Northern California natives Katherine (Ryn) Kramer and Daniel Gumpert started dating while they both lived in the Midtown/Downtown area. When Dan told Ryn that a work conference necessitated him staying at the Downtown Hyatt, she didn’t think much of it. After a lovely dinner at the Rio City Café—where the couple had their very first date—Dan took Ryn up to his room. Inside, she discovered a beautiful suite filled with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. “He popped the question and came clean that there wasn’t a work conference,” she says. “His proposal was so romantic. I was totally blown away. Dan isn’t much of a planner so I was quite impressed.”

The couple knew from the start they wanted their wedding to be a great party for all who attended. “It was important that it be our wedding and have unique elements that reflected our personalities and tastes,” Ryn shares. Since the date was set for October, they picked dark oranges and browns for the décor and flowers, a stunning seasonal combination.

Although Ryn admits the planning had more challenging moments than anticipated, she says she really enjoyed working on the details. The couple chose to make all of their favors, including table names, sewn programs and thank you cards. Ryn’s parents chipped in by crafting signs, trays, table runners and other personal touches. Despite the huge undertaking, she confides that it was all worth it. “Once it is all said and done, you tend to forget a lot of the challenges and only remember the end result.

Both Ryn and Dan collaborated with Rev. Jeri Murphy to make the ceremony and vows uniquely their own. “We wanted it to be reflective of how much we love each other and how happy we are to spend the rest of our lives together,” she says.

Both the ceremony and reception were held at Morgan Creek Country Club. By having the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all seamlessly flow into one large area, guests could be a part of everything all at once. “We lucked out with the weather and had the most gorgeous October day and evening,” the bride remembers. “The most prevalent memory of the reception was just being surrounded by so many family and friends and having a wonderful time. The time flew by, but neither of us could stop smiling, we had such an amazing day.”

One of the things the couple still hears from wedding guests is how much fun they had dancing the night away. “Our DJ was fantastic,” Ryn says. “My number one request was to keep people on the dance floor, and he definitely accomplished that.”

Keeping with a popular trend of recent years, Ryn and Dan decided they wanted a photo booth for their guests to enjoy. “It was a decision we are so thrilled that we made,” she says. “With our wedding being in October, it was easy to put together a prop box to enhance the imagination and overall creativity of the pictures.”

Though they took many of their wedding shots before the ceremony, Ryn and Dan trekked with their photographer Sarah Maren across the golf course for a few more. “It was such a relaxing moment. The ceremony nerves were gone, we were so excited to be married, and we could hear the chatter, laughter and music in the distance as we were taking pictures,” she reveals. “I highly recommend every couple take a few moments for themselves, just after the ceremony, to really take it all in and just enjoy that moment with your husband or wife.”

Ceremony Site: Morgan Creek Country Club
Officiant: Rev. Jeri Murphy
Photographer: Sarah Maren Photography   Phone: 916-335-4358
Reception Site: Morgan Creek Country Club
Hair: Lou Ann Barkdull, Charmed Salon
Make-up: Lou Ann Barkdull, Charmed Salon
Bridal Attire: Bella Donna
Bridesmaid Attire: Bella Donna
Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Groomsmen Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Bride's Jeweler: DeVon's Fine Jewelers
Groom's Jeweler: DeVon's Fine Jewelers
Invitations: Tulip Pulperie
Flowers: Galeazi's Floral Design
Caterer: Morgan Creek Country Club
Cake: Shawn Downey-McFetridge
DJ/Entertainment: Extreme Productions   Phone: 916-773-4329
Dance Lessons: Arthur Murray
Favors: Olive oil bottles with custom tag made by bride and groom
Photo Booth Rental: Party Booths
Table Linens: Morgan Creek Country Club
Table Decorations: Centerpieces made by bride's mother
Honeymoon Location: Maui, Hawaii
First Dance Song: Someone Like You by Van Morrison
Father/Daughter Dance Song: In My Life by the Beatles
Mother/Son Dance Song: In My Life by The Beatles
Cake Cutting Song: The Sweetest Thing by U2

Any tips you'd give to brides and grooms planning their wedding:
Try to make your wedding unique to you. Weddings tend to be a lot about compromise, but do not compromise things that will take away from the event being innately about the two of you. Incorporate special items or details. Stand up for yourselves and be a united front when planning.
What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
This is a difficult question because it makes you focus on the items that didn't go 100% as planned, and afterwards you need to focus on the 99.9% of items that go right. If I had to pick something I would say that I wished there were more hours in that day, and I could have expanded my guest list more. We both are lucky to have large families and lots of wonderful friends, and we wish we could have had invited the entire world.