KWTV: Something Good: Worked Celebrated Wedding with Residents at OKC Senior Living Community
By Mike Glover | Oct. 21, 2021 | See Full Article Here
The staff and residents at Concordia Senior Living Center are just like family. So, when Charli Kroeker began making her wedding plans, there was simply no way she could do it without including the residents.
“They’re my family and I’ve taken them in as my friends and my family,” said Kroeker.
Kroeker has been the marketing coordinator at Concordia senior living center for six years, and she has built quite a bond with the residents in all of our programs, including independent living. When she got engaged, the residents were super excited.
“But then they were wondering if they were going to be invited to the wedding,” said Kroeker.
She wouldn’t have it any other way. But getting all the residents to the wedding just wasn’t possible. Or was it?
“One of the residents suggested that I could put it on zoom so they could watch from here at my actual wedding because there wouldn’t be enough seats, and I was like, well I just do you one better and we’ll just do it here first,” said Kroeker.
That led to a week of events for Kroeker and the residents.
“They were like you can’t have a wedding without cake, so we had a cake tasting and then we just went into full wedding mode,” said Kroeker.
From cake tasting, to table decorations, even a bachelorette party, making this an extra special time for the residents.
“I don’t have a daughter, I have two sons, so it was like really having my own daughter’s wedding,” said Concordia resident Kumud Vaidya.
“I just love weddings to begin with, and I knew they were going to have an orchestra, and oh my goodness, they played all my favorite songs,” said resident Joan Quatro.
And what does Kroeker’s future husband think about all of this?
“He was maybe a little confused at first, but they took him in as their own family, he loved it. He’s still talking about it,” said Kroeker.
The time together has been special for Kroeker and the residents making the bond with her extended family even stronger.
