Real Weddings

How Jessica Elkouri & Edward Harroz III tied the knot in spectacular fashion.

Nearly 600 sparklers glittered around Jessica Elkouri and Edward Harroz III as they ran up the steps of Bradley Fair plaza. It was after midnight, and the fireworks that lit up the balmy night over the lake had faded, leaving the reception on a celebratory note that kept guests partying until the wee hours. “It was the most amazing night of my life, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” says Jessica.

“Simple Elegance” was the theme for the wedding. Jessica’s mother, Debbie, coordinated the beautiful event. “I wanted my mom to do it because she knows me the best,” says Jessica. The ceremony was held at St. George Orthodox Cathedral. The bride’s dress was a strapless A-line accented with hand-sewn pearls and diamonds. Jessica’s veil was fashioned with the lace from her mother’s veil. Bridesmaids wore chocolate-colored dresses, while the maid of honor wore a gold gown.

Following the wedding, guests rode River City Trolley cars to the reception at Bradley Fair Plaza. Clear tents with bright lights stood next to the lake at Bradley Fair. Table settings with gold chargers and votives, matching sashes wrapped around the chairs and lighted flower arrangements added to the luminescent atmosphere. “It felt like the tents were glowing,” Jessica says. “When you walked in, you were engulfed in this magical feeling.”

Cibola catered everything from barbecue to caviar, and Kansas City’s Boulevard Band kept guests swinging. “I wanted people to feel the love that Edward and I felt,” says Jessica. The pearl vanilla cake, provided by Cake Affairs, had four tiers surrounded by peach and pink flowers. Edward’s pastry of choice was a chocolate cake shaped like a dental bag. The weather was ideal during the outdoor reception. “It completely would have changed the ambiance if it was cold or windy, but we had a truly perfect night,” she says. The celebration could be seen from afar as fireworks flashed over the lake.

After their sparkling exit, the couple honeymooned for five days in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. “I feel so lucky,” Jessica says. “We are truly blessed.”

The couple had met more than three years earlier. Edward was a counselor at the Antiochian Village, a church camp, and Jessica Elkouri was a camper with a crush. They dated for three and a half years while Edward pursued a doctorate in dentistry at the University of Oklahoma and Jessica earned a bachelor’s in education at the University of Kansas. The pair saw each other on weekends, driving and meeting at the halfway point in Wichita. On Christmas morning 2006, Edward surprised Jessica by dropping to a knee in front of the Christmas tree and asking for her hand in marriage.

To read about more real weddings in Wichita, check out the January/February '08 issue of Wichita magazine.