Wedding | Kate & Adam

Kate & Adam are an awesome couple. There is no need to add flowery phrasing or get descriptive about it. They just are.

Their wedding day was a true reflection of this. Friends and family gathered in Madison from all over the country to be there with them as they became husband and wife. I had a hard time distinguishing between Kate's friends and Adam's friends, and even between who was friends and who was family. Every one there, most especially their wedding party, was so present in what was happening that day for their friends and had their hearts on their sleeves.







Kate & Adam did a first look and saw each other before the ceremony so we could get the bulk of their pictures out of the way. It is always a treat witness this and this time I got to hang out with Adam as he waited for Kate to arrive.




These two moments with Kate and her Dad as they watched the ceremony begin just took my breath away:



The ceremony was beautiful, held in the Olbrich Botanical Gardens (top notch staff there) on what was an amazingly beautiful day. One of my favorite parts was that Kate and Adam were sitting in front of her parents for a good portion, situated in such a way that Kate and her Mom could wordlessly communicate their emotions to each other at different moments. Watch for a good example of that in the slideshow.

Some highlights from the ceremony, which Kate and Adam constructed themselves:



(that's "Best Bridesmaid of the Year" nominee Anna wiping away a tear)




Adam had the most awesome ring (eclipsed only by the one he designed for Kate - check the slideshow), it was made of distressed titanium (making it brown) and it was carved to look like wood. And it really did.


One of the coolest things about this day is that I don't think there was ever a moment in the planning process where Kate and Adam allowed themselves to create anything other than what they wanted to have. There were so many aspects of their day that were unique or just particularly suited to them and not the way you "usually" see things done. One of the best things they did was the Parade of Cakes. They borrowed the idea from some friends. A Croatian tradition, several family members and friends had baked a cake for the event and brought it along - then the wedding party each took one, and paraded around the restaurant with them to a rousing improvised song by the band. The place went totally nuts. It was just one of the neatest things I have ever seen. And the variety of cakes was astounding. The wedding party members served up their flavor to whomever wanted it.


Kate and Adam's first dance was a spectacularly self-choreographed number to "All you need is Love" by the Beatles (a couple after my own heart!). They had so much fun with it:



In the slideshow you'll see a few pictures from the toasts. This was another different approach - they held off on them until after dinner and everyone (and I do mean everyone) gave their undivided attention to some of the most spectacular toasts I have ever heard. Some were long, some involved music, but all were heartfelt, and no one minded listening and toasting.



And lastly, but certainly not least was the band. Kate and Adam flew them in from Arizona and they were beyond amazing. Sunday Afternoon is their name, and one of the guitarists is an old friend of Adam's. I have never seen a reception take to the music like I witnessed at this wedding. And I have certainly never seen a Bride and Groom enjoy their music to the core like Kate and Adam did. Being there just witnessing it felt like being at a really good concert by a band that you have just adored for years. This band is good, really good. I went home and bought two of their albums right away. I used their music (with their permission) for the slideshow, because it only seemed fitting. The song Adam chose is also the one (I believe) that Kate's cousin stepped in and lent his saxophone skills to. You can see how she felt about that in the second to last shot: