“Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down. Now I’d like to take a minute so sit right there, I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bellaire.”

It was Love at first “sound” for Katie when she heard that ring tone go off in one of her college classes.  It belonged to non other than Mike or “Ring Tone Boy” as he was known by all her friends and family.  She knew Ring Tone Boy must have been put on this earth just for her.  How could he not be?  He had the BEST ring tone ever and she was attracted to him!  She began to strategically place herself in his presence whenever possible… eventually he saw her and it was love at first “sight” for him!  I love that story more than anything because when I met Matt in Australia it was “love” at first sight when he told me his favorite movie was Dumb and Dumber.

Katie and Mike are the same in all the important ways.  Same personality, same values and beliefs, same sense of humor and most importantly both loved and admired by everyone who meets them.  It was so incredibly special for me to shoot this wedding.  I spent nearly every day at her house to play with her older sister, Amber.  We were all like a bunch of Huck Finns growing up.  Swimming in the creek that ran through their backyard, picking berries, playing backyard volleyball, endless Monopoly, and of course lots of good eating thanks to the amazing cook that her mom is!  Thanks Gail!  I still laugh when I think about all the cheese squares I snuck out of their refrigerator for my walk home.  A lot of my fondest childhood memories took place at the Wade house and for that I am forever grateful.

Katie and Mike decided that the most important thing for them was to invite everyone who was near and dear to them to their wedding.  Therefore, they knew in order to pull off a 340 person wedding they were going to need to get creative and do the wedding 100% DIY.  Who would have guessed that Katie could pull of the wedding of her dreams for  $15,000 by doing EVERYTHING themselves.  There isn’t a detail in this wedding that wasn’t handmade, purchased at little cost, donated or borrowed.  You could just feel the love that was put into every detail.  They had it at The Grove in Sanger, Ca. which was the perfect outdoor venue with rustic barns, a water trough, and a dance floor under the stars making Katie’s vision of a country wedding even more possible.  The floral bridesmaids dresses were custom made for $75 and the flowers were all from Trader Joes.  Katie’s dad cut the wood for the table center pieces which Katie added a lace doily and mason jar bouquet to…and viola!!   They had friends help out with everything from wedding coordinating, ceremony music, and videography. Big thanks to my brother Joel slash impromptu second shooter who got some awesome shots as well!  It was so incredibly awesome to have my parents and husband there as well to cheer me on in the 112 degree weather that day in Sanger.

I just know that God put these two on earth to be together and it was such an honor to witness their special ceremony…done by Mike’s dad, I must add!

LOVE this first look!  Mike leading them in prayer on either side of the barn before seeing each other!

I absolutely Loved this huge wooden cross overlooking the ceremony!

Two of the groomsman sang and played during the communion

A poem Mike wrote to Katie while they were dating and the same poem he read to her right before he got down on one knee to propose to her.

Mike pulled a few tricks out of Katie’s dress with his googly eye glasses!  Such an awesome surprise!

Love these shots my stand in 2nd shooter slash brother got!  When there is a couch, beer, and a willing groom, magic happens!

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