Katie + Jesse
(June 29, 2021 in Snohomish, WA)
In todays blog post, our real bride Katie shares her personal account of planning and executing a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic. The writer initially planned for a light and fun wedding experience with light and airy flowers and greenery. However, due to the pandemic, the couple had to change their plans and opt for a small ceremony in the backyard with just 30 people. They postponed the wedding celebration to a later date when restrictions were lifted, and when it finally happened, they made it lighter and more fun by incorporating surprises such as a special grand entrance inspired by the groom's favorite movie and a sing-along to Garth Brooks's "Friends in Low Places." The writer advises future brides to surround themselves with good people and find ways to include their loved ones in special ways.
Katie looked like a DREAM in our Bea gown by Blush by Hayley Paige. This fit and flare dress is fully beaded with the most beautiful pattern. The bodice features a sweetheart neckline and dainty straps. The back of the gown has a stunning train and a gorgeous scoop back. The gowns defined waist helps accentuate curves and the luxurious cashmere lining ensures comfort all night.
By our real bride, Katie:
What was the vision for your wedding?
When planning for our wedding I knew I wanted it to be a light and fun experience. We live in western Washington so it was also very important for us to find a venue that was both indoor and outdoor because you have to always assume there is a chance of rain. We lucked out and found our venue after looking at only one other one before it. After choosing the venue I knew I wanted to go with light and airy florals and greenery that complimented the many plants and flowers that surrounded the venue. I wanted to make the day as personal to us as possible and also a fun experience for all of our guests.
How did it go the day-of?
Well, July 11, 2020, is our true anniversary and our first wedding date. We booked our venue in April 2019 and by April 2020 the world had been hit by Covid and we were fearing the worst for the day that we had planned. Jesse and I met in high school and started dating not long after we graduated in 2010. We had worked hard and created a life together and were finally ready to make it official after 10 years of dating. We waited as long as we could before we canceled, but in the end, we weren't going to be able to have the wedding that we planned. We contacted all the vendors and moved the wedding celebration to June 19th, 2021, but we weren't giving up that easily. It was important for us to have certain people witness us get married and we were unsure if they would be there if we waited, so we decided to do a very small ceremony in my parents backyard. We had about 30 people there (and no vendors) - friends, and family took care of everything, it rained and it ended up being perfect. It wasn't our original vision but it turned into something so special.
Fast forward to 2021, Washington moves into Phase 3 and it looks like after many years we will finally get to have the re-wedding that we planned and envisioned. Our goal was to make this wedding lighter and more fun and to not only celebrate Jesse and me, but everyone that rode this crazy ride with us and supported us through all the hard choices and roadblocks. I changed all the bouquets from just white flowers to a variety with pops of color. Instead of cake, we had an ice cream cart come and serve local ice cream to our guests. My stepdad is an ordained pastor, so he walked me down the aisle as well as officiated the wedding which made it a little extra special for us. With some help from his friends, I surprised Jesse with a special grand entrance inspired by his favorite movie Major Leagues. I got him a jersey from the movie that I gave to him right before we walked into the reception to the song "Wild Thing" with some secret help from the DJ. Another surprise we had was while thanking all our guests we had an extra special shout-out to our best friend Leif, which ended with an entire reception sing-along of "Friends in Low Places." by Garth Brooks. The day was more than I could've ever dreamt of and it went perfectly. Looking back I am thankful for our small Covid wedding because without it our re-wedding would still have the standard wedding day stress, but instead, it was just an amazing day that was light, fun, and a celebration of not only us but everyone whom we love.
We ended the day with a last dance to the song that I walked down the aisle to at our first wedding, "Simply the Best" by Noah Reid. We danced and sang and it was the perfect ending to our unconventional wedding journey.
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
Surround yourself with truly good people. We kept our bridal party fairly small, but each and every one of them went above and beyond for us. They were our counselors, shoulders to lean on and we could not ask for a better group of people to stand with us while we got married (twice). We didn't have our siblings a part of our bridal party, but on our marriage certificate my brother was my witness and Jesses sister was his. We wanted to keep our party small but also wanted to include our siblings in special ways. My brother is also a firefighter and I was able to get some pictures with him in his uniform which turned out so special.
