The Iowa Taproom

Rehearsal Dinner

St. Ambrose Cathedral

Wedding Day

Wedding

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Reception

Welcome Party at the Iowa Taproom

Our Wedding

Alex and Rachael didn't meet on a dating site, in a bar, or at work, but in a taxi line on Halloween in 2012.But we'll get to that in a moment.Alex and Rachael's story truly begins two weeks prior to that Halloween, in the apartment Rachael shared with their mutual friend, Kuuku. Alex and Kuuku were hanging out one night while Rachael was out of town and rather than traveling back to his house in the suburbs, Kuuku graciously offered Alex his roommate's bed for the night. What a guy! At the time, Alex did not know Rachael but Kuuku was certain she wouldn't mind. It turns out Kuuku didn't know his roommate as well as he thought because, when Rachael returned from her trip, she immediately grilled Kuuku to learn who slept in her bed.On the night of October 26th, 2012, many of Des Moines' residents were out celebrating Halloween. Rachael and six of her friends did a coordinated costume of the 7 Deadly Sins, with Rachael dressing as "Gluttony". The seven of them went out that night to bars on Court Avenue. Rachael brought a bucket of candy and handed it out to everyone she met, encouraging gluttonous behavior. Alex had gone to a Halloween party dressed as Felix Baumgartner, better known as "the Red Bull guy who skydived from space". As a consequence of picking such an obscure costume, he spent a good portion of the night 1) explaining (in great detail) who he was and 2) jumping off tables as a demonstration. After the party, tired of being dressed as the least-known skydiver in history, Alex put on normal clothes and met up with some friends on Court Avenue. Since it was 2012 and Uber had not yet made its way to the Midwest, the usual and customary method of transportation at the end of a long, libation-filled night was walking to the corner of Court and 2nd to get in the taxi line. As chance would have it, Alex's and Rachael's groups both got to the taxi line at the same time. Rachael recognized Alex as "the guy who slept in her bed" and went up to introduce herself and tell him never to do that again. Of all the common sights to see in the Court Ave taxi line - girls crying, bros fighting, and cops teasing drunks - love was not one of them. However, as Rachael educated Alex on the basics of respecting other people's personal space, the beginnings of happily-ever-after were set in motion. Although Rachael and Alex both attended Drake University, were in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and were active in Greek life, they had never met during college. And life was still making it hard for them to get to know each other better. One week after Halloween, Alex headed to Tampa for his next pharmacy school rotation. Following pharmacy school, Alex was planning to move to St. Louis for law school. Knowing all this, the only commitment they made before Alex left for Florida was to "keep in touch". The next 7 weeks proved that their desire to stay connected was very strong. Alex would call Rachael during his 90-minute commute between his brother's house in Clearwater and the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Rachael would text Alex while she was nannying for two-year-old twins. They once even talked for four straight hours while Alex was driving from the west coast to the east coast of Florida to spend Thanksgiving with his grandparents. During those conversations, they would discuss everything from favorite movies and bands to politics and career goals. When Alex returned to Des Moines shortly after New Years' day 2013, they decided to make it "official" and started dating. The decision to start a relationship dramatically changed the trajectory of their lives. Instead of going to Law school, Alex sought a residency with an innovative healthcare technology company in West Des Moines where he still works today. Rachael, instead of moving to Philadelphia and finding a job while living with her cousin, began her career with Make-A-Wish Iowa, where she still works today. Someday, when we tell our children about "our story", there might be some things they won't understand - like needing to "stand in a taxi line" to get home instead of taking a self-driving hover rocket ship - but the idea of "fate" and "everything happens for a reason" and "you think you have plans until someone comes along and changes everything" will hopefully be messages they understand. Thanks for reading and being a part of our story!- Alex &amp; Rachael

Taxi Lines and "Personal Space" 

Our Story

Transportation

Shuttles

Complementary shuttles are scheduled between the Downtown Marriott Hotel and the Botanical Gardens. - Shuttle will depart from Marriott hotel to Botanical Garden at 5:15PM- Shuttles will depart from Botanical Garden to Marriott at 10:15PM, 10:45PM, and 11:30PM.

Details

Photos

Sister of the Bride. Origins: Birth. Enjoys: Not sharing a bed with Rachael anymore. 

