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Wedding Planner: Celebrations | Charlotte Working with Charlotte was the best! She is an expert at what she does, has excellent vision, and is the sweetest soul!
Officiant: Brian Beltramo | Brian Beltramo – Sports Chaplain
Hair and Makeup: Jackie Soriano
Dress: House of Renhue, Lina Dress; Boutique: Lovely Bridal Phoenix
Venue: Kimpton Seafire | Botanica Cottages
Shooting Partner: Shae Leigh Photography
THE DRESS
My mom and Gram made a trip to visit me to go dress shopping. When we showed up for our appointment, we arrived at store opening time and my mom started snooping around the dress area. Next thing you know she excitedly ran around the corner holding a dress that she said she knew was mine. Turns out she was right! It was the exact dress for me. A very special component was actually that the co-founder of House of Renhue was at the shop for a trunk show that weekend and spent one on one time with Kathryn in the dress. It was incredibly special!
GETTING READY
Jackie, thank you for making me feel so beautiful, and for so expertly applying makeup to an actively dancing bride! My bridal party was playing such great getting ready music, I was dancing and singing the whole time!
HOW DID YOU BOTH MEET
We met at an Arizona State University football tailgate! Kathryn was a nursing student at ASU at the time, and Matt had joined his parents at their family friends’ tailgate. Kathryn had actually already met Matt’s parents at previous tailgates, and shared a beer or two with them. After that, we started running into eachother consistently at other bars and restaurants that we both previously frequented and had never noticed one another. This went on for about a year before we finally started dating.
SOMETHING BORROWED SOMETHING BLUE
Traditional: Kathryn’s something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Kathryn’s mom repurposed her engagement ring diamond from her marriage to Kathryn’s dad to make Kathryn’s wedding necklace as her something old and something new. Something borrowed: our close family friend, Liz, lent Kathryn a beautiful clutch. Something blue: there was a couple! The bridesmaids in their blue getting ready PJs, a gifted blue embroidered handlerchief, and the blue After the Tone audio guestbook at the reception.
HOW DID MATT POP THE QUESTION
Matt and his high school friends go on an annual NYE ski trip in Telluride, Colorado. When he first brought Kathryn, she absolutely loved the adorable mountain town. The next year, he invited her two best friends and their now husbands, and proposed on top of the mountain. We skied down to the mountain bar to celebrate with our crew!
BRIDAL PARTY BLAST
Rebecca made our getting ready process SO fun! The bridal party had a BLAST dancing to ABBA and taking pictures. Jackie made us feel so beautiful, and Rebecca brought it to life! The getting ready tequila shots didn’t hurt, either 😉
THE FIRST LOOK
Kathryn did first looks with: her dad Mike, Matt, and the groomsmen. My dad has always been incredibly supportive and complimentary, and it felt very special to have that moment with him. I will be forever appreciative of his role in giving me the most special and memorable wedding weekend.
ICING THE BOYS
The first look with the groomsmen. Kathryn “iced” the boys! This was a trend back in our college days, and the boys were definitely caught off guard, and I was giggling the whole time. I wanted to set the stage for the tone of a fun and stress free ceremony and reception and felt it did just that!
We also want to shout out our incredible wedding party- we love them so much and truly appreciate the role they played throughout our whole stay on the island. We couldn’t ask for better friends!
THE DECOR
Celebrations and Charlotte! Kathryn’s #1 item on her wishlist was the aisle florals during the ceremony, which were incredibly stunning. We then re-purposed them as the table centerpieces during the reception, and I can’t decide which was more breathtaking.
I also loved the bar back decor! The minimal vases with some of our old photos framed on the bar back was beyond perfect and beautiful.
THE OFFICIANT
Matt and Brian met through Grand Canyon University Baseball, where Brian was Matt’s baseball team chaplain. Fast forward to after college, and Matt and Brian began working together at GCU. Matt as the Director of Baseball Operations on the baseball coaching staff, becoming close with Brian in everyday life, but most especially through the passing of his mother Caryn. Brian was a huge support for Matt during this time, and he leaned on his guidance. We’re so lucky to have Brian in our lives!
THE BEER CREW
We loved our Beer Crew! Not only was it a fun, lighthearted moment during the ceremony, but we’ve always said that we love when guests are able to have a beverage during the ceremony, and wanted to ensure our guests had something to sip on!
HOW DID YOU FEEL WALKING DOWN THE AISLE
Overwhelmingly excited and overjoyed. Everything from the beautiful florals and violin music, our Beer Crew walking down to the Spice Girls, and our favorite people seated in attendance was beyond perfect. Matt walked down to Lord of the Rings (he was thrilled, and excitedly requested this during the planning process), and Kathryn walked down to Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA.
THE KISS
Electric! All else fell away in that moment, and it was just me and Matt up there.
THE VENUE
We searched high and low for a venue that could provide our 3 wedding requirements: good food, good booze, and a good party. While some met the minimum requirements, the Kimpton Seafire blew it out of the water! The service is impeccable, the food and booze are incredible, and Grand Cayman as a whole is the most special place. We are so happy we found our venue and our wonderful wedding crew.
RECEPTION
The DJ (Mark with OneWorld) KILLED it! Our guests raved about him for days. Kathryn couldn’t stop dancing through dinner. Actually she danced, all day, even during the getting ready process, and while waiting to walk down the aisle.
Our top 3 requirements for our wedding were: good food, good booze, and a good party; and our day hit all three. From the music, sushi + steak for dinner, and the endless flow of Blue Caymanians, we had a blast. As evidenced by the couple on the dance floor. The buttons on Matt’s shirt only lasted an hour and a half, if that!
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