The day started at 8:30am at Katie's mom's house. The weather was gorgeous all week but of course it was raining pretty hard Friday morning. All the bridesmaids got hair done and Katie, her mom, her mother-in-law and I got makeup done by a local guy. He was a hoot and added to the light, fun atmosphere. I started to have a mini-panic attack right before we left for the venue at around 1:30pm because I'm dramatic like that, but Katie was positive, funny, and chill the entire day. She actually had to calm me down in the car ride over to the venue...that's how awesome she is.
Once we got to the venue, we got busy putting on our dresses and shoes. We helped Katie in to her dress and she literally took my breath away. So elegant and classic, just like herself. It ended up clearing up a bit by the time we took pictures at 3pm but it was still overcast and a little colder than usual. Apparently overcast is like the best weather for pictures so score! She took a few by herself while the rest of us looked on and I just could not get over how freakin' gorgeous she looked! She was stunning. After we got done with our pictures it was time to relax for about an hour before the ceremony. Katie originally didn't want to see her dad until it was time to walk down the aisle but she decided about half an hour before everything started that she wanted to see him and give him his gift. I brought him up to her and he was literally speechless. She gave him a handkerchief with a very nice embroidered poem that made us all tear up. He started crying too but instead of using the hanky, he put it back in the box. Katie started laughing and told him to use it because that's what it's for! So cute.
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| Right before becoming a Koppes! |
The ceremony was very personal and light; perfect for Katie and Steve. There was a funny moment when Steve was handed both rings and promptly dropped his on the cobblestone ground with a loud "ting!" Since I was right behind Katie, I could see a look of horror cross his face because he thought the ring would roll all the way down the aisle. He quickly recovered the rogue ring and the ceremony ended with cheers!
After the 30 minute ceremony we took some group photos and then the bridal party was released to enjoy the cocktail hour. I personally had a few drinks to tame my nerves for the maid of honor speech I was giving at the beginning of the reception. If you've never given a speech at a wedding before, it is really difficult to put in words how you feel about the couple. I've known Katie since freshman year of high school, we were college roommates all 4 years, and we've been in each other's lives for all of our best and worst moments. I didn't know exactly how to explain to the crowd just how happy I am for her and her new husband. But, I got through it without even having to look at my notes once! Boom! She and Steve both loved it and I had random people telling me how much they liked it, so I think it was a success!
The rest of the evening was spent dancing, laughing, and enjoying the company of great people. I got to see some old friends from OU that I haven't seen in awhile and it was great to have everyone together in the same place celebrating such a fantastic couple. She's such a special person to me and I am looking forward to watching her and Steve build a new life together. I'm also excited to spend more time with them since they've been busy with wedding stuff for a long time now! Let the good times roll!
