WEDDING DATE: October 2, 2021
CEREMONY & RECEPTION: Oakland House Museum
ABOUT THE COUPLE: She is a realtor with RE/MAX Results. He is in marketing and special projects with Vetta Sports. The couple lives in Affton.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
We met online, through a dating app. We connected on March 17, the first week of the pandemic here in St. Louis. Because we were experiencing lockdown, the pressure to jump into “dating” was lifted and instead, we were able to slowly and genuinely get to know one another through conversation. When we were finally able to meet face to face, we had something truly wonderful: friendship. Our first year together brought so much joy from the most simple moments, that if it wasn’t for the pandemic, we may never have embraced: miles of South City walks, cooking dinner together at home, lots of board games and conversations. It was lovely, and we wouldn’t change a thing.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE?
Katie loves a good house project, so she invited Tyler to stop over one evening to help her install some new light switches. Because the electricity was off and it was nighttime, flashlights were involved. They took turns holding a flashlight for one another as they each tackled a different light switch. As Katie was wrapping up the last switch, Tyler moved the flashlight away, and when Katie turned around to ask him for more light, he was down on one knee, ring in hand, flashlight hovering over it. It was completely unexpected and it was absolutely perfect!
WHAT WAS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR WEDDING?
We love music, so it was important to have the right songs in place for both the ceremony and reception. For the ceremony, our music was performed by the Landolfi Strings Trio. We wanted each song to be unique and capture various emotions, from serenity to romance to excitement. Parents of the bride and groom walked down the aisle to the “Jurassic Park” theme song, which was stunning for an outdoor wedding. The bridal party entered with “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers/Coldplay; Katie’s dad escorted her down the aisle to “At Last” by Etta James; and the processional was Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.” The bride and groom then compiled their own music list via Spotify for cocktail hour and the reception.
The bride and groom also bond over their love of donuts – one of the first topics of conversation when they met. Tyler surprised Katie and their guests with the perfect late-night snack: fresh donuts from Donut Drive-In!
FAVORITE WEDDING-DAY MOMENT?
KATIE: Early in our relationship, when the radio was on or a record would be playing, we would just start slow dancing with one another – in the kitchen, in the living room, wherever we were. So on our wedding day, our first quiet moments as husband and wife were spent in the grand parlor of our venue, just us and our photographers, slow dancing.
TYLER: It rained for a moment on our wedding day, right after Katie made her way down the aisle. We were dry, but our guests had to take cover under our reception tent to avoid the rain. We proceeded with the ceremony with a field of empty chairs, as our guest watched from the tent. For me, it was very symbolic of our relationship: that no matter what happens in life, there will always be someone standing by my side. The rain cleared at the end of the ceremony and we were able to walk down the aisle together under a double rainbow.
WHAT DO YOU CHERISH MOST ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
KATIE: It’s quite something to find someone whose heart is so similar to yours. It became very apparent, especially during the exchanging of our vows, that we push one another to be the best versions of ourselves that we could possibly be. Life is hard, so to find that one person who reciprocates your desire to grow and be a good human – that’s someone so very special.
TYLER: The deep level of emotional connection that we share is unparalleled. We are able to talk and express ourselves in ways that I never thought were possible with another person. We met during the early days of the pandemic, so this relationship was founded on communication.
VENUE: Oakland House Museum
PHOTOGRAPHY: Captured Photography
DRESS: Sweet Romance – The Bridal Shoppe
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES: Lulus
TUXEDO: Calvin Klein
RINGS: Helzberg Diamonds
HAIR: Salon Meraki
FLOWERS: Petal Pushers
ENTERTAINMENT: Landolfi Strings
CATERER: Orlando’s
CAKE: Cake House Design
