Kelly Amber (who goes by Amber) and Tom’s chance meeting came through the wonders of technology when they both connected online. “While we were tentative at first, eventually we realized that this had a possibility to become something more,” Amber recalls. After several years of dating, the couple made it official on New Year’s Day in 2011. “I brought her to Bridalveil Fall as it’s one of our favorites,” Tom says. “We hiked up to the base of the waterfall and by the time we got to the top, we were getting pelted with both snow and water. No one else had bothered to head to the base, so it felt like we were the only two people in the world. I then got down on one knee and asked her to be my wife.”

Though the couple originally intended to plan the wedding all themselves, they soon realized the extent of the process and hired wedding planner Kendra Pfeiffer from Pfeiffer Event Planning to help. “While decisions were required, we never had to worry about bad vendors, difficult research and impossible-to-find décor items. Kendra was all over it,” shares the bride.

Once the big day arrived, guests gathered in a beautiful outdoor garden for the ceremony. The couple opted to write their own vows and keep them secret from each other until the ceremony. “I have to say, there isn’t a larger confidence booster than having your better half go on and on about how amazing you are and how lucky he is to have you,” Amber beams. “Let’s just say that my confidence was so high at that point that I could look down at the moon and the stars.”

The day transitioned to the reception at the Grand Island Mansion. “It was such a beautiful room that we didn’t have to decorate the walls at all,” Tom says. “The personality of the mansion itself spoke volumes.” The pair especially loved greeting each table and guests, thanking them for attending. “It was our way of really immersing ourselves in celebration and getting the opportunity to really visit with the people that matter to us most,” Amber says.

One of their most memorable moments was one that they couldn’t prepare for: the first dance. Though they had taken a dance class and learned a fancy move or two, Amber’s dress proved too big to allow for such slick maneuvers. “We settled for a simple embrace and swaying,” she says. “Our guests never knew the difference and we were a tad relieved at not having to remember left, right, turn, dip, etc. Regardless of its simplicity, it was a moment that was truly ours alone and it allowed us to share our thoughts in private.”