Some wedding days just flow, and Katy and Thomas’s was one of them. They got married on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, which meant everyone had Monday to travel home, recover, and nurse the celebration a little. Genuinely, my Sunday weddings are always the most relaxed ones, and this was no exception.

It had rained the day before, so everything felt fresh and clean and green, and the temperature was just right. Not too hot, not a cloud of stress in sight. The perfect canvas for a spring wedding.

How Katy found The Elm Estate (and me)

I have to tell you how these two ended up here, because it’s the best. Katy always pictured getting married in front of a big white building. Her words: maybe it’s the old catholic-school-girl in her. She had a vision of spring, pastel happy flowers, and a white building, so she literally googled “big white buildings for weddings” and up popped The Elm Estate, right here in Reno. She fell instantly in love, brought Thomas to see it, and this man of few words looked at her and said “let’s do it.” Sold. She never looked anywhere else.

And me? Katy and Thomas came to me through Sydney and Ian, a previous wedding client & adored couple of mine. Katy actually told me that at Sydney and Ian’s wedding, she watched Sydney forget her bouquet on the walk back down the aisle, and watched me rally everyone to run the exit back (with the flowers this time). She said that moment showed her that even when things don’t go perfectly, I know how to roll with it and make it fun. Full circle, and truly the best compliment I could get. I love that a moment like that is what led these two to me.

See Sydney & Ian’s wedding: Dream Wedding at Lakeside Beach x Basecamp Tahoe

All the dog details

Okay, we need to talk about the dogs. Moose and Ember (their whole entire world) couldn’t be at The Elm Estate in person, so Katy and Thomas found every possible way to include them anyway, and it was the sweetest thing. Cocktail napkins with the pups’ faces saying “cheers.” Signature drinks named after each dog. Thomas’s cufflinks, laser-engraved with their faces. And my personal favorite: Big Head cutouts of the dogs out on the dance floor. If you can’t bring the dogs, THIS is how you do it.

(Side note: since the pups couldn’t come to the wedding, their engagement session was extra special. See Moose and Ember steal the whole show here.)

A prank first look, then the real one

Katy is a legend, so before her real first look with Thomas, she staged a fake one to ease his nerves. She had their friend Doug put on a white dress, walk up, and tap Thomas on the shoulder. The look on his face? Unmatched. It broke the tension immediately and set the tone for the whole day.

Then came the real first look, and it got me. Katy and Thomas shared private vows right there, just the two of them. Thomas cried. Katy got teary. It was so tender and so heartfelt, and doing their vows privately meant they could actually be present in it without an audience.

Katy also did a first look with her dad, which was its own little pocket of emotion. And because we did first looks, we knocked out all the wedding party photos ahead of time, which meant the two of them actually got some downtime before the ceremony while I grabbed all the gorgeous details.

The florals, though

I have to gush for a second, because the florals at this wedding were unreal. The arch on the door was all peachy pinks, and then the baskets at the bottom of the stairs were blues. Then the perfect blend of them throughout the rest of the venue. Exactly the pastel, happy, southern-coastal spring palette Katy had dreamed up. Absolutely stunning. Some of my favorite florals I’ve had the pleasure of photographing.

A short and sweet ceremony

Their ceremony was SHORT, like six minutes short. Partly because they’d already shared their vows privately, and partly because neither of them wanted to be the center of attention for a long stretch. And you know what? It was perfect for them. A wedding doesn’t have to look one specific way. It should look like you.

Everything ran right on time, Thomas was game for every photo (even though they aren’t his favorite thing in the world), and they made it to cocktail hour with time to spare. A total win in my book.

Forever grateful I got to be part of this one, and forever obsessed with these two (and their dogs).

Dreaming of your own wedding at The Elm Estate?

If a big white building, pastel florals, and a relaxed, you-shaped day sound like the dream, let’s talk. The Elm Estate is a stunner, and I’d love to photograph your day here in Reno. Inquire and let’s make it happen.

The Elm Estate Wedding Vendor Dream Team:

Photography: Yours Truly
Venue: The Elm Estate
Dress: Studio Inspire Bridal
Hair: Beach Washed Bridal, Madison Cate
Make Up: Nikki Scheerer
DJ & MC: Epik Weddings
Florals: Arches Floral Design
Rings: Keyzar Jewelry
Catering: Roundabout
Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Suit: Men’s Wearhouse
Signage & Invites: Zola