Kristie is one of the most down-to-earth brides I’ve worked with so far. She’s laid back, calm, and sweet to the core. It came as no surprise to me that Kristie and Mike started as friends. I can only imagine her as the beautiful girl next door while Mike is the best friend that’s always been there for her.

One of the most beautiful moments of the wedding was watching Kristie and Mike whisper to each other on the altar at church. These two are such great friends, you know they were probably saying the most beautiful notions of encouragement and love to one another. Everyone at the church became a true witness to the friendship Kristie and Mike share.

But let Kristie tell you about their love story in her own words…

Kristie and Mike 4

Kate:
How did you two meet?

Kristie:
The story of Michael and myself dates all the way back to August 2001 – our freshman year of high school. He caught my eye in PE freshman year. For most people, those are some of the best, worst, and most awkward years of their life, but for Michael and myself, it was the start of a friendship that we knew was too good to be true. Whether it was by passing notes between classes or by wishing each other the best of luck in sporting events, he quickly became someone I could confide in and could consider a best friend. Our friendship continued to grow throughout high school and even distantly in college. When I would visit Nebraska for the College World Series, he was always the first person I would see and the most difficult one to say goodbye to. I knew in my heart that he was the one for me long before he did, but I had to trust that our time to be together would come one day. It was not always easy for me to wait for that time, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, because at the heart of our relationship is an honest friendship that continues