Here to inspire you, it’s Real Weddings Wednesday! Today, we present Katy + Bryan!
Tell us a little about you and your beloved: Our story began in Providence, RI when Bryan’s college roommate was Katy’s boyfriend (it’s not as scandalous as it sounds!). Katy sent regular care packages to the boys at the house and included treats for all of the roommates. Having not met Katy yet, he was surprised and grateful. Fast forward a year later, we finally met in person for the first time at Five Guys over burgers and cajun fries. We stayed loosely in touch throughout the years. In winter of 2012, Katy planned a solo trip to Chicago and reached out to Bryan for some sights and eatery advice since that’s where he’s from. We reconnected through the planning process of Katy’s trip and spent quite a bit of time together. Bryan offered to be Katy’s tour guide and introduced her to Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza. Katy leaves Chicago a week later with no exciting news to report. Four months later, Bryan decided to visit San Francisco and explore and eat with his trusty tour guide, Katy. The rest is history.
What was the best part of your day? The best part of our day was the drive by reception that turned into a block party. We loved having our friends stop by, hang out socially distanced, and just share in the joy and happiness with us.
What else would you like to share about your day? Our small version of our big day was amazing in every way. If I could share one tip of advice, it would be that our micro-ceremony allowed us to re-visit vendors that were out of budget for us for the bigger celebration. We were able to fit everything into our budget and even throw in extras that we didn’t think we’d be able to afford. These little touches made our day magical and one for the books.
How did COVID-19 effect your wedding? COVID-19 forced us to rescheduled our planned reception and party multiple times and shift gears to a micro-ceremony. It caused us to re-focus our vision and re-imagine what our perfect day would look like. We didn’t have the wedding or reception that we originally envisioned or planned, but we DID have a magical day that was filled with loved ones, food, and happiness.
Any advice you’d give to couples planning their wedding right now? Be flexible. Mourn the loss of your dream and vision because that is valid. But remember that the loss of your original vision does not mean that you have to give up on all of it. With the right team and right people by you, you can make magic happen. And stick to your guns. Revising your plan allows you to reevaluate the things you really want and need.
Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance? I would have pulled the trigger on the micro-wedding sooner to save ourselves some stress. We also would have planned for a longer day and allowed for a longer time during our drive by reception to spend some more quality time with our loved ones.
Photos courtesy of and copyright Fits and Stops Photography, used with permission.
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