Catherine and Kyle
September 30, 2022
Ironically enough, Catherine and Kyle both call Mathews County, VA home, although that’s not where they met as Catherine is four years older than Kyle. During a summer rowing program, Kyle met Matt Thomas (groomsman), and the two became best friends. Catherine had also rowed with Matt in high school, and the two eventually met through this mutual connection.
Catherine swears Kyle was flirting with her while out at Top Golf with friends, while Kyle is adamant that it was in fact Catherine who slid into his Instagram DMs (direct messages). Regardless, the two hit it off and were crazy about each other from the start. This was evident by staying up until 3 AM the first night they started talking. Both knew this was something special and didn’t want the conversation to end.
After being very transparent about what they were looking for in a person, they made it official a month later. On their one-month anniversary, Kyle moved into Catherine’s apartment in the Fan due to the Coronavirus pandemic. They’ve been together ever since and now share a house in Church Hill with their two fur babies, Zane and Hudson!
Catherine was turning 30, and she was making a BIG freaking deal out of it. It was her #GoldenBirthday after all (aka when you turn the same age as the day you were born). Also, turning 30 is just a big deal in general!
Along with a few good friends, she planned a golden celebration in the private room at Wong Gonzalez in downtown Richmond. Surrounded by their siblings and close friends, Kyle got down on one knee with Sam Hunt’s “Sinning With You” (a special song to the couple) playing in the background. Catherine was so shocked, she didn’t even hear Kyle pop the question. She blurted out “You Gotta’ Say Something!” even though he most certainly already had. It was absolutely perfect.
The best part was being able to celebrate their engagement with all their siblings and friends. It made the night that much more special!
When searching for a wedding venue, it was important that it be central to the city they both love and call home. This is where Linden Row Inn came in. The 70-room boutique historic hotel with a garden courtyard in the heart of downtown Richmond was perfect for their intimate and romantic nuptials. Their colors were dusty rose and amethyst (the bride has always loved a pop of color!) complimented by hints of plum and burgundy giving a nod to their favorite season, fall. As with every wedding, not everything went as planned. The 15-20 mph winds and rains of Hurricane Ian graced their outdoor-only venue. Despite this, you could feel the love in the air as the couple was surrounded by 100 of their closest family and friends. One of the most memorable moments of the night was rocking out to “Rock you like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions on the dance floor. A few sharks even made an appearance! Although the couple did not start out with a wedding hashtag, by the end of the night #wedyoulikeahurricane was trending.
I think the fact that everyone had a blast in an outdoor courtyard mid-hurricane was a huge wow factor in and of itself. In addition to that, Kyle and I have always been the type to do things our way. We were most excited about the music throughout the night. From starting off our procession to a classical version of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” (a nod to the groom’s celebrity crush), to the groom and flower bro making everyone laugh by entering to KISS’s “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and coming out to our reception jumping to “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, we wanted the music to reflect us and our vibrant personalities. We even made a punk/rock cocktail hour playlist and exited at the end of the night to Disturbed’s “Down with the Sickness”! The music definitely helped set the vibe and we felt so energized and hyped by it all night long! Not to mention our DJ absolutely killed it on the dance floor.
Our favorite part was exchanging vows because they were real and from the heart. I had written mine months before and was excited to finally share them with Kyle in front of our closest friends and family. They also added that personal touch that we love seeing at weddings. There was not a dry eye in the room as I described how the only regret of our relationship was that we never meet each other’s grandfathers before they passed. Every time I watch our ceremony, I start crying as soon as we reach our vow exchange. That was my favorite sentimental part of the day, but the crowd surfing was fun too! Not sure many couples can say they’ve crowd surfed at their own wedding.
The biggest challenge was dealing with the inclement weather; I never thought it would rain on our wedding day, let alone a hurricane. It was insanely stressful and emotional in the days leading up to the wedding. Once I woke up on my wedding day though, I was so happy and excited that none of it mattered. Luckily, I waited so long to make a decision on the tent that Party Perfect upgraded us to the clear top tent for no additional charge. But if you had good friends and family around you (not to mention an open bar and great DJ!), your wedding will be perfect no matter the weather.
Right before our wedding, we received the best advice from a friend who had recently gotten married: “By the time it’s the Monday before your wedding, anything that pops up-it’s out of your control.” This turned out to be very true for us. I honestly think his advice helped provide a little bit of solace during the craziness that was our wedding week. You can do all the planning in the world, but there’s always something that’s going to pop up. The important thing is that you and your person are coming together to chart a new path together, and that’s beautiful.
