Their Love Story…
A little background on how we met, we both work at William Jessup University as coaches and in August 2016 we ended up sharing an office. We both are very passionate about our careers and so we became fast friends, spending lots of time discussing sports, recruiting, game plans, etc. We both started coming into the office pretty early so we could spend our mornings talking over black coffee. This went on for many months…until we went on our first unofficial date on March 1, 2017. It was Ash Wednesday, we were both raised Catholic, so we went to church to get our ashes but we slipped out right after and went to get dinner at Yardhouse. From then on we spent every night either talking on the phone or meeting for dinner and drinks. I went to Bolivia on a missions trip with my soccer team in May 2017 for two weeks and I told myself when I got back I was telling him now or never. And 4 days after I got home, we officially started dating (finally)!
What was the most important thing for you about finding the perfect dress?
Finding something that was flattering on my curvy body but also matched the rustic simplicity of our wedding. Originally, I didn’t think I wanted a snug fitting dress but the lace and lines of the dress was gorgeous and fit amazingly. I am so glad that I walked into Always Elegant Bridal with an open mind because it opened up so many possibilities!
What was the best personal moments of your wedding day?
My husband and I wrote and read our own vows in front of our 300 guests in an small, intimate barn while it poured on the tin roof. It was one of those moments where everything just felt perfect. I don’t think there was a dry eye (or head!) in the barn after the ceremony! Our original plan was to get married outside under a huge oak tree but God’s plan for the weather and our wedding made it that much more special.
Please share something that stood out on your wedding day?
We took a gamble when we decided on an early January wedding. We are both collegiate coaches (women’s soccer & baseball) so finding a Saturday that neither one of us had games, recruiting trips, or were traveling was difficult. When we chose January 5th we spent days looking at the weather, prepping for the worst and praying for the best. When the day finally arrived it absolutely POURED! I knew it was a definite possibility so we had umbrellas, lots of warm drinks, and a covered area for the ceremony and reception. What I didn’t anticipate was how intimate, romantic, and cozy it would make the wedding. I love that in our pictures my husband’s gray suit is spotted with rain and my hair looks a little damp. And that our bridesmaids and groomsmen all stood in the rain, laughing and celebrating, just so we could snap some group photos. It was the best wedding weather we could have asked for and our pictures turned out so unique!
What was your inspiration for your wedding day and dress?
The inspiration for our wedding and my dress was rustic and simple. I wanted a wedding that looked timeless and clean so we decorated with cream flowers, lots of greenery, and burgundy accents.
We wanted it to be a fun wedding where everyone enjoyed themselves fully so we enticed them with a ‘2nd dinner’ of hot dogs, sunflower seeds, & cracker jacks. We wanted a our ‘ball park dinner’ to be fun since my husband is a baseball coach and we spent many, many days out at the baseball diamond together. (He even proposed after an afternoon of playing catch in the park and sitting down at the baseball diamond to watch the sunset!).
Our dessert area was a main topic of conversation because we lined it with our parents, maternal grandparents, and paternal grandparents wedding photos. It was our way of paying homage to the 6 couples who showed us what love really looks like. We also had the coolest cake toppers I’ve ever seen (no bias, of course)! We took a baseball and soccer trophy, took off the tops & spray painted them matte gray. They were perfectly us.
Our finally inspiration was my husband’s late mother, Penny. We wanted to incorporate her memory as much as possible so we made flowers out of pennies for our centerpieces and to add to my bouquet. It was the most special inspiration for our wedding and looked beautiful.
Any advice to future brides?
I am generally a very anxious person who stresses about details and timelines but I chose to approach my wedding day with the attitude that whatever happens, at the end of the day, I’ll be married to the love of my life and that was all that really mattered to me. The more relaxed you are, the happier you’ll be and that’s really what the best day of your life is all about!
Florist – Tori Patocchi, Petaluma, CA
