Katy + Cole by Lindsey Ria Photography - Together Journal

We fell in love with the venue because it was beautiful and historic mixed with modern.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We are California natives but relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to establish our own roots after college. I am an attorney here and Cole is a software engineer. We have a golden retriever named Percy Ann and she takes up both of our hearts completely. We love cooking together, tasting all types of wine, having game nights with our friends, and, most of all, spending time with our families.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We both grew up in the small town of San Luis Obispo, California and went to the same school since 7th grade. We had a similar friend group, but we didn’t interact much until the end of high school because we both thought the other was not interested, it turns out we both were. We dated our last year of high school, which didn’t last long, but we reconnected a year later at Coachella and have been together since.

When did you first realize that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

During our first interaction after high school, it seemed like we were both on the same page and went into the relationship, kind of knowing that this was it for us. We had spent a year apart and I don’t think a day went by for both of us where we weren’t thinking of each other or wanting to reach out and catch up. Life is short and we wanted to be in each other’s lives.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

We didn’t have a vision for the details of the wedding, the colours, flowers, etc. We had a vision for the overall feeling, and that was casual, stress-free, and fun. We didn’t want a production, we wanted everyone, especially us, to just be at ease and be able to take in every moment with each other and our family and closest friends. For us, it made sense to choose a beautiful place to have the wedding, so the extra details and decisions didn’t need to be made, we wanted the setting and venue to set the theme. We fell in love with the venue because it was beautiful and historic mixed with modern. Also, it was a winery, so that just made sense for us.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

Truthfully, this type of event planning is not our forte. We tried to keep it as simple as possible for multiple reasons, one of them being for our own sanity. Hiring our wedding coordinator was a huge help, and keeping the details and decisions to a minimum was a priority for us. We tried to keep it to where are we going, when are we going, what are we eating, we need some good music, and who is going to memorialize this memory for us and our families.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

I have one dress in my wardrobe, so I am not a dress person. I tried on many classic wedding dresses, and none of them felt right. I originally thought I would walk down the aisle in a suit, but when I went dress shopping with my sisters and mom in Seattle, this ensemble was the perfect fit for me. It was simple, classic, and I felt like me wearing it.

What was one, or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

The setting of the wedding was our main priority. When reviewing the list of potential venues, ours was among the most expensive in the list but it satisfied every requirement we had for a venue. Even though it was stretching the budget, we knew it was the venue for us, and we couldn’t be happier with the choice we made.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

The groom’s brother and best man stepped on his own boutonniere while putting the groom’s boutonniere on him. It didn’t cause too much stress because, luckily, the florist was still there to make a new one for him to wear, but it provided some comedic relief for our wedding day.