A few weeks ago we featured the wedding of a couple who is part of the Bayside family! Katie, one of our contributing writer's shared a bit about her journey. The story began when Katie met her husband online. Within a month of meeting him, she knew they would get married! Two and a half years later when traveling to the UK for a wedding, Jake suggested that they climb Arthur's Seat (a large hill) for a better view of Edinburgh. At the top he popped the question to an incredibly shocked Katie! This past September Katie & Jake were married at Historic London Town and Gardens! We were dying to ask her a few questions about the journey to the altar...

What was your favorite part of the wedding experience?

My husband was very involved in planning our wedding, which was a surprise. There were times when I wished he just wanted to know when to show up, but it was actually great practice for marriage! We made every decision together, and it was such a bonding experience to be able to high-five one another every time we checked something off our list. I loved spending time with him and creating this celebration together.

What stressors did you face & what advice would you give brides dealing with the same thing?

My biggest stressor was trying to manage disasters that were out of my control. Two-thirds of our wedding favors were ruined three days before the wedding. I thought the wedding was doomed, which is silly in hindsight. In the end, my maid of honor and her boyfriend were able to find a quick solution and our guests didn't even notice. Just remember that all that truly matters is that at the end of it all you are legally wed to the person that you love, and that these mishaps will make for great stories once the dust has settled.

How did you settle on a theme made you change themes?

Our venue is the reason we decided to have a bayside theme. We were married overlooking the South River while boats sailed by behind us. It just made sense to us to use the location for inspiration. I chose navy, emerald green, and white as our color palette because I thought it worked well with the nautical theme as well the natural beauty of our venue.

Anna Reynal Photography

We used maritime signal flags in lieu of table numbers, and our tablescapes included lanterns, striped runners, monkey fist knots, and driftwood. Our guests signed oars rather than a guestbook and we used mini sailboats as cake toppers.

What other music & reading did you incorporate?

It was important to us to write a wedding ceremony that was true to us as a couple so we wrote the entire script together. We did not want to use traditional music, so Jake and the parents walked in to "The Man in Me" by Bob Dylan, my bridesmaids danced down the aisle to "Somebody Loves You" by Betty Who, and I walked down the aisle to "How Long Will I Love You" originally by The Waterboys (from Edinburgh!), but covered by Ellie Goulding. Our readings were also deeply personal. I included Billy Crystal's monologue from the end of "When Harry Met Sally", Jake chose a sonnet from Pablo Neruda, and we decided together on a beautifully honest piece on marriage from C.S. Lewis. Every detail had meaning to us, and I think that made the day unique.

How did you include your families?

Weddings are about the blending of two families, so it was important for us to include our families as much as possible. We wanted to be married by someone who knew us, so my cousin married us. My husband's brother brewed "Witness", our wedding beer, and his sister designed our logo and invitations. My brother built our custom cornhole set. We also displayed family wedding photos on the cocktail tables at the reception to celebrate our loved ones.

Did you stick to a budget or bend for things you really wanted?

Anna Reynal Photography

Sticking to the budget was important to my husband while I would try to bend the budget. We finally agreed on our top three splurges-photography, food, and venue-and then we tried to be as cost-effective as possible on everything else to stay within the budget. Jake had to remind me of this agreement many times throughout the process!

From the nautical decor to their sentimental details, Katie and Jake surely created beautiful memories for everyone involved in their bayside wedding! The only thing Katie would change, hiring a wedding coordinator!

Ashley Stephenson & Katie Tanenbaum are Bayside Bride contributing writers that are passionate about living lives full of joy, beautiful weddings, & sharing that wedding-joy!