the Hillsboro United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on the night prior to the wedding.
The bride is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and Kansas State University. She is an elementary special education teacher in the Haysville School District. The groom is a graduate of Abilene High School, Fort Hays University, and Kansas State University. He is an elementary school counselor in the Haysville School District.
After a honeymoon to Gulf Shores, Ala., they are at home in Derby.
