The Tea Room in Des Moines, Iowa, was the setting at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22., for the marriage of Ellen Rae Barber and Thomas Eugene Malmanger. Patrick DeMouth officiated.
Drs. Laurie and Jeffrey Barber of Little Rock are the parents of the bride. She is the granddaughter of Alice and Liston Barber of Martin's Mill, Texas, Connie and the late Dr. Lawrence Gray of Lady Lake, Fla., and the late Martha Gray.
Parents of the groom are Karen and Ed Malmanger of Urbandale, Iowa. His grandparents are Marilyn and the late Ed Malmanger of Ground Mound, Iowa, and the late Barbara and Don Vannatta of Marshalltown, Iowa.
The Tea Room was decorated for Christmas with trees, wreaths and gold ornaments. Two tall cascading floral arrangements marked the ceremony site and an aisle was lined with evergreens and lanterns. Music was by vocalist Adam Rich, cousin of the groom, who sang a song he wrote for the couple.
The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore an ivory fit-and-flare gown embellished with metallic lace. The bodice had cap sleeves and the skirt extended to a chapel-length train. She carried a cascade of cream roses, silver brunia, cream astilbe and evergreens.
Serving as matron of honor was Morgan Kreiser of Omaha, Neb., cousin of the bride. Maid of honor was Cecilia Lavigne of Bennington, Vt. Bridesmaids were Nikki Bruere of Norwalk, Iowa, sister of the groom; Katie Gray of Ankeny, Iowa, cousin of the bride; and Alexandra Barber of Tacoma, Wash., and Emily Barber of Fayetteville, sisters-in-law of the bride. They wore burgundy sleeveless chiffon gowns and carried bouquets of cream roses, evergreen and seeded eucalyptus.
Flower girls and ring bearers were Bricia, Brynna, Blake and Brody Bruere of Norwalk, nieces and nephews of the groom.
Best man was Andy Versluys of West Des Moines. Groomsmen were Josh Bailey of West Des Moines; Steve Bruere of Norwalk; Doug Ummel of Oxford, Mich.; and Liston Barber of Tacoma and Grayson Barber of Fayetteville, brothers of the bride.
Guests were seated by Adam Rich, Alex Rich and Kyle Dagestad, all of Urbandale and cousins of the groom.
A reception at The Tea Room was held after the ceremony. Guest tables held vases of submerged cranberries and spruce with floating candles.
The bride graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine as a doctor of veterinary medicine. She is a veterinarian at Creature Comforts of Ankeny.
The groom graduated from Iowa State with a bachelor's degree in management information systems and is employed as an application web developer for EMC Insurance Companies in Des Moines.
The couple will live in Clive, Iowa, and plan a delayed wedding trip to the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary.
High Profile on 12/30/2018