Jared and Kayla likely thought their wedding, in April, would be a beautiful spring event with buds on the trees and flowers starting to bloom. But mother nature had other plans, which didn’t disappoint, as their images are so dreamy they make us want to plan a winter wedding ourselves! The snowy April wedding at the Stanley in Lee’s Summit ended up being one of our favorite submissions of the season.
VENDOR TEAM
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sarah Dean Photography
VENUE: The Stanley Event Space
CATERING & CAKE: Hy-Vee
HAIR: Tamara Lancour
MAKEUP: Josephine/Radiate
DRESS: Gown Gallery
MENSWEAR: Men’s Warehouse
BRIDESMAID DRESSES: JJ’s House
FLOWERS: Emma Olmedo Floral
THE LOVE STORY
WEDDING DATE: April 8, 2018
HOW THEY MET: Jared and I met at a work party in early 2014; I was only 18 at the time, and he was 20. I had been recently transferred to a different company location, so I was the newbie in attendance and didn’t know anyone at the party. Somehow, I ended up talking to a group of people that included Jared. I didn’t think much of the interaction at the time, but he did, and asked me out a few months later. I immediately friend-zoned him and said no to a date. Over the next year-and-a-half, we developed a close friendship, even despite his countless attempts to ask me out. If Jared was one thing, he was persistent!
NEW PERSPECTIVE: During our friendship, it became clear that Jared would be an amazing partner. He’s compassionate, funny, selfless, polite, thoughtful, fun, thinks tomatoes are gross – all the qualities I was looking for in a lifelong relationship. Why not give him a shot?
FALLING IN LOVE: We made our relationship official on December 30th, 2015, almost two years after we met. Ever since that day, I’ve never looked back. During our 20 months of dating, I fell in love with someone I never thought I would end up with. I always thought I would end up with some hipster-like boyfriend who played the guitar and loves coffee, but instead I snagged a computer nerd who loves motorcycles, video games, and camping. I fell in love with Jared’s ability to put others first, his unwavering support for me, his sense of humor, and his smile.
THE SETUP: A shared hobby Jared and I have is escape rooms. We love solving the puzzles and riddles using the different clues and hints. We have done eight rooms together with different groups of friends and family. One summer night, my parents and little sisters were in town, which was an extremely rare occurrence. We all planned to do an escape room together since they had never been to one. The room was called “The Hero” at our favorite escape room business, Breakout KC. During the game, Jared stated that he had to leave the room for a couple minutes to use the restroom. I thought nothing of it; I was too busy decoding the puzzle. Little did I know, he was preparing for one of the most nerve-wracking moments of his life.
THE PROPOSAL: After successfully completing the escape room, we all gathered into the foyer for a picture. While we were getting set up, Jared quietly slipped away. He returned with a large sign reading “Kayla, will you be my Hero?” (the name of the escape room we just completed). After reading that, I immediately knew what was going on and my head fell into my palms as I started ugly crying. I was crying so hard I barely heard a word of what Jared was saying to me. I know its cliché to say the moment “was a blur” but it really was! I had not one single clue that August 13th, 2017, would be the first step in spending the rest of my life with Jared, and it was even more special that I got to share it with my parents and sisters.
PERSONAL PIECES: Jared and I love to travel. Together we have visited several places, including Italy, Germany, France, and Switzerland. We decided to have a “guest globe” in lieu of a traditional guestbook. I painted a globe white and gold and guests signed it at our wedding. Our guest globe is now proudly displayed in our home as a representation of our personalities and a reminder from our wedding day!
GROOM’S FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY: My favorite part of the wedding day was the ceremony. I don’t love being the center of attention (and let’s be honest, Kayla was the real star) but it was a surreal moment to be standing there surrounded by all of our friends and family about to marry the woman I love. The vows were especially memorable.
BRIDE’S FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY: After we sat down at the head table at the reception, I took a moment to scan the room from left to right. It was so special to see so many people we love in the same space, all gathered there to celebrate with us! Don’t get me wrong, I loved the ceremony because of how emotional it was, but the reception definitely stood out to me because it was so fun.
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