Kaitlyn and Matthew’s families had been friends for years before the two of them got together. Matthew proposed to Kaitlyn at the pub his family owns. “Matthew had his best friend call me over to the bar to tell me how they were switching soda products from Pepsi to Coca-Cola,” Kaitlyn says.” The friend claimed the Coca-Cola rep had left a couple samples, then he pulled out two glass bottles from beneath the bar and set them in front of Kaitlyn. “One said ‘Kaitlyn Marie’ on it — the other ‘Will you Marry Me.’” Shocked, Kaitlyn spun around to see Matthew down on one knee with a ring. “Of course I said yes!”

The happy couple planned a fall wedding with a country-rustic theme. Kaitlyn attended the Wonderful World of Weddings show for inspiration. The bridesmaids all wore fall colors, the men wore dark tan dress pants with white button-up shirts and suspenders. The boys and flower girls donned cowboy boots. For the ceremony, Matthew and Kaitlyn had a traditional Lutheran service, exchanging rings and “I do’s” in a church.

Kaitlyn says the best part of the ceremony was when the pastor likened marriage to how a softball is made. “Softball is Matthew’s favorite sport, and I enjoy going along and watching him play. It’s become a big thing for us.” As the pastor said, to make a softball, there are two pieces of fabric, stitched together to form one — just like two lives coming together in marriage.

Then it was time to celebrate! The reception was held at Terrace 167 in Richfield. The bride and groom say their favorite part was the last-minute grand entrance. “We thought about doing a grand entrance and decided against it. Then about 20 minutes before the time we were supposed to walk in, we decided we wanted to do one. Our wedding planner was able to pull it off! It was amazing and made it that much more special.”

Dinner was served buffet-style, with Salisbury Steaks, Chicken Souvlaki, and Chicken Scaloppini. There was rice, Greek potatoes, mashed potatoes, vegetables, fruit, and salad on the side. The full bar was tended by Terrace 167. For dessert, Kaitlyn and Matthew chose an assortment of mini brownies, cheesecakes, cupcakes, and cherry, pumpkin, and apple pies. They also had a small, two-tier wedding cake for the traditional cake-cutting.

To decorate the space, Kaitlyn and Matthew tackled many DIY projects, with the help of family and friends. They made all of the centerpieces, including candles and table runners. They bought and arranged all of the flowers, with the help of their wedding planner and her team. Kaitlyn’s aunt made the head table covering and decorations, plus all of the bouquets of flowers for the bridesmaids, flower girl baskets, boutonnieres, corsages, flowers on the pews at church, and more. Kaitlyn even painted her pair of Toms wedding shoes.

Looking back, Kaitlyn says the moment that sticks with her most is the last song of the night. “Everyone gathered on the dance floor and danced in a circle around us, as Matthew and I danced together in the middle. It was great to see everyone having a good time and feel all the love and support from our amazing friends and family.”

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