Real Weddings Magazine - Issue #27-F20-DIGITAL - The Best Wedding Vendors in Sacramento, Tahoe and throughout Northern California are all here

eal weddings
ERIN &
KYLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
NATACHA JOLENE
PHOTOGRAPHY + FILM
Sometimes friendships are meant to be more, such
was the case for Erin and Kyle. The couple had known
each other for years, having met at the farm in Ohio
where they both worked. Though a little spark always
existed between them, the timing was never quite
right. For five years they stayed in touch, fostering a
great friendship, even though they lived hundreds of
miles apart. But when the stars finally aligned, that
spark turned into a flame of eternal love.
Kyle proposed to Erin on a quiet evening at home
with paths of rose petals guiding Erin to Kyle who
waited on one knee to ask her to be his wife. Over the
course of the next year and a half, the couple planned
their wedding with the help of their venue’s on-site
coordinator. With an unconventional love story, they
wanted their wedding to be as unique as them. Erin
says, “We wanted the country feel but with a little bit of
class. We had guests show up in nice jeans and cowboy
hats, and some show up in suits.”
To celebrate their histories and passions, they chose
an upscale country theme which melded beautifully
with their chosen location. Most importantly, though,
they wanted their wedding to feel as relaxed as a family
reunion, with many friends and family staying at their
venue in cabins the weekend of the event. Erin explains,
“We had people from all over the country attend our
wedding and stay at the ranch for the weekend. Dogs
included! It was three days of family and fun!”
One particularly unique influence in their stylistic
approach was the groom’s cultural heritage. “Kyle’s
family is Celtic, and it is something he is very proud
of,” Erin says, “so we tried to bring a touch of it into
the wedding.” From custom rings to a whiskey barrel
branded with the tree of life as a guest book, it was the
little things that meant the most. Additionally, Kyle and
Erin had a special guest in their wedding party. “My
white German shepherd, Bismark, is a huge part of my
life, and it was so important to me that he be involved
in my big day,” Erin says. “He stayed in my cabin with
me and laid right by my chair the entire time I got ready.
And then he was, of course, in our pictures. Flower
necklace and all!”
Erin says her and Kyle’s relationship has only grown
more stable since their wedding. Though the day to day
has not changed all that much, their bond is solidified in
a new way. Erin teases, “If anything, I guess it has brought
us closer together because now we are for sure stuck
with each other, for better or worse!” OO —Abigail Blank
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