By Columbia roots go deep for Kiley Marshall and Nick Vandegriffe. Both were born and raised in the area and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
When it came to the wedding, the entire party was made up of MU graduates, and Tiger Stripe ice cream was featured on the menu. And how could it not with Kiley’s grandfather, who was in attendance, being the inventor?
On Sept. 16, the couple wed and celebrated their reception at Three Points in the Power and Light District in Kansas City, Missouri.
“The goal of the day was for everyone to enjoy themselves and the day. I think that was accomplished,” Kiley says. “Our comparatively small wedding was special to us because it involved our family and closest friends.”
The plans for an outdoor ceremony with an urban skyline lounge theme had to change quickly as a storm began to move in, leading the events team to shift the wedding inside. Ultimately, only a few drops of rain fell from the predicted storm that tried to dampen the day.
“We walked to the altar through a sea of smiling family and friends, and the ceremony turned out better than originally planned,” Kiley says.
Incorporating more of their hometown in the ceremony, the couple’s officiant, Khalil Diya, and Nick have been friends since the seventh grade. The reception followed the nuptials with dancing, drinking and laughing to classic rock and “groovy” music.
“Having such a close-knit group of family and friends made our celebration just what we wanted it to be: an incredibly special, intimate and fun evening,” Kiley says. “Nick started a conga line, which guests joined, and that was definitely a highlight of the evening.”
