Lauren Sturn and Nathan Spare were united in marriage on Aug. 7 at Grace Community Church in Great Bend in a double ring ceremony officiated by the Rev. Matthew Lantz of Tyler, Texas. The bride is the daughter of John and Tammy Sturn of Ellinwood. The groom is the son of Marlyn and Kathie Spare of St. John.
Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a strapless white crinkle taffeta a-line Maggie Sottero gown with a chapel-length train. There was embroidered scroll and vine work with silver  beads. She wore a white English net fly away veil and a hand-made satin and organza flower hairpin and carried a tear-drop bouquet of white gardenia, roses, mums, alstromeria, freesia and carnations.
Matron of honor was Tiffany McIlvane of Muncie, Ind. Bridesmaids were Mallory Staats of Dallas, Texas, Ann Walker of Kansas City, Monica Fahrenholtz of Houston, Texas and Britney Meeks of Clinton, Miss. They wore strapless pistachio-green chiffon gowns of varying styles.  Each bridesmaid carried a bouquet of yellow flowers to match their escort.
Bestman was Andrew Spare, brother of the groom, of St. John. Groomsmen were Wyatt Farney of Newton, Craig Stockebrand of Salina, Andrew Pritchard of Dallas, Texas and Aaron Kaufmann of Salina.
Ushers were Eli Sturn, brother of bride, of Great Bend, Daniel Snell and Jake Lauer, both of Kansas City, Isaac Spare of St. John, Michael Spare of Manhattan, and Brian Bartels of Lincoln, Neb.
Candlelighters were Tammy Sturn and Kathie Spare, mothers of the couple.
Pianist was Lucille Richardson of Stafford. Vocalist was John Sturn, father of the bride.
Readers were Marlyn Spare, father of groom and Emily Snell, Nashville, Tenn.
The bride is a 2006 graduate of Ellinwood High School. She is attending Kansas State University where she anticipates graduation in 2011 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
The groom is a 2004 graduate of St. John High School. He graduated from Kansas State University in 2009 with a Bachelors of Industrial Engineering and is working on his Masters of Business Administration with an anticipated graduation of December 2010.
After a honeymoon in Pagosa Springs, Colo. the couple reside in Manhattan.