Katie and Taylor - Wedding Dinner
Chris and I took the kids and Gill straight over to the Venue and started prepping for the big night. Gill started working on flowers and we got bouquets and bud vases on every table. Cafe Rio Catering dropped off food at 5:15 and my new friend Emily from the ward, and Emmett and his mom Cassie helped us put everything out and replenish things as they became empty. It was quite the task and they were SO good to help.
The venue ended up being such a great space — big enough for all of our guests with mini
Mr. and Mrs. Wood
Katie’s words: “The wedding dinner was actual heaven and the best night of our entire lives. Dad welcomed everyone, announced the wedding party and did Katie and Taylor trivia to decide who got to go get food first. It was so funny because everyone wanted food and was trying so hard. Two of the kids tables wrote the funniest (threatening) notes and ran them up to dad to beg to go next food. It was such a fun atmosphere to see and talk to everyone. The food was actually perfect and so tasty and the girls had brought swig for me. Grandpa Larry and Granny J made yummy cookies for the desert table. The fwends all sat together and they were so cute and I kept looking over at the girls esp. during speeches and video haha. After dinner, we did the shoe game led by Fischer and Carson. They did so good and were so funny and me and tay basically had all the exact same answers haha. Then we watched the love story video we did - made by Mike!! It was fun for everyone to be able to hear our story.
So grateful for all of our family and friends that came down to share in Katie and Taylor’s special day! Family and friends gathered at 6:00 and it was so fun to visit with everyone. We sat at the head table with Katie and Taylor and Dave and Nancy. Emily, Luke and Matt sat at the table behind us with Carson, Hannah and Fisher. From there were tables of bridesmaids and groomsmen, Johnson adults and Johnson cousins, Walton adults and Walton cousins, Nancy’s parents and friends, my mom with Jim and LeAnn and Jim and Susan and cousin Jill. Our friends the Cooks, Jacksons and Theurers sat together with Romney. Adam and Marilee with John and Caroline. Wish I had more time to talk with everyone. What a party!
Bridal Party Entry
Chris stood to welcome everyone but was interrupted with music and the super fun dancing entrance of the bridal party. What a blast. Chris announced each pair as they came in… Ryan and Cassie… Luke and Gill… Matt and Dallie… Joe and Abbey… Annie and Bryan … Natalie and Abrahm… Maggie and Josh… Hannah and Fischer… Emily and Carson… and then Katie and Taylor who ran to the front and high fived all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. It was something that Katie thought up that morning and got everyone on board. So much fun! They practiced once or twice before the dinner started to the song from the Office Wedding: Forever by Chris Brown. It was such a fun idea and everyone loved it.
Wedding Dinner
Ryan said the blessing on the food and then Chris asked questions to which tables could respond. Correct answers won the table the right to get in line for their dinner. I think everyone enjoyed the food.
Shoe Questions
Katie’s words: “After dinner, we did the shoe game led by Fischer and Carson. They did so good and were so funny and me and tay basically had all the exact same answers haha.”
Once everyone had their food, then Fischer and Carson started the SHOE GAME. It was such a cute activity. They did a great job hosting and coming up with fun questions. Some of the little girl cousins sat on the floor right in front of them and shouted ‘yay!!!’ anytime Katie and Taylor both raised Katie’s shoe — like she had won. It was pretty cute.
Love Story and Speeches
Love this picture of Katie and Taylor watching their Love Story video filmed and arranged by my brother, Mike. It was a fun way to hear their different viewpoints about how they met and fell in love. Mike threw in some video clips of them throughout their dating months and ended it with a mini video to the song BLACK and WHITE by Niall Horne - which turned out so cute.
Speeches
Emily went first and did such a great job talking about how she and Katie are the perfect sisters - and how actually Katie is the perfect sister. At the end of her speech she introduced a surprise guest speaker from New York. Sister Megan Johnson had sent in a little speech of her own and it was ADORABLE. Lots of tears to hear from Megan. We sure missed her. Next up was Carson, then Annie and Fischer and then Gill. So so fun to hear from all of them.
Before Dave got up for the Dad’s speeches to begin, Nancy surprised everyone by standing up, grabbing her guitar and standing in front of the microphone. Taylor and Katie were stunned. Nancy had called and told me about it several weeks earlier and was thinking she might record it and create a video but I’m SO glad she ended up singing it live. She started with a beautiful explanation of how her parents and my parents were both married on August 9th and that a song about that practically writes itself. She paid tribute to all of the grandparents and the legacy that they passed on to Katie and Taylor. Then she sang. A verse about David and Mary making a promise on the 9th of August. A verse about Larry and Ann making a promise on the 9th of August. And then a verse about Katie and Taylor. IT WAS AMAZING. She got choked up as she began to sing about Katie and Taylor which was so tender. Not a dry eye there. What a beautiful gift. When it was over Taylor ran up to give her a hug. So sweet. Definitely a highlight of the night.
Dave and Chris finished it up with speeches of their own. Such perfect words full of compliments, encouragement and advice. Katie and Taylor truly are so blessed to have such loving and supportive friends and family. Such a beautiful night.
The Send-Off
The Afterparty
