Notre Dame, Indiana, Wedding Photography | April 9, 2011
Although we had a class together in our fall semester of freshman year, we didn’t really meet until our bridesmaid Katy introduced us on Valentine’s Day of that year, when she invited Kevin to join the girls’ night that had been planned. Kevin and Colleen ended up spending most of the night talking, and just never stopped.
It was the weekend of the Notre Dame-Navy football game and the Notre Dame Glee Club reunion. After a long afternoon of Kevin rehearsing (and Colleen waiting) and dinner with friends, we went for a walk around campus. We passed the arches at Howard Hall, passed the grotto, and came to sit on a bench by the lake. Suspecting something was up, Colleen tried to give Kevin plenty of openings for any surprise questions, but Kevin wouldn’t bite. When they were finally ready to leave (and Colleen was feeling a bit disappointed), Kevin stopped Colleen, dropped to one knee, and popped the question!
Our flowers perfectly captured the garden theme that our wedding had. Colleen’s bouquet also included her something old–the lace wrapped around the stems was from her mother’s wedding dress.
We wanted photographs with a classic look that would stand the test of time, and photographers with whom we felt a connection. Katie Whitcomb Photographers delivered on both counts.
For Kevin, it was seeing Colleen come down the aisle. For Colleen, it was the strawberry milkshake they shared before the reception, when they finally got a few moments alone together.
Having met while freshmen at Notre Dame, and spent most of our courtship there, we couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else. Attending mass at the Basilica was a weekly ritual for us all through our college years. Our very first date was the Notre Dame Glee Club Formal that was held at the Beiger Mansion in 2004, so it seemed fitting to have our wedding reception at the same place, almost seven years to the day.
Getting married in South Bend in early April meant that we had no idea what the weather would be like–it could be snowing or beautiful (luckily, we had a warm, sunny day!). Although we didn’t know what the weather would be, we wanted to capture the feeling of a spring garden, with lots of flowers everywhere. There was a floral motif in all of the wedding decorations, from the invitations and programs to the table numbers. Our favors even incorporated the garden theme, as we gave everyone seed packets with a mix of Texas bluebonnet seeds and New England wildflower seeds (Kevin is from San Antonio, and Colleen is from Connecticut).
Having attended the Notre Dame Glee Club formal at the Beiger Mansion for four years, we already knew that the food there would be delicious. Colleen loves ice cream, so one of our special treats for the guests was an ice cream sundae bar where they could choose their own toppings.
Our cake topper was the same one that was on Colleen’s parents cake. Kevin’s single biggest regret from the wedding: he didn’t get to finish his piece of the cake!
Once your wedding day starts, there is nothing you can do to change anything. So just relax, and enjoy every moment of it! It truly was the most amazing day of both of our lives!
To view more images from their day go to: http://pictage.com/1012914
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