First Dance Song
“The Day That The Dance Is Over” by Darren Criss
Father/Daughter Dance Song
“Wildflowers” by Tom Petty
Mother/Son Dance Song
“I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
Cake Cutting Song
“You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates
Bouquet Toss Song
“First Date” by Blink 182
Special Song
“Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger
Any vendor(s) you'd like to rave about?
Matt’s aunt Sophie did an incredible job officiating our ceremony. She spent countless hours interviewing us, helping us plan and just making sure that this aspect of our day came across as “uniquely us.” Having her up there marrying us was definitely one of the sweetest and most special things about the ceremony.
I could rave all day about our DJ KC. He has the ability to read the room and find the perfect track for every situation. As an emcee, he made our entire reception and ceremony smooth like butter. He’s a great communicator and an absolute pleasure to work with.
Diedre also did an incredible job with the flowers. We gave her a general idea of what we were looking for, and she went above and beyond to deliver the most gorgeous arrangements.
Finally, Emma was the best person we could have asked for to capture our special day. From staging large group shots to snapping the perfect candid shots, Emma knew exactly how to make sure not a single moment was missed.
Shana at Three Forks Bakery was also fantastic and people still rave about the berry brown butter cake that we had for dessert!
What was the best part of your day?
The best part of the day for Matt was standing in front of the arch watching me walk down the aisle and standing face to face with her. It sounds cliche but it truly felt like we were the only two people in the world for a moment.
For me, it was the first look. After spending the night and day leading up to their wedding alone, seeing Matt and having a private little moment of connection really helped all of my jitters just melt away. Finally seeing Matt all spiffed up in his suit and just being able to breathe it all in with him while looking out at Donner lake on the pier was exactly what I needed before getting up and saying “I do” in front of the crowd. Emma being able to capture all of those emotions on camera was the cherry on top.
Runner up favorite part: Being reunited with loved ones that had traveled from near and far to be with us, especially after not having many safe opportunities to spend time throughout the pandemic.
What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
That’s easy! The signature drinks that we named after our two cats. We has the “Cosmo-jito” for Cosmo and “Dirty Ferdie” for Ferdinand. T’was glorious.
We also loved our moon arch, glass pumpkins and vintage book centerpieces. We definitely wanted to bring in some fall, Halloween-y vibes to our decor as a nod to our dating anniversary, which is October 31.
Finally, the custom M&M’s were a nice touch, especially because everyone calls us M&M.
Advice from the Couple
Main takeaway: Many people are going to be giving you a lot of input and advice. The most important person to listen to and take into account in all the decisions you are making is the person you will be standing across from on your wedding day.
Deeper reflection: Even though it can be a crazy time filled with lots of stress, take time to appreciate the little moments and all the people helping bring your special day to life. For our wedding, it took a village, and we are so, so thankful to our families, wedding party, friends, and vendors for helping us feel so incredibly loved and supported. We simply couldn’t have done it without them.