By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Photos by Hadley Miller Photography
How did the proposal happen? Was it a surprise, or did you see it coming?
The proposal was a surprise for me, I knew it would probably happen soon but not exactly when. The proposal was in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. I had surprised Brady, with a trip to Charleston, he thought we were just visiting our friend who lived there but I had arranged for all our friends to be there to celebrate his graduating from PT school and we stayed at a beautiful house in Kiawah right on the river. One night we all dressed up as various “famous” doctors because Brady had just become one, we had Dr. Pepper, Dr. Phil, Dr. Scoll’s, among other characters and I was dressed as Doc from the Seven Dwarfs. I knew things were getting fishy when he insisted on making a toast on the dock at sunset. His toast turned into a proposal, and I was still dressed as Doc. Shortly after I ran up to the house with some of my friends to try to piece together a white outfit and those pictures we shared. I think if I had seen it coming I would not have been dressed as a seven dwarf but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. His surprise party turned into our engagement party with all our friends and it couldn’t have been more perfect!
How did you choose your wedding venue? Which vendors did you use?
Our wedding ceremony was at the Cathedral of Assumption and our Reception was at The Henry Clay. I knew we would have many out-of-town guests since many of our friends are not local and Brady’s family is from Michigan. So, I wanted to pick a location that would Showcase Louisville, there would be lots of things for guests to do within walking distance and it would keep us all close. Logistically, Downtown made the most sense for us, The hotel which most of the guests stayed in was right beside The Henry Clay and provided a kind of home base for everyone. In the days leading up to the wedding, it was fun to get to the lobby and see at least one person we knew and we enjoyed showing our family and friends the city. Once we settled on downtown we started looking at venues within that boundary and both the venues have so much history and character which I really wanted, once we walked into both of them we didn’t really consider any others.
Other vendors include:
Photography – Hadley Miller Photography Caterer – The Bristol Bar and Grille Flowers – Susan’s Florist Cake – Adrienne and Company Photobooth – Rivertown Photobooth Dress – Rebecca’s Bridal Hair and Makeup – Glow To Beauty Men’s Ware – Sam Meyers Rings – Royal Jewelers DJ – Complete Weddings and Events
What was your favorite part of the ceremony? Did you incorporate any unique elements or traditions into your wedding?
We had a traditional Catholic ceremony so I am not sure anything unique comes to mind. I loved that we had our friends be the readers and eucharistic ministers, I think it helped relax me a little more seeing them up there. We had our nieces and nephews all five and under be the flower girls and ring bearer, the flower girls did great and the ring bearer had a little bit of a meltdown but they were so cute and genuine I loved looking at all the pictures, and videos of them afterward. Lastly, I walked down the aisle by myself and had my parents meet me halfway and walk me towards Brady. I liked having that final moment to myself just to focus on my feelings but when I got to my parent’s arms they got to slow me down and talk to me which I needed and then they got to hand me off to Brady, it was probably my favorite part of the ceremony.
Where did you go for your honeymoon? What was the highlight of your trip?
We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon! We spent the first half at an all-inclusive resort by the coast in Guanacaste and the latter part in the rainforest in La Fortuna. It is such a beautiful country and the people there are so friendly, I seriously didn’t want to leave! I work at a local park, so experiencing their diverse ecosystems and wildlife was the highlight for me, we swam with a sea turtle and saw all types of animals like howler monkeys, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and pit vipers just to name a few. It felt like everywhere you turned there was some amazing creature to see! A close second highlight for both of us would be the people there, there was not one person we met there who wasn’t extremely kind and welcoming. I would recommend Costa Rica to anyone who gets the chance to go, it is so beautiful!
What was your favorite moment of the wedding day?
Picking just one moment is so hard! The whole day you’re overwhelmed with a feeling of love and support because you’re surrounded by literally everyone who cares about you all. In our friend group, it is pretty much tradition that the bride and groom get hoisted into the air at some point on the dance floor. As Brady and I were put onto our friend’s shoulders together, I understood why they do that all the time at weddings. You get to see all your guests in that room celebrating you all and singing with you and I just remember thinking how lucky we were to be surrounded by such amazing people and how beautiful it is that we all get to build this life together, it’s a great memory for me!