As a former third baseman for the University of Nebraska who now plays in the Major Leagues, Alex Gordon is known for getting a lot of hits. But when it came to planning a wedding, it was his wife, Jamie, who hit a home run.

Alex and Jamie were both from Lincoln, but attended different high schools (Southeast and East respectively). They each attended UNL and even had two classes together. However, it wasn’t until mutual friends introduced them during their sophomore year of college that they finally connected and sparks began to fly!

They dated for two years before they got engaged, and during a lot of that time they did not live in the same city. After college, Alex went on to play professional ball in Arizona; Wichita, Kansas; and then for the Kansas City Royals. They constantly traveled back and forth just to spend some time together.

Then, in December 2006, Alex had a surprise for Jamie. The day after Christmas, he took her to Misty’s Steakhouse in Lincoln for dinner and arranged a private table with roses and champagne. Afterward, they went to his brother’s house, and Alex gave Jamie three Christmas presents. As she started to open the third and largest gift, she had to dig through multitudes of tissue paper to find the small ring box taped to the bottom. Alex took it out, got on one knee, and asked Jamie to be his wife.

Since Alex didn’t live in Lincoln, it fell to Jamie to do most of the wedding planning. With her mom’s help, she was able to get most of the planning done early so she wouldn’t have to be stressed out the week beforehand. She’s thankful she was able to enjoy that time and not have to rush around to get the last-minute details finished. It was also fun because Alex was surprised at almost everything she and her mom had planned.

Alex and Jamie were married at Sheridan Lutheran Church on December 22, 2007. With everything happening right before Christmas, Jamie opted to incorporate the holiday look into her wedding. The church was decorated with Christmas trees, and she selected deep red, black, and ivory as her wedding colors.

Jamie chose to weave this same stunning and elegant look into the rest of her special day.

She wore a platinum white strapless dress with a low back and gorgeous train. Alex and the groomsmen sported black tuxes and ivory vests. Jamie’s bridesmaids all wore long, red satin dresses with beautiful crystal chandelier earrings given to them by the bride.

For flowers, Jamie used only calla lilies. She carried a large bouquet of this simple yet striking flower. Each bridesmaid had a smaller identical arrangement.

Before the ceremony, Jamie was extremely nervous. However, once she saw Alex during the photo-taking, she was able to calm down. “Once I saw him, I felt so at ease,” she says. “I’m glad we saw each other before, because we weren’t nervous anymore and we were able to enjoy the ceremony.”

At the reception, Jamie decorated each table with an overlay of sheer red swirled on top of a black tablecloth. Each unique centerpiece consisted of three large martini glasses of varying sizes filled with flowers of deep winter colors, such as deep red, blue, and violet. A backdrop of hanging candles was placed behind the cake table, which gave the reception room at Embassy Suites a romantic aura.

For the cake, Jamie chose a three-layered confection decorated with flowers that matched the centerpieces. Instead of the traditional groom’s cake, Jamie had a fun surprise for Alex—they served cookies in the shape of baseball jerseys. Each cookie was a replica of Alex’s jersey from the Kansas City Royals, decorated in blue and white with “Gordon” written across the top and the number 4 in the center.

When it came time for the bride and groom’s first dance, Alex and Jamie had a lot of fun. They began dancing to “Me and You” by Kenny Chesney, but at the end cut to a rap song (“The Way I Are” by Timberland). They put on sunglasses and performed a funny dance they’d made up before the wedding. “All of our guests were dying laughing because no one expected it,” Jamie says.

Instead of having favors for their guests, Alex and Jamie decided to use the money they would have spent to grant a wish for a five-year-old boy who lives in Omaha. Donating the money in honor of their guests, they were able to send the boy and his family to Disney World. Alex and Jamie shared this information by printing it on each guest’s place card. They were also given a plaque from the Make-a-Wish foundation with photos of the boy at Disney World, which they displayed at the reception.

After a honeymoon to Jamaica, Alex and Jamie have quickly settled in to life as a married couple. They are enjoying celebrating all the firsts together—buying a house, dressing up for trick-or-treaters, and decorating for Christmas. “I think what we like the most about being married is that we are finally together in the same state!” Jamie says. “It’s really fun to have your best friend to come home to everyday.”

Vendors
Ceremony Location: Sheridan Lutheran Church

Reception Location: Embassy Suites

Photographer: Bauman Photography

Florist: Stem Gallery

Catering: Embassy Suites

Videographer: VanHoosen

Bride’s Dress: Ellynne Bridal

Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ellynne Bridal

Men’s Formal Wear: Gary Michaels

Invitations: Ellynne Bridal

Vocalist: Abbie Harman (friend of bride)

DJ: Complete Music

Cake: Donna Rohrs

Rehearsal Dinner: Wilderness Ridge

Chairs & Linen Services: Table Toppers

Transportation:VIP Limo

Travel Agency: Cornerstone Travel Agency