Wedding weekend: two days or festivities create memories to last a lifetime.

"Meant to be," read the outside of the deep purple invitation to Katherine Kendall Poole's and Wesley Weldon Hester III's August wedding reception. It was obvious from the start that this would be no ordinary marriage celebration.

In fact, nothing about this weekend-long event was ordinary. The festivities started on Friday night, when Kendall and Wes exchanged vows in an intimate black-tie ceremony before their closest friends and family at the historic Madison United Methodist Chapel. In contrast to what would follow, this evening was all about tradition, with a touch of dramatic flair. As the bride's father, Bill, walked her down the aisle, the chapel was lit by candles and decorated in stark black and white with accents of vivid red in the form of roses carried by each attendant. Banners made by Kendall's mother, Bette, using fabric matching the wedding dress and hand-embroidered with the couple's new monogram hung on the chapel doors.

After the ceremony, the wedding party and family moved to the Mississippi Museum of Art in downtown Jackson for a celebratory dinner. Wendy Putt of Fresh Cut Floral and Catering in Jackson continued the dramatic theme by using black and white table linens, Gerber daisies (in honor of the flowers Wes gave Kendall on the night of their engagement), and even an ice sculpture of a horse by Brian Heffner to honor the couple's mutual love for horses. Putt's special dinner also included a family touch--steaks prepared by the groom's father, C.A. Hall.

On Saturday, a new phase of the celebration began--this one all in the spirit of fun. Friends and family members met on the banks of the Ross Barnett Reservoir for an old-fashioned catfish cookout. Guests dined on downhome favorites while a bluegrass band played favorite tunes.

As the sun set, the biggest bash of all got underway--a reception at Red Brick Farm, a lakeside equestrian facility in Jackson. It was a

fitting location, as this was where Wes, a veterinarian, and Kendall, a longtime horse-lover, had almost met several times before finally being set up on a more formal blind date.

The black, white, and red theme continued here, with elegant fans that bore the couple's initials, black and white linens, horseshoe-shaped white chocolate candies, and even a black-and-white-checkered dance floor. The wedding cake was a five-tier concoction with red velvet, chocolate, and Italian creme layers, each separated by red roses. The cake, created by Edna Welch of Natchez, was topped with the couple's monogram in silver.

Only the groom's table abandoned the black and white theme. The table itself was draped in camouflage fabric and displayed photographs of Wes engaging in his favorite hobby, deer hunting. Triple cheesecakes garnished with chocolate-covered strawberries and topped with his initials satisfied guests' taste for more decadent sweets.

The evening's menu, prepared by Putt, included an unusual Southern grits bar; a seafood bar with shrimp, salmon, and crawfish pasta; carved prime rib, country smoked ham, and other meats; a "bayou bar" with crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, and jambalaya; and what was perhaps the biggest hit of the evening, a chocolate fountain in which guests could dip strawberries and marshmallows. The two food tents were decorated in black and white along with natural burlap table toppers, antique wooden buoys, ropes, and even a canoe.

As the couple left the reception by boat, guests waved sparklers and the sky lit up with fireworks. But the two-day party wasn't really over; after a short trip around the lake, the bride and groom returned to celebrate with friends and family for just a few more hours.