Real Weddings – Vow Renewal - Katherine and Wesley Read

At Dubsdread Catering we love being dedicated members of the team that makes your big day your best day. While we are masters at the planning and executing the behind-the-scenes work, we know our clients have their own unique perspective on their event. We thank recent clients Katherine and Wesley Read for graciously sharing their experience to benefit others.

Bride and Groom: Katherine and Wesley Read
Wedding Date: June 10, 2021
Venue: The Highland Manor
Event Coordinator: Bonny Bailey-Finck, Senior Wedding & Event Coordinator

VENDORS:
Photographer: Corner House https://cornerhousephotography.com/
Florist: In Bloom https://www.inbloomflorist.com/
DJ: Win Show Events https://winshowevents.com/
Dessert: Sweet by Holly https://sweetbyholly.com/

SEVEN MONTHS OUT

How/where did you get engaged? 
We absolutely knew we wanted to get married, but it was a matter of “when” for the engagement. We were visiting my husband’s family for Christmas, enjoying each other, having a blast with everyone, and just weren’t ready for the visit to end. We were gathered in the formal living room together and Wesley started sharing a story about his faith and love for Jesus Christ. He pulled the Baby Jesus from the nativity scene while he was speaking and that was where he hid the ring. He compared his love and commitment to me to the one he has for his savior and asked me to marry him. 

What are you most excited about for your wedding day?
We are excited to enjoy all of those traditional and special moments you get to share with family and those you love. We eloped a year prior to this wedding, but had always planned on having an event with our family and friends.

What aspect are you excited to plan the most? (ceremony, food & beverages, photographer, DJ)
I’m most excited to work on the decor and plan the menu by tasting the food and desserts.

FOUR MONTHS OUT

How do you feel the planning is going? 
So far, I feel that planning is going well. We have all of the big things done, so now it's all the nitty gritty things that we have to knock out. We want to make sure we have every last detail down and accounted for.

What have you found to be more difficult than you expected? 
The most difficult thing with planning has been COVID. We have an estimated guest count, but we also have a plan for the worst to happen. We want everyone to come and celebrate with us but with restrictions, borders closed, and many other obstacles it might not happen for a lot of people we want to share our day with.

What has been more fun about the process than you expected? 
The part of the process that has been more fun than I expected is the hair and makeup plan. My sister-in-law is doing it for me, and it has been fun playing with different colors and styles to see what we like best. Also, because we had a budget and a plan, seeing the totals we owe go down and having it paid before we get there is somehow thrilling to see.

WEDDING DAY

What was the best, most memorable part of your big day?
The most memorable part of our day was being able to just focus on each other. With our family and closest friends around us, all the love in the room allowed us to see each other clearly and how much we love each other. We actually had eloped a year prior, and it’s been a tough time with COVID, so we were thrilled to be able to celebrate all the obstacles we have overcome together through renewing our vows and showing our love in a large way was beautiful.

If you could change one or two things about your event, what would they be?
If I could change anything, I would be less stressed. I work as an event industry professional, and I already put a lot of pressure on myself for things to be perfect for clients, but it became even more overwhelming than I anticipated when it was my own event. Otherwise, the day itself was so much more than we ever could have imagined. Now that we have received our final pictures, you can just see that we are so in love with each other and that we everyone truly celebrated being together, our marriage, and our families.

Is there any advice you would give other couples planning their event that you wish someone had told you?
The guest count does not matter, the people do. Our original estimated guest count was 80 out of the 120 people invited. Our final count 14 days prior to the day was 50 guests. In the end, we had 32 guests able to be with us in-person. At first, I was frustrated with the time and expense put into hosting everyone, but once the day arrived, it was clear it was the people that attended that made the day so enjoyable. The dance floor was always full, and we were able to create memories with each guest that came. Also, there were far less thank you cards to write afterwards!

Photos courtesy of the bride and Corner House Photography.

When you book a wedding with Dubsdread Catering at one of our exclusive venues, we provide wedding coordination at no additional charge. Our coordinators become dedicated members of your team bringing experience and expertise to help you execute your vision. Contact them today via our Contact Us page to make our team your team in making your dreams come true.