Audrey Lennon

Ghana Friend. Origins: Alex - Fiji &amp; Rachael - College. Enjoys: Bicardi Limon &amp; not smiling.

Kuuku Saah

Texas friend. Origin: College. Enjoys: David Duchovny (the truth is out there). 

Ashley Seidel

Younger Brother of the Groom. Origin: Birth. Enjoys: Aerial RL assaults. 

David Hoopes

Iowa friend. Origin: College. Enjoys: Dance-offs.

Brittany Boldt

Older Brother of  the Groom. Origin: Birth. Enjoys: M3m3s. 

Elliott Hoopes

Missouri Friend. Origins: Fiji. Enjoys: A well-aged Ranch dressing.  

Eric Sloss

Nebraska friend. Origin: College. Enjoys: Wearing pink. 

Erica Pfeifer

Wisconsin friend. Origin: High School. Enjoys: Speaking Shakespearean.

Fallon Bubacy

Wisconsin Friend. Origins: Fiji. Enjoys: Category 5 hurricane-level dancing. 

Mitch Webster

Wisconsin friend. Origins: High School. Enjoys: Doing bourgie New York things. 

Michelle Hillenbrand

Iowa Friend. Origins: Rachael- College &amp; Alex - Fiji. Enjoys: Four Loko and being late.

Robb Riggle

Other younger brother of the Bride. Origins: Birth. Enjoys: Conservative political views.

Zachary Lennon

Older brother of Bride. Origins: Birth. Enjoys: Breaking Rachael's collar bone when she was 1. 

Rowe Lennon

Younger brother of Bride. Origins: Birth. Enjoys: Perfectly coiffed hair. 

Gregory Lennon

Youngest brother of the Bride. Origins: Birth. Enjoys: Snapchat selfies.

Douglas Lennon

Nephew of the Groom. Origins: Birth. Enjoys: Being adorable. 

Jude Hoopes

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

The room block rate is $103/night. Book online <a href="http://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/group-corporate-travel/groupCorp.mi?resLinkData=Lennon%20Hoopes%20Wedding%5Edsmia%60lehleha%60103.00%60USD%60false%605%6010/27/17%6010/29/17%6010/6/17&amp;app=resvlink&amp;stop_mobi=yes">here</a>! Book by 10/6/2017 to get the group rate.

Des Moines Marriott Downtown (Wedding Party Hotel)

The room block rate is $124/night. Call to book.

Hyatt Place Des Moines/Downtown

Travel

Des Moines' East Village is one of the city's most vibrant and diverse districts. Take a short ride across the river and visit Sticks Gallery to see fun, locally-crafted furniture with a Midwest flair, or stop in at Raygun ("the greatest store in the universe!") for a "Des Moines, Hell Yes." souvenir t-shirt. If you're looking for sustenance, try a bulgogi beef taco from Tacopacolypse (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives), "The Walking Ched" burger at Zombie Burger, or deviled eggs at Alba. If spirits are your angle, you can grab a Busch Light while playing retro video games and ski ball at Up Down Barcade, throw back a few martinis at the rooftop bar The Republic, or make your own flight from a selection of over 120 Iowa craft beers at the Iowa Tap Room.There's something for everyone in the Des Moines East Village!

East Village

The Des Moines Downtown Farmer's Market is consistently rated as one of the best farmers' markets in the country. Running from May through October and spanning 8-square blocks of the historic Court Avenue district, the market features over 300 vendors selling a variety of fresh and prepared foods, arts, and crafts. The market is open on Saturday mornings from 8am-12pm.

Des Moines' Downtown Farmers’ Market

This is one of Alex and Rachael's favorite places in Des Moines. This french bakery, situated just east of the Drake University neighborhood, is cooking up some of the best pastries in the Midwest. This is a great place to go for breakfast before the wedding but the crowds roll in around 10am so try to get there early!

La Mie Bakery

Smokey Row is Alex and Rachael's neighborhood coffee shop and where they did a lot of their wedding planning. They serve great coffee, tea, and smoothies and also have a variety of ice cream treats, salads and sandwiches on their menu.

Rachael & Alex

Rachael & Alex

Travel

Des Moines Marriott Downtown (Wedding Party Hotel)

Hyatt Place Des Moines/Downtown