Fall colors make wonderful memories for Nick Drake and Amber Lawhead

This was no ordinary pink roses and white lace affair. When Amber Lawhead planned her marriage to Nick Drake, she followed her head and her heart. Instead of taking the traditional route, her Sept. 25, 2010, wedding, held in the Commandery Room of the Spokane Masonic Center, glowed with the patina of time and seasonal light. The couple met in college, but Nick had been friends with Amber’s brother since high school. Nick asked her brother for her number and “the rest,” as Amber says, “is history.” Once they started dating, both Amber and Nick quickly realized they could see the relationship going the distance. “She was so easy to be with,” Nick says. “I couldn’t see myself with anyone else.” Amber shared the feeling. “He treated me so well, and we always had a lot of fun together,” she says. “It was just easy to be with him.” When the time came to make wedding plans, Amber had to go it alone. Nick was working in Texas and New Mexico with the Border Patrol and wasn’t here to help, but they shared a common goal. “We wanted it simple and relaxed so everyone would feel at ease,” Amber says. The Masonic Center was the perfect place. “I really liked how old and historic the building was,” Amber says. “Then when I saw the Commandery Room, I knew it was where I wanted to get married.” Nick looked at pictures online, and agreed. Amber took her cue from the grand old room and the fall color outdoors. A path of autumn leaves, instead of traditional rose petals, framed the center aisle. Topiaries on the stage were decorated with amber lights. The rich, mellow, tones of the string quartet tucked into a corner near the stage, filled the room. As they shared their vows there was an easy informality to the service. Occasional laughter trickled through the room. “We wanted it simple and relaxed so everyone would feel at ease,” Amber says. “We were both very nervous about saying our vows in front of everyone, but it ended up being laid-back.” With Amber’s new job as an RN and Nick’s criminal justice studies at Eastern Washington University, there isn’t time for a honeymoon right now. They are settling into the condominium they’ve rented and are looking forward to their new status as a married couple. And they’re already discovered the secret key to longevity. “When Nick is cranky, I can be goofy and funny to try to cheer him up,” Amber says. “But it goes the other way, too. We can make each other laugh in most any situation.”