We're delighted to share with you the wedding portraits of Ricky and Casey all the way from Utah (Sue and I were there in January, not quite as pretty as it is in these). For their wedding, rather than dwelling on the little things, Ricky and Casey kept their focus on the most important things about any wedding: their love, getting together with family and friends to celebrate that love, and truly enjoying every moment.
From the beginning they didn't focus on fancy decor, snazzy stationery and every single thing being magazine-shoot perfect, instead they kept it simple and cut the stress. What they did do though, was find a wonderful photographer Alixann Loosle, to capture some beautiful portraits of them both, relaxed and happy and utterly in love, and so we're delighted to share these lovely images with you and the story of how this couple made it to the altar and celebrated their day, their way...
Looking at this gorgeous couple you would never in a million years imagine where their love story started, or what they were each doing. Far from floating through a music festival or sipping cocktails at a glamourous ball, these two met while pushing trollies at the supermarket! We'll let Casey explain the rest... "We met at Costco three years ago, pushing carts in the parking lot. For Ricky it was love at first sight but not for me. When you are out pushing carts you have a lot of time to talk and so Ricky and I talked a lot. I was dating someone else at the time and Ricky always made me second guess dating the other guy because he was so interesting, sweet, well rounded, and cool. After knowing him for about 6 months I moved to the south of France for 18 months for a religious mission. Surprisingly I didn’t hear from Ricky when I was gone, but when I got home he was the first one I called and we’ve talked and/or hung out every day ever since. I grew into love which surprised me because that had never happened before. Being friends first has made our marriage so much stronger though. I am so happy it happened the way it did."
Now if there's one thing we've learned about Casey (and you will too) - it's that this is a girl who knows her own mind. She decides what she wants and just does it. So how on earth does a man on a mission manage to maintain control over the whole "putting a ring on it" with a girl like that? With difficulty and a lotta luck it seems..."(When it came to the proposal) Ricky really, really wanted the element of surprise, but I kept calling him out on every opportunity. I even searched his drawers for the ring while he was in the shower. One day I came over to his house after work. I looked like a troll - seriously bad - my hair was crazy; I was wearing an old sweater that used to be my dads, not my best. I was frustrated from work and just ranting about it to Ricky and then all of the sudden he pulled out the ring. He totally surprised me! So he got his wish. Well done Ricky!"
Before we started planning I decided that I was not going to let anything stress me out. If something didn’t go as planned, it was ok and we would just find another solution. Honestly I did not notice all the small details that I took so much time planning because all I cared about that day was Ricky, I was so happy. It really was a perfect day!
True to form, and refreshingly honest, Casey admitted though they really, really wanted to have an outdoor reception but couldn't trust the weather in May, so the couple just settled for 'cute but inexpensive place' instead. They didn't go to town on details or decor, instead focussed on having a brilliant time - for example the wedding cake wasn't fancy, as that wasn't a priority for Casey who's not a fan of wedding cake. Instead their caterers created a delicious simple cake which tasted "to die for". Instead of a fancy band they asked friends to organise their music as a playlist of all their favourite songs. So with great food and brilliant dancing, they had the time of their lives.
Believe it or not, Casey's boho wedding dress is far from a couture creation, or rather it is a couture creation - of her own that is! This is a bride after my own heart who went back to basics and found a combo which suited her perfectly rather than fitting into some ideal of the perfect bridal gown... "I went dress shopping and tried on a few and hated how I looked in them. They were tight and twillish and meh. So I started looking online. I ended up buying a white maxi skirt from zaggos.com and a white lace poncho from freepeople.com and I loved how it turned out!" Continuing on the relaxed bride theme, Casey simply gave her bridesmaids a colour brief - ivory and peach please - and let them choose their own, ensuring the ladies were comfortable and happy and the overall effect was to the variation on a theme she had in mind. Ever the DIY bride she did her own make up, her friend did her hair, and... she raided her sister's wardrobe for a pair of sandals. And it's all amazing!
It's not really a surprise that Casey's advice for other couples is: "Don't stress; don't overspend; just enjoy! People will remember how happy you looked, not how much money you spent on the wedding." But the thing is, Casey and Ricky are living proof that it really is about how much fun you have and how much your guests enjoy themselves that really matters. A wedding is about love and happiness after all!
Huge thanks to Casey and Ricky for sharing their story with us, and we're delighted to feature Alixann Loosle's beautiful images for the first (and hopefully not the last) time. Pop over to www.alixannlooslephotography.com to see lots more...
All the Wedding Details
- Ceremony: The Provo, Utah LDS Temple
- Reception: Castle Park in Lindon, Utah
- Photography: Alixann Loosle
- Flowers: Becky Miller
- Wedding Bands: Goldsmith jewellers
