A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of photographing Kassie & Kevin’s wedding day, and it was so special! I’m already an emotional person, but I was not the only one to blink back tears throughout the day—from the moment Kevin laid eyes on his bride as she walked down the aisle, to the sincerity of their dances and toasts. It was beautiful to witness the love that these two share for each other and for their loved ones—not one moment was taken for granted, as the couple made every effort to be entirely present with each other and their family all day long.

Kassie and Kevin met 5.5 years ago, at the restaurant Kassie used to work at in Bend, Oregon. “I was working the day shift at the restaurant and it was extremely slow.

I hadn’t had one costumer yet, until these two (pretty good looking) guys walked in,” Kassie recalled. “They bellied up to the bar and as any good bartenders would do, I offered them a cold beer.” Kassie knew she had seen Kevin in the restaurant before, so she only asked to see his friend’s ID. As she grabbed their beers, they tried to convince her to check Kevin’s ID as well. “As I handed it back, the guys started to laugh. I had missed that it was Kevin’s 24th birthday when I glimpsed at his ID,” she said. “All they wanted was Kevin to get a free beer!”

The three had a good laugh, and Kassie spent most of her shift talking with them. “Conversations flowed smoothly, and it was like we had been friends forever,” Kassie said. So at the end of her shift, she decided to give the guys her number. Her birthday was coming up in three days, and she figured it would be fun if they could come out for a beer and chat a little more. “If nothing else, I had hopefully made a few new friends since I was pretty new to Bend,” she said.

Three days later, she got a text from Kevin asking what the plans were for her birthday. “I gave him the details and was pretty excited I had heard from him!” she said. “My friends and I went out at Cascade Lakes Brewery for dinner. After dinner, we went upstairs and played pool, and the three guys I had met a few days earlier actually showed up!”

Kassie and Kevin have been inseparable ever since. A few years later, on December 13, 2017, Kevin asked Kassie to marry him while watching the sunset on the ranch they live on. “I dreamed of the day I could marry this good looking man, and here we are!” she said. “I cannot wait to be his wife and continue to learn more about him each day of our lives.”

And last Saturday, this long anticipated day had finally arrived. Kassie and Kevin were married in a beautiful ceremony at Saint Philip Catholic Church in Salem. Afterwards, they celebrated their marriage at a stunning winery owned by Kassie’s relatives. There were so many unique touches that made their day special, from the custom wooden signs, to the lawn games laid out for guests to enjoy at the reception. It was clear that a lot of thought and intentionality were put into designing their special day.

But there was one moment that struck me as particularly special. Kevin’s mom passed away when he was in middle school, so Kassandra never had a chance to meet her. But before their big day, Kevin’s aunt  found his mother’s wedding dress in a chest in their storage–nobody had seen it in years!  So before getting into her own dress on the morning of their wedding day, Kassie decided to surprise Kevin with a few photos of herself wearing his mother’s dress. Naturally, the dress fit her like a glove, and she looked absolutely stunning. “Putting that dress on, made me close to her and allowed Kevin a time to reflect on his mom. It was truly a special moment we will have forever in our hearts,” Kassie recalled. Though Kevin didn’t get to see her in the dress at the time (they would have their first look at the alter), the couple was able to share a few minutes holding hands from opposite sides of a doorway. It was a beautiful moment to witness, and such a special way to start their day. “Knowing his mom wouldn’t be there physically, we knew she was their spiritually,” Kassie said. And I couldn’t agree more. I couldn’t have been more honored to capture this moment for them.

Kassie and Kevin’s wedding day was a blast, and we are so thankful that they trusted us with their special day. When we met them for their engagement session last spring, we knew their wedding day would be beautiful. And it truly was! We wish them nothing less than lifetime of happiness together. Congratulations, you two!!