Open doors & fall colors

Sometimes, love has a way of finding you when you least expect it. Sometimes it’s fireworks, and sometimes it’s a growing realization that you have found the person you can’t imagine living your life without.

For Zach & Catherine, it all started with an open door.

Zach was just returning from a campus ministry trip to Hilton Head, SC, when the door to the campus ministry swung open for him. Catherine was waiting with a smile as she said, “Hey, you must be Zach. I have heard so much about you.”

“Obviously this took me off guard since I had never met her in my life,” said Zach.

Awhile later, they found themselves leading a small group together for the summer, and soon realized that their friendship was growing.

As a group, they spent many nights hanging out and talking about life. During that time, they discovered their feelings for each other went deeper than friendship.

 “One night she sent me the most beautiful and heartfelt message, which I woke up to the next morning to see,” Zach said. “Which I was just like, wow, when I saw it, because I had started to grow feelings for her, but just didn’t know what to do. But God had a plan and so we went for it, and now we are here.”

Through dating, they grew confident that marriage was part of God’s plan for their lives.

When Zach was ready to propose, he had a plan that required the whole family’s help to pull off.

Zach decided to pretend to have a surprise birthday party for himself, but in actuality, he was planning a surprise engagement party. He got his family and Catherine’s to believe they were throwing a birthday party for him. As part of the plan, Catherine was tasked with keeping Zach busy the day of the party so their families would have time to get everything set up. They spent the day at Silver Dollar City (Zach’s request), riding roller coasters and enjoying the local cuisine. Then, Catherine surprised him with a round of mini golf before getting back to the plan and heading to The Branson Landing to get Zach superman ice cream. Eventually, Zach led them to the place he had first told her he loved her – a place that would soon hold another special memory.

“We got the ice cream and then made our way down to the spot. When she saw my sister, who had the ring for me, that is when it got very real,” Zach said. “So, I got down on one knee and asked the woman I love to marry me, and she said yes! Then, all the people around The Landing started cheering for us and even the governor of Missouri was there, so that was cool.”

After the proposal and engagement party, it was time to start wedding planning, and first up was securing a venue.

“Once we came down to check it [The Venue at Shadow Rock] out, we instantly fell in love with the space and went with it. We wanted a modern looking venue, and not a barn, so it was like the perfect place for us.”

After months of planning, their wedding day finally arrived.

“I think we are both just really excited for the celebration of the whole day,” they said when asked what they were most looking forward to about the wedding. “But, if there is one thing, it is probably the first look.”

That moment – and the whole day – certainly did not disappoint. Their family and friends gathered around as Catherine and Zach pledged each other forever in a beautiful outdoor September ceremony.

The sign ‘Eyes up, phones down, hearts open’ sat outside their ceremony and reception, setting the tone of being fully present for the day.

Deep navy and shades of fall decorated the venue and grounds, and a sweetness filled the air as those in attendance celebrated the couple and the love they share.

When asked what wedding advice they had for new couples, Zach said, “Try to do the first look before the ceremony. That way you both have a special moment together, and also for photography purposes.”

Doing a first look also allowed them to greet each of their guests after the ceremony and get a picture with them, relieving the stress of trying to make sure to connect with each person during the reception.

Next to suggesting the first look, they closed with one last piece of advice for future couples. “The whole planning and preparing for the wedding can be a very stressful time as everyone knows, but the one thing I would say to future couples, is to remember the person you will be standing across from,” Zach said. “Remember that it is you and them in this together, and if you lean on each other in the whole process, everything will be alright.”

Wise words from a wonderful couple – a couple we’re so grateful to have been given the chance to be even a very small part of their love story.

Photos by Ivory Grove Photography