The Couple: Rachel & Kaine
Wedding Date: May 14, 2016
Photography by Sarah Maren Photography
How did you meet your fiancé? A few hours before midnight on New Years Eve 2010, I arrived at Harlow’s, a night club in Sacramento, with a group of my best friends (including Bridesmaid Bridget Luebbers) to see a band we all liked that happened to be playing that night. That same night Kaine and a group of his friends were celebrating a friend’s birthday (Jeb Bjerke, one of the groomsmen). We met at the bar (it was New Years Eve after all!), and after a night of dancing, libations, and sharing a kiss (on the cheek) at midnight, we chatted while waiting in the long coat line. I thought it was very sweet of him to wait with me, so we exchanged numbers.
After that, he didn’t text me for nearly a month! I thought it was just another lost connection. Until Kaine says he came to his senses and reached out to set up a date on February 11, 2011. We walked around the Second Saturday street art fair in Sacramento, where I learned about his love for birds and abalone diving and he learned about my love of good sushi! That was our first weekend together and we’ve hardly spent a weekend apart since.
How was the question popped? We had moved to Washington D.C. so I could pursue a masters degree at the George Washington University. There were many places in the city that we loved to visit, but we had not yet been to the National Botanical Gardens. Kaine decided that it would be a beautiful place to propose. When he invited me to go, I immediately thought something was up, since he is not the planner of the relationship. But I wanted to see the gardens!
After walking around for over 2 hours, I thought maybe this wasn’t the moment. But then, before leaving, Kaine asked me to take a photo. He knew I had always wanted a big proposal, but that we were also on the opposite coast from our families. So he handed his phone to two passerby, and without my knowledge, asked them to take a video of the moment, so that we could share it with our family and friends. When he got down on one knee in front of a replica of the National Capitol, I was so stunned, all I could say is “are you serious?!” and nod my agreement through happy tears. We celebrated that evening with a fancy dinner in Alexandria, VA.
What type of wedding are you planning? Dish all the details! There are so many ways to describe a wedding, it can get a bit cliche. We’re trying to make the wedding a reflection of us as people and our relationship as much as possible. We chose a winery since Kaine works in the restaurant industry and is from Napa. We are fully embracing the theme – think wine barrels, vines, and of course good wine! We love the outdoors so when we saw that we could get married under a big, beautiful oak tree, we jumped at the chance. We’re incorporating the idea of “love birds” throughout the wedding as a nod to Kaine’s recently passed grandfather who taught him the love of bird watching as a young boy. I love lighting and sparkly lights so to enhance the glow of the outdoor setting there will be tons of market lights strung above, and trees lit from below. We want our guests to have fun, so there will be a photobooth and even lawn games! We’re also incorporating a cigar bar for lounging and relaxing. A dessert table will keep the guests in sweet spirits all night. But the most important thing to me is the dance floor so we can dance the night away to the tunes provided by our wonderful DJ!
If money were no object, what would be your one splurge at your wedding? We’ve been so lucky to have the ability to fulfill many of our top desires for our wedding, and I have to thank my parents for that. But if the sky was the limit, we might splurge on a live band for the ceremony and the reception – we just love the vibe a live band brings! We also love oysters so a shucking station would be on the wish list.
Are there any questions you would like to ask other engaged couples, newlyweds or wedding vendors? Ask them here and readers will leave comments for you below! I’m planning our wedding from across the country (I live in Washington, D.C. while the wedding is in Northern California) – has anyone else done this? What tips or tricks do you have for making it work? We’re also having trouble deciding on where we want to go on our honeymoon. We’re looking for someplace with a beach, but that also has some good sightseeing or other activities to experience. Any suggestions?
Congratulations to Rachel & Kaine! Wishing you a lifetime of love, health and happiness.
Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.
Photos courtesy of and copyright Sarah Maren Photography, www.sarahmaren.com.
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