Matthew and Kasey's Wedding in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

The story of our wedding

We started talking about our wedding before we were “officially” engaged because we knew we’d be leaving the area for our first post-graduate jobs and would have a tight timeline. We knew we wanted an off-season wedding - and in Wisconsin, that means indoors! - but went back and forth at first about whether to have a small & intimate ceremony or a big party. Ultimately, we chose the Hotel Retlaw so we would have space for my very large Irish family and his many out-of-town guests. We signed the paperwork before he ever got down on one knee! Dress shopping was the obviously next and most fun planning phase and I wasted no time scheduling my first fitting. Being as sweet as he is, Matthew didn’t want me going to a wedding dress fitting with no ring and surprised me with it the day before, while we were out with our dogs enjoying the spring sunshine by the lake. I don’t think I stopped smiling all weekend. Over the next 10 months I planned everything myself to save money, thinking I had thought of & planned for everything, and we were in the final weeks of our countdown when COVID really took off in the Midwest. We were so torn about how to handle it, but decided that postponing was the most responsible thing we could do for our loved ones and community. We moved our spring wedding to a fall one just before the rest of the country decided to do the same. Amazingly, our vendors were all available on the same date and everyone made switching so easy! My mom and sister took care of contacting all our guests and after some tears and some second-guessing, we moved forward. Unfortunately, the pandemic had only gotten worse by fall and was peaking in Wisconsin in November, so we ended up with a small wedding when it was all said & done anyway. I guess it's true what they say, you can plan every detail but when it comes down to the day, there are some things that are just out of your control. We let go of those things and focused on what we wanted: we wrote our own vows, added sweet sentimental touches, and tried to slow down and enjoy our day. We did things as safely as possible and our family showed up with some stellar masks to match their wedding attire! There are a few things that I wish could have been different, but the family and friends who were there for all the preparations, celebration, and cleanup were our closest and best and they truly made it a day to remember. It’s hard to pick a favorite moment, but one of them was actually after the music stopped and the lights came back up and we had to clean everything up ourselves after such a long day. Our family and wedding party and even a few guests jumped in and had it all taken care of in less than 15 minutes! THAT is how you know who your people are.