Katie Kessinger and Nicki Woodard are two brides who will say their vows in the last month of 2009. Each bride managed to plan her big day in about six months- but why did they choose December? Were they hoping for a Winter Wonderland Wedding? Are red and green their choice theme colors? Actually, when Katie and Nicki were younger, they imagined their weddings in any season except winter! I sat down with them to talk about their December ceremonies. It wasn’t difficult getting them to chat- what bride doesn’t want to talk about her big day? Read on for the scoop- the girls advice for those of you planning to tie the knot in December 2010.
Kristin: When did you get engaged?
Nicki: May 9th, 2009 in Emporia, KS. (It was sweeter than it sounds!)
Katie: One day before our four year anniversary, May 8, 2009.
Kristin: How did you decide on the date of your wedding? Had you always wanted a winter wedding?
Nicki: Actually winter was the last time of year I wanted to be married. The church I was dead set on getting married in was going to be closed for maintenance from January 2010 – June 2010 and I knew I didn’t want to wait that long. And planning a winter wedding, while a bit challenging because I had only been to 1 winter wedding before, has been really fun!
Katie: I couldn’t wait to get married! The thought of waiting longer wasn’t something I wanted to do. So with a “yes” from my dad, I began my search for venues, availability and a dress! I tried about ten dates and between the church, reception hall and our priest, we landed on Dec. 5, 2009! I really struggled with the thought of a winter wedding since I hate the cold weather but I realized the date doesn’t matter one bit, just me and my man getting married.
Kristin: Did you worry that people might not be able to attend because it’s such a busy time of year?
Nicki: Yes I did, and in some cases that has happened. I have some family from out of town, so it was hard for them to come home Thanksgiving, the wedding, and then Christmas. For the most part though, everyone has been willing to make the extra trip!
Katie: I did! My first fear was that a Wichita blizzard will come through on my wedding day and no one will be able to get out of their driveways! I also thought since it was the weekend after Thanksgiving all our out of towners wouldn’t feel like making another drive. After all my negative thinking, we have received more and more RSVPs than we thought we would- it truly is evident that we have the best families and friends two people could ask for!
Kristin: Which venues around town did you look at?
Nicki: I actually only looked at 1. I’m from St. Mark’s and I have always wanted to be married at that church. Thankfully, they built a beautiful new reception hall right next to the church so it works out perfect.
Katie: Well, I was quite limited because I had a guest list well over 400- we ne
eded a space that could fit everyone. I had to juggle finding somewhere within my budget and large enough to accommodate.
Kristin: Did you have difficulty booking on such short notice? Did the holidays affect your venue planning?
Nicki: Not at all.
Katie: Not really; it is apparently wedding off-season so I was even able to get some discounts on some of my vendors!
Kristin: Which venue(s) did you decide on?
Nicki: St. Mark’s! Everything worked out just the way I planned.
Katie: Church of the Magdalen and The Indian Center for the reception. Hopefully 400 plus guests will fit!
Kristin: What are your colors? Why? Why not red, green and gold?
Nicki: Well the last thing I wanted to do was have Christmas colors. I didn’t want my wedding to get lost in the hype of Christmas and wanted it to stand out. I ended up choosing a deep purple as my main color, and a light green and ivory as my accent colors. I do have a little gold and silver throughout as well.
Katie: My colors are deep chocolates with golds, deep reds and burnt orange. NO PEOTONIAS OR RED AND GREEN COMBO! I know I am a “bah humbug” but I love warm colors and Christmas colors (no matter how many times my mother tried to convince me) were never in my plans!
Kristin: Are you incorporating the holidays in your ceremony? How?
Nicki: I may have some Christmas lights in a few places, but that’s about it.
Katie: Not intentionally! There was a rumor that my parents were going to surprise us with a visit from Santa… I guess we’ll see what happens!
Kristin: What tips do you have for someone planning to get married in December, 2010?
Nicki: Don’t let the stress of the holidays and the wedding get to you. I think one of the things that helped me was that I made a list of everything I needed to get and do for the wedding and Christmas (separately) and was able to balance it well from there.
Katie: No matter what day, month, or year your wedding is, nothing in the world matters except marrying the man you love! You could plan for years or just a few months and the end result wouldn’t change. Even in my short time of planning, every single day seemed like the longest day! All the little things (like whether or not there will be enough candles or will my napkins come in on time) don’t matter! I have waited my whole life for him- I don’t want to wait one more day to officially become Mrs. Hund!
No matter what went into planning in the months before- it will all have been worth it on December 5th, when Katie Kessinger becomes Mrs. Steve Hund, and on December 12th, when Nicki becomes Mrs. Shane Seeley. Congrats ladies!
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