The Couple
Kristine, a Utah native, and Austin, from Florida, met on the dating app Hinge despite their initial reluctance to use it. “Once we came across each other’s profiles,” Kristine recalls, “we immediately connected.” Austin is a Cloud Services Account Manager at Google, while Kristine is a Manager at Insight Global, where she oversees a team of Construction Project Managers. They have now been together for almost five years!
The Proposal
Knowing that Kristine loves surprises and romantic grand gestures, Austin took her to Hilton Head for Memorial Day weekend. After a romantic dinner the couple decided to walk around the harbor and marina. They stopped to enjoy view of the lighthouse at the edge of the harbor where Austin told her she was his lighthouse and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He got down on one knee and popped the question. With so much excitement running through Kristine’s veins she forget to even answer the question at first and just ran to kiss him. However, the yes was said, tears were cried and smiles were beaming. “It was the most special moment” says Kristine.
The Wedding
Both Kristine and Austin wanted the mountains to be front and center in their wedding which is why they chose Utah. After selecting Willow Creek Country Club as their venue, Covid-19 forced them to rethink their plans. The couple decided to cancel the venue and get married one month before the original date in Kristine’s parent’s backyard. With only 30 guests, the ceremony turned out better than they could have imagined.
The wedding was a full weekend experience for their guests who traveled to attend. Kristine and Austin wanted the vibe to be an intimate dinner party followed by a fun dance party, and that’s exactly what they got. They opted for a color palette that mimicked the surrounding nature, choosing whites, greens, and a touch of blue.
Their dear friend Justus Wood was their officiant and the ceremony was one of Kristine’s favorite moments. They had a unique element of passing the rings around for each guest to hold while they prayed over them and their relationship. Their (then) 6-month-old puppy, Dune, even walked down the aisle.
The couple wrote their own vows and exchanged them in front of their guests. With only 35 people in attendance, Kristine and Austin’s backyard wedding was intimate, personal and unforgettable.
The Party
The wedding reception was not your typical dance party, as the couple opted for a silent disco experience. Guests were given headphones that were connected to DJ Russ Powell’s sound system, which kept everyone on the dance floor all night long. The signature drinks of the evening were Tini’s Martini (reflecting the bride’s nickname, “Tini”) and Austin’s was a classic Old Fashioned. The couple had their first dance to “Amazed,” and then surprised each other and their guests with two additional dance performances.
Kristine choreographed a dance with her bridesmaids to “Ain’t No Other Man” by Christina Aguilera and “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce. “It was so fun to see Austin’s reaction to the outfit change and the bold dance moves. Our guests really enjoyed it too!”
The groom and his groomsmen also had a number up their sleeves when they serenaded the bride one by one and then had a group dance to a surprise song. The evening ended with the bride and groom’s private ‘last dance’ to “Beautiful Crazy” by Luke Combs as the guests prepared the sparklers for their exit.
The Honeymoon
Austin surprised Kristine with their honeymoon plans since she was burnt out from planning three weddings. They had originally planned to go to Europe, but due to Covid restrictions they instead went to California for a mini-moon. They stayed at Terrenea Resort, Hotel Coranado resort on Coronado Island, and toured Temecula. They later went to Italy and Greece for their 1 year anniversary.
Utah Wedding Vendors
Wedding Planner – Wedding Expectations, weddingexpectations.com
Venue – Parent’s backyard
Photographer – Nicole Aston, nicoleaston.com
Florist – Mayflower, mayflowersutah.com
Caterer – The Blended Table, theblendedtable.com
Rehearsal Dinner Venue and Caterer – Vrbo house rental in Park City, vrbo.com, Café Rio, caferio.com
Bride’s Attire – Made With Love Bridal, madewithlovebridal.com
Groom’s Attire – Custom suit from Joseph A. Bank, josbank.com
Signage – Handmade
Rentals – Alpine Rental, alpineevent.co
Hair & Makeup – Hair – Meghan Puertas, @meghan.kristine, Makeup – Morgan Fay, morganfaymua.com
Bridesmaid Gowns- Petal and Pup, petalandpup.com
Groomsmen Suits – Joseph A. Bank, josbank.com
Videographer – Natasha Mack, filmsbynat.com
Cake – doughnuts from
DJ/Band – Powell Weddings Events, Russ Powell, powellweddingsevents.com
Transportation – Party Bus Utah, @partybusutah1
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