Nicole Brownell and her mother spotted Phil Johnson at a party and wasted no time introducing themselves to him and stating their motive: If he were single and passed their “screening,” they told him, they might be inclined to introduce him to their friend, Monae Quincy.
Phil played along, answering a series of questions posed by the would-be matchmakers. Nicole, impressed with Phil's replies, presented Monae with the idea of a blind date.
“We were totally taken with each other,” Monae says of the couple's first meeting in June 2008. Six months later, they were engaged.
Phil surprised Monae with an engagement ring during an evening walk through Gene Leahy Mall during the Holiday Lights Festival. “We had just finished skating at the ConAgra ice rink. It was one of those cold but dreamy nights,” Monae recalls. “Most of my family knew he was going to propose but I had no idea.”
Monae and Phil's affinity for the 1940s provided inspiration for their July 2009 wedding and reception at 1316 Jones Street in the Old Market.
The bride's mom adapted a favorite Vogue pattern to create a retro-style dress for Monae. The bride accessorized with a birdcage veil with French netting and vintage jewelry, including rhinestone brooches borrowed from her paternal grandmother.
Phil wore a pinstriped suit, white shirt, and cherry vest, tie and pocket square. He topped off his ensemble with a fedora — a gift from the bride early in their courtship.
The groom's two brothers and the bride's three sisters were attendants. They wore clothing from their personal wardrobes accessorized with period pieces — grandpa's cuff links for the men; grandma's brooches for the women.
At 1316 Jones Street, the mood was relaxed. Cocktails were offered as soon as guests came through the door. Chairs were set up for viewing the ceremony but “we didn't have seating for everyone … by design,” the bride says.
Following a flower petal-strewn path created moments earlier by the groom, the bride made her entrance on her father's arm. Along the way, father and daughter waltzed to Nat King Cole's “Fascination.”
Each attendant entered randomly, in their own style. A couple of them did jigs to claps and whistles.
The newlyweds' first dance was a sensuous Balboa worthy of the silver screen. “It was a party from start to finish,” the bride says.
Monae and Phil had asked their 250 invited guests to RSVP with a photo from their own wedding. An aunt spray-painted inexpensive frames and placed guests' photos inside as centerpieces for the reception tables. The displays were an instant conversation piece. At the end of the evening, the framed pieces became party favors.
The bridal couple used flowers sparingly, focusing their budget, instead, on food and drink. In place of traditional wedding cake, Monae and Phil served assorted desserts.
Monae, a personal fitness trainer, and Phil, an instructor with Midwest Training Institute, collaborated on their wedding plans. Engagement photos taken the previous April at a coin-operated laundry and a self-serve car wash on a rainy day inspired their invitation. For their wedding day shots, the couple returned to Gene Leahy Mall — where Phil had proposed.
VENDORS
Ceremony, reception site: 1316 Jones Street, Omaha
Flowers: Jennifer Hammond, Ever-Bloom, Bellevue
Disc jockey: Bandstand Music
Bride's gown: Vogue pattern
Groom's attire: Men's Wearhouse
Rings: Helzberg Diamonds
Hors d'oeuvres: Hap Abraham Catering
Dessert bar: Sweet Magnolias
Invitation, program: Original designs by friend of the couple
Dance instructor: Christy Palmer, Omaha Jitterbugs
