Wedding Wednesday | Kat Peek | A Baton Rouge Wedding
Kat and Philip got married this past June in Baton Rouge. They had an intimate ceremony at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church followed by a beautiful reception at the historic City Club of Baton Rouge. Collin Richie did an excellent job of capturing every detail of this special day!
The Proposal:
How did you meet?
We met in grad school through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program at the University of Notre Dame. Our first date was a walk around campus that ended up lasting over 3 hours!
The Proposal
Phil and I were both living in Denver, CO when we got engaged. We met up for mass on a Sunday morning just like we always did. I noticed that he was dressed pretty nicely, so I started to wonder…but then I dismissed the idea thinking that surely he hadn’t had time to ask my dad permission yet (SURPRISE…he had!!!). After mass had ended, Phillip got down on one knee while we were still in the pew and asked me to marry him. I’m pretty sure I said “NO WAY!” at first because I was so shocked. …but then of course I said yes! We got engaged on August 25, 2019.
Wedding Prep:
Kat and her bridal party prepared for the big day in the comfort of her parent’s house (Kat’s childhood home). Kat wrote each of her bridesmaids a note and gifted them earrings and pj’s.
Ruth with Verde Beauty Studio created a timeless look for Kat with a classic updo. Kat also chose updos for her bridal party. This entire group of ladies was so sweet, beautiful and such a pleasure to work with!
“Ruth from Verde did an amazing job with my hair. I have really thin hair too so I thought she was a magician!”
The Details:
What made you choose where you got married?
I (Kat) grew up going to Our Lady of Mercy Church. It's where I received all of my sacraments, so I was thrilled to also enter into the sacrament of marriage there! Philip is from MN, but was excited for our Louisiana wedding (esp the food)!
What were your special details or parts of the wedding that were specific to you?
We chose to memorize our vows. It was really special to let the vows sink into our hearts before we committed them on our lips on our wedding day. Now in marriage, it is a wealth of grace to lean on in our day to day life.
What did you choose to do as your favors?
We gave our guests koozies with the quote, "Pray, hope, and don't worry" by Padre Pio. We felt like this quote really spoke into how we wanted to embrace a wedding during a pandemic.
Did you incorporate any wedding traditions from you or your partner’s families?
Philip and I are both from Catholic families, and we really desire to keep our faith in the center of our relationship. We chose to say our vows over a crucifix. That crucifix now hangs in our home as a daily reminder of how we promised to love one another for the rest of our lives on our wedding day: with arms wide open in both good times and bad, willing to sacrifice for each other, and ultimately laying down our lives out of love like Christ did. It's also a beautiful reminder that we can't do this on our own, and we have to continually ask for the grace to live this vocation of marriage well! :)
The Attire:
Kat had a gorgeous strapless gown from Allure Bridal that she purchased at Platinum Bridal in Denver, CO. She had the dress altered by putting spaghetti straps on. Kat also wore a beautiful bolero from Allure Bridal, her sister’s veil and carried her grandmother’s rosary in her bouquet. She accessorized with her sister's earrings and an elegant flower comb in her hair.
I LOVED the lace and how it remained simple and delicate. I really felt so beautiful in my dress!
Philip wore a classic black tuxedo from Men’s Warehouse. He chose to wear Star-wars socks — which he also gifted to his groomsmen!
Advice for Future Brides:
Was there one thing you wish you would have known pre-wedding?
I wish I would have not stressed over so many minuscule details of the wedding...looking back I can see that the wedding is just the starting line for a life long marriage! Marriage is where the real party's at!
Have you been featured on any other wedding blogs?
Did you rock a #hashtag?
#matchmadeinevans #philsbigfatpeekwedding
Words of Advice for future brides?
Make sure you're taking time to breathe and do other things besides wedding "to do's". Engagement is a season of growth, preparation, and stretching. It's ok to struggle in the season of engagement because you're not just getting married, you're becoming a wife. You're transitioning into a whole new facet of yourself as you prepare to become one with your fiance. The growing pains are normal, and the difficulties experienced in wedding planning are blessings to your marriage if you let them be. Looking back, I am so grateful for the difficulties of getting married in 2020 (like... how exactly do you uninvite more than half your guest list??). It helped us to grow in communication, in unity, and in working through problems together. It's easy to write these words now in retrospect, but truthfully that refining and shaping happens in marriage too everyday. Engagement is just a "school" for marriage after all....It's good to step back and ask: Am I letting these challenges, difficulties, blessings, ordinary circumstances make me better? Am I allowing the challenges to grow patience within my heart and love towards my significant other? Am I going to let God make a masterpiece with the ordinary means that he's given me? I'm not an expert by any means, but I really think it's important to see the big picture and how God uses everything (even the sufferings) for our good!
“While COVID-19 definitely slimmed down #philsbigfatpeekwedding, it also helped put our nuptials into perspective and allowed us to focus on the most important aspect of the wedding: beginning our marriage. Our COVID wedding was an unexpected—and at times, very stressful—blessing, especially since Emily Post never wrote a chapter on etiquette during a pandemic. We often joked that COVID was the best marriage prep we could have received since it allowed us to grow in patience and surrender control, two skills necessary for marriage.”
Vendor Love:
Photographer: Collin Richie
Ceremony: Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
Reception: City Club of Baton Rouge
Coordinator: KBCook Weddings
Cake: The Ambrosia Bakery
Florist: Attention to Details
Hair: Ruth with Verde Beauty
Makeup: Olga Longoria
Rentals: Capital City Classic Cars
Videographer: Shannon Talamo Films