From Real Weddings Magazine, www.realweddingsmag.com

Kat was beyond happy to marry Matt. “I remember thinking ‘finally!’” she says. “I know a lot of brides feel nervous before their wedding, but I was just too excited to be nervous.” She continues: “And seeing him for the first time on our wedding day, I think I just felt relief that we were here, together, and we were going to finally do it. I can’t remember a time in my life where I have cried tears of joy instead of sadness…knowing I was going to be calling him my ‘husband’ is one of the happiest memories of my life.”

The couple met while working in the same department for the City of Sacramento. While Kat had always dreamed of a destination wedding in Hawaii, she and Matt decided to get married closer to home.

Kat showed her love of the Aloha State by wearing an orchid hair pick behind her left ear, which under Hawaiian tradition symbolizes that she’s married. “Since I wasn’t able to get married in Hawaii, I wanted to have a little bit of Hawaii with me!” she says.

The wedding colors included white and ivory, as well as Tiffany blue, which Kat admits she “became borderline obsessed with.” Tiffany blue accents included invitation pocket folders, the bride’s shoes, the bridesmaids’ dresses, linens and incorporated in the favors.

During the ceremony, Matt honored his deceased father and grandmother with a poem and candles. The couple wrote their own vows, which were so emotional that even the photographer cried. The bride and groom also lit unity candles with their mothers. “After that, Matt and I lit one larger candle together as a symbol of our marriage and the union of our lives burning as one light that can’t be divided, just like our love,” she says.

Following the ring exchange, the couple presented a bracelet to Kat’s daughter, Kaelynn, with this message: “Today we promise to provide you with unconditional love, guidance and support for all the days of your life.” Matt was moved by Kaelynn’s reaction. “I remember seeing a tear fall down her cheek,” he says. “She was so touched to be part of ceremony. It was very important to me that my wife’s daughter knew how grateful that I was that she was accepting of me and how lucky I am that she is a part of my life.”

“Family is very important to us and we felt that our wedding was not just about our union, but welcoming and combining two families into one, and just sharing how we have grown as a family,” the bride remembers.

—Kristen Castillo

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