Rachel&Jake Horner: Tied the Knot April 20, 2024

Rachel Carder, 27, and Jacob Horner, 29, met as kids growing up in Shawnee, Kansas. They were high school sweethearts at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, then parted ways to attend college. Jake attended Washburn University where he played football and double-majored in Marketing and Finance. Rachel attended the University of Kansas where she majored in Journalism and Mass Communications. They both graduated college in December of 2018 and rekindled their relationship a year later.

Jake proposed on a Saturday afternoon in front of the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain on the Country Club Plaza. The proposal was followed by a surprise engagement party at Grand Street Cafe planned by Jake, both families, and friends.

During their engagement Rachel and Jake took a two-week trip to Italy, where they had engagement photos taken with the backdrop of one of their favorite cities, Florence.

The blissful couple tied the knot April 20, 2024, in a short and sweet ceremony officiated by Alex Carder, brother of the bride. Maids of Honor were Kylee Winters and Anna Schmeeckle; bridesmaids were Sidney Gainor, Carolina Mach, Gabi Cameli, Brooke Collins, Bailey Atagi and Ali Brown. Brady Skeens served as the Honorary Best Man though he was unable to attend; groomsmen were TJ Horner, Justin Horner, Keaton Cross, David Salach, Heath Tucker, Devin Shockley and Cam Wiggins. Flower boys were Peyton Carder, Quinn Gainor and Alessandro Carder; ring bearers were Tyler Horner and Camden Horner. Serving as ushers were Sam Bourdow, Xavier Tucker, Clayton Holmberg and Tyler Geiman.

The bridal party got ready in the Baltimore Suite, while the groomsmen got ready in the Kansas City Room of the venue the morning of the wedding. Bridesmaids dresses were all different styles and spring colors that matched the wedding florals and the bride’s bouquet. The bride curated vintage silk robes for the girls to get ready in along with vintage beaded purses to go with each of their dresses. Groomsmen wore black suits with matching black bow ties and suspenders.

The groom sported an ivory dinner jacket with black tuxedo pants, a black bow tie, and suspenders. The groom also wore custom cufflinks and a watch gifted to him by the bride. The bride wore an ivory silk Sassi Holford strapless gown with a custom-made silk scarf. During the ceremony the bride also wore a matching cathedral-length overskirt and veil with silk trim. The bride wore diamond earrings gifted to her by the groom, her mother’s diamond necklace, and ivory silk Manolo Blahnik heels.
At 5:00 p.m., a harpist played in the Grand Hall of the Power & Light Building as the families and wedding party walked down the aisle. The bride and her father walked to a harp version of “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey. After the ceremony, the wedding guests enjoyed a cocktail hour on the mezzanine with artisanal charcuterie and fresh fruit; an open bar served his and hers specialty cocktails of espresso martini and Aperol spritz.

Following cocktail hour, 250 guests and the wedding party and their plus ones returned to the Grand Hall for a seated dinner, with tables featuring taper candles, whimsical spring florals and fresh fruits on vintage silver trays. Table numbers and fabric bar signs were hand painted by the bride and adorned with ivory bows. The bride’s grandfather gave a blessing before dinner began and guests enjoyed a lush plated dinner. As dinner concluded, the bride’s father kicked off the speeches followed by the groom’s oldest brother, the two maids of honor and the bride’s younger brother.

The bride and groom did their first dance to “Nothing Can Change This Love” by Sam Cooke followed by the father-daughter and mother-son dances. Then guests were invited to the dance floor and Lost Wax kept the dance floor full throughout the evening!

In lieu of a typical wedding cake, the couple opted for mini cheesecakes and a gelato bar by Flying Cow for dessert, plus a coffee bar provided by Espresso Ah La Cart.
At the end of the evening, guests were asked to gather outside and await the couple’s exit while they did a private last dance to “La Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong. After the couple’s grand exit, close friends and family gathered at Nighthawk in Hotel Kansas City for an after party. The bride wore her mother’s shortened wedding dress to the after party.

The day was unforgettable and stress-free for the couple thanks to their incredible wedding planner, Paxton Huse, who helped them in every step of the wedding planning process.

Rachel and Jake honeymooned in Antigua at all-inclusive Keyonna Beach Resort in a private beach cottage. It was a relaxing beach vacation after all of the excitement of wedding planning.