Full Disclaimer: Andy and Catherine are great friends of ours. This (slightly long…happy reading) blog post is near and dear to us and we’re so excited to share their Elder Hall wedding photos today.
When Andy and Catherine asked us to be their photographers and Lindsay to officiate, they had one caveat…don’t tell anyone. These two planned a surprise wedding for their immediate family and until the wedding date, we were literally the only other two people who knew about it. Having that kind of secret up our sleeves made for an even greater bond between the four of us, and we couldn’t wait to be a part of a truly special wedding day for them.
So let’s talk about how this lil’ surprise went down. Andy and Catherine are both nurse practitioners in our local health community. They are two of the most giving, selfless and kind hearted people we know. Not to mention…wicked smart. So to set the stage for the wedding, Andy told their families that he received an award for his work in the health care community and there would be a special award dinner held for him at Elder Hall. On December 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve. Which worked out well for getting everyone together since Christmas would soon follow.
On the day, as everyone was getting ready and dressed up for the event, Catherine got rushed to the “clinic” last minute. The “clinic” was actually our apartment where she got ready with us before we snuck into the Elder Hall early. Soon after, Andy and his family arrived and were outside waiting to be sat for the dinner, when Andy quickly snuck in to “check” on how soon things would be ready.
What happened next: Andy saw Catherine in her gorgeous gown for the first time. A few quick tears were shed before they got their game faces on, held up a big sign that said “Marry Christmas” and waited for the families to be escorted in by the restaurant staff. The surprise was unveiled, more tears were shed, hugs upon hugs were given, “SHUT UP!” or “I KNEW IT” was screamed a few times and lots of laughter and smiles spread across every face.
Lindsay officiated a heartfelt and humorous ceremony that spoke to the character and commitment of these two. More tears and laughter ensued, the two exchanged some seriously powerful vows (got us all like woah) and then….they were married! We ate a delicious Ned Ludd dinner, talked and talked about this crazy surprise, and danced and danced with a little help from our friends, Champagne and Wine. :) And I can’t forget to mention our late night visitor, Catherine and Andy’s chocolate lab Murphy, without whom no wedding day would have been complete.
We’re beyond honored to have participated in such a loving celebration of what it truly means to get married. No fuss, no drama, no stress (well maybe a little). Just family, food and a chance for two people to say, out loud, how much a person means to them. And that you can’t picture another day without them. That’s love. And to us, no matter how big or small…that’s a wedding.
Love you two, and CONGRATS!
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