stormy start leads to fairy tale romance

High School Sweethearts Katie and Tristan met in algebra class during their junior year. He was the new kid in town, but they got to know each other by having mutual friends. After going out on a couple of ice cream and Cardinals game dates, they officially became “boyfriend and girlfriend” June 5th, 2013.

Katie remembers their first date like this, “Our first date was sort of a hot mess. We were at a Cardinals game with Tristan’s family when we had a tornado warning. Because of that the game was cancelled, and we had an hour drive home in the pouring rain. To top that off one of our head lights went out on the way home! Since then, we have graduated high school and college together, gone on multiple trips and just enjoy each other’s company.  I love Tristan for so many different reasons. Since the beginning Tristan has always made me laugh and brought joy to my life. Tristan is hard working, dedicated, and motivated to provide a good life for the two of us. My favorite thing we share with each other is our strange sense of humor. It’s like we have our own dialogue with each other.”

Tristan also told us a little about Katie.  He says, “My favorite things about Katie is that she is a good cook, she is BEAUTIFUL inside and out, she likes Disney, she is super smart, she enjoys watching movies with me, she has a very soft heart for others in need, she spends her days not only caring for me but for complete strangers, she is going to be a great mom and that she loves me for me, even if I am giving her a hard time.

Q: Tell us about the proposal:
A: We went on a family trip to Disney World during spring break of 2017. We had a grand total of 11 people on the trip! We went for a week and at the very end of the trip, Tristan surprised me with a carriage ride at Fort Wilderness. Little did I know, he had an entire proposal planned. Tristan and I took the carriage ride and towards the end we stopped at a little beach and we got out to explore a little. Once we reached the beach, he gave me a present to open, which ended up being a small glass slipper with the date and the quote “Happily Ever After” inscribed on it. He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! This proposal was special because we able to share this intimate moment just between the two of us, but able to head back to Magic Kingdom to meet our family and have a celebration at a character dinner! The rest is history.

Q: Who were your favorite vendors and why did you choose them?
A: Venue: Haue Valley
Photographer: Elizabeth Lloyd
Caterer: Two Mikes Catering
Florist: Always in Bloom
DJ/Videography/Photobooth: Applause Weddings
Bar Service: T’s Liquor Lane

While we were looking for vendors, we relied on Haue Valley’s advice for a lot of things! We went with most of their recommended vendors. Tristan and I like to keep things simple and easy, but we live an hour and a half away from the venue so we needed flexible vendors! Characteristics like flexibility, affordability, experience, values and recommendations all came into play when searching for vendors.

Q: Tell Us about your Style:
A: Our colors are burgundy, and navy, with some hints or gray and blush! We love the rustic feeling, so our centerpieces all contain some wood aspect. Like I said before we like to keep things simple, which I think reflects in our overall theme. Our centerpieces are a wooden slab base, with greenery, small candles and a lantern.  Our Bridesmaids gowns are very similar to my own. Lots of lace overlay, and similar shape. The color is a deep wine/burgundy color with an open back!  The Grooms attire is a Michael Kors fitted deep navy tux. The groom is wearing a gray vest under his jacket, with a burgundy floral tie that match the bridesmaids gown. The groom is also sporting a navy watch on his wrist

Even though the first date may have been a little rough, Katie and Tristan wound up with a fairy tale romance.  Thanks for sharing your story with us!