Kate + Nick // An Intimate, At-Home, Handmade Alabama Wedding

Even though Kaitlin and Nick currently live in New York and will be moving to Denver in a couple of short weeks, it was important to them to have their wedding back in their hometown of Dothan, Alabama. In fact, they got married at the site of their very first “date,” Nick’s parents’ home. Kate told me about how, back when she was still living in Dothan, she was introduced to Nick by a mutual friend of theirs and was immediately drawn to him. (Her exact words: “Man o’ man, did I think Nick was handsome.” :)) So she did something way outside her comfort zone: she asked him to hang out. The first night he was back in town, she drove to his parents’ house to meet with him for the first time, and they’ve been together ever since. So really, it was only fitting that they exchanged vows and rings in the very same spot years later.

Every single thing about Kate and Nick’s wedding was just perfect. I know I’m prone to hyperbole, but in this case, it’s the absolute truth. Not only are these two incredibly stylish and good-looking, but they’re humble and sweet as they day is long. They pulled off the whole wedding on a modest budget, but you would never know from looking at all the beautiful and thoughtfully-crafted details. Kate designed their invitations, made most of the decor by hand (including the gorgeous blanket they stood on during the ceremony), and chose to buy an off-the-rack Aidan Mattox dress from Saks for a tiny fraction of the cost of a traditional wedding dress (and yes, I was obsessed with it, as if you even needed to ask). Nick’s mom, who is an avid gardener, arranged all the flowers, and they had a local cafe cater their Greek-style meal. Kate and Nick and their families also made all their signature desserts, from marscapone cheesecake to lavender macaroons to cakes and cupcakes galore. For someone who had only been to one other wedding in her life, which just so happened to be their friends’ wedding the day before, I have to say, I was super impressed with Kate’s handiwork.

One of my other favorite parts of the day was the intimate and relaxed feel of it all. They kept their guest list small, so that only their family and closest friends (and adorable pup Rupert) were present, and they just mingled and hung out with everyone before the ceremony began. There was no rushing around, very little (if any) stress about anything… like I said, it was perfect.

I better just go ahead and move on to the photos before I get too long-winded. Enjoy!

The “love” tattoo on Kate’s wrist was taken from a letter her grandfather wrote to her, so it’s actually his handwriting. So special.

Kate was so excited, she ran up and gave Nick a huge hug as soon as she got to the front. LOVED it.

What a view for a ceremony, right?!

Kate specifically requested a photo with these two girls. Their father had been a close friend of her family growing up, and he passed away tragically years ago. At his funeral, Kate promised him that she would look over his girls. I’m sure that having them at her wedding meant the world to her.

Kate and Nick, thank you so much for choosing me to document such an amazing time in your lives. I wish you guys the best of luck in your new adventure out west! :)