Katey and Chris got their family together at a vacation house in Gatlinburg, Tennessee to allow them to witness a very special moment in their lives. It was a very emotional day, but was filled with lots of happiness and love. So, join me in wishing one of the sweetest brides I’ve met a very big “CONGRATULATIONS” as you find out more about this awesome couple.
I had a lot of DIY projects, thanks to pinterest. I made pillows out of placemats, and mixed CDs that went our guests’ welcome bags. Door hangers and picture frames to let our guests know what room they would be staying in—which was a hit and everyone found the be very helpful. Also, all of our family and friends were more than happy to help, decorate the cabin, and cook food
—which just made the whole day run smoothly, and perfectly.
In the summer of 2008 I enrolled in an English course on Quantico Marine Base in Northern Virginia. For Chris, he was a year out from leaving the Marine Corps and starting a new life for himself… he didn’t know what that would be, but he did know it would definitely be a change in pace from the military life he was currently living. There was no way I could miss Chris in class, I would sit close to the back of the room, but I could not miss his adorable baby face turned around and staring back at me from two rows up. A few weeks into the semester everything changed, starting with my appendix. On June 7, 2008 my appendix was removed from my body… it’s okay, I wasn’t helping me anyway. The best part, I had an excuse to get out of class. However, when I came back all doped up from the drugs I was provided for my pain, I found, to my hazy surprise my entire class standing outside our classroom. But on this day, a Tuesday, I was staring Chris. He was wearing a brand new t-shirt and it caught my eye, and he just got back from an adventure. Bonnaroo. Thanks to the drugs, thanks to his t-shirt and thanks to Northern Virginia traffic for having a hand in making our teacher late this day, because this would be the first time we ever talked.
And then, of course, I facebook stalked him… it was too easy with his last name being Gunlefinger.
Our first date, he took me go see Wall-E, best first date movie. Ever. Which is why we had Wall-e & Eve on our cake table.
Katey and Chris decided to have a first look session before their ceremony. I love all of the beautiful emotion!! What was your favorite thing about your wedding day? Our first look! It was so sweet, we couldn’t stop crying and the day was beautiful. I’m so glad we did it because we were able to take pictures and our guests could just enjoy themselves.
Also, we could enjoy the cocktail hour and not miss any part of our wedding.
When did you first realize you were meant to be together? We did long-distance for a year while he was living in NoVa and I was living in Martin, TN going to school. He decided when he got out of the Marine’s he would move Martin, attend school and be with me. No matter what it was, we’ve always managed to work out.
I think Katey looks SO gorgeous in this one…
What’s your favorite thing to do together? Bonnaroo is a very special place for us. We’ve gone 4 years together, and have loved it more every time we go. It was really sweet when the officiant said during the ceremony,
“and in the spirit of Bonnaroo, you may kiss the bride.”
We wanted our big day to be a very special day for our families. Since his family lives in Philadelphia and mine is scattered all over the US, this was the first time they got to meet. It was a total success. We kept the number of people we invited down, which allowed it to be intimate for family and friends. Additionally, the wedding I always dreamed of would be on mountain top, in the fall. The weather was perfect on our wedding day, which was definitely something I was worried about,
but the 60 degree, clear weather was also totally perfect.
It seemed like everyone wanted to toast the happy couple–which brought rivers of tears. 🙂
The food by First Fruits Catering was delicious!!
Funny story about the cakes… These amazing cakes were made and delivered by Cakes by Bakin’ Bishop. Their car stalled on the way up the mountain to the wedding/reception site so they each carried a cake all the rest of the way up to the site.
Amazing dedication!
Congratulations to this sweet couple!
Florist: The Atrium
Cake: Cakes by Bakin’ Bishop
Caterer: First Fruits Catering
Photographer: Knoxville Wedding Photographer — Star Noir Studio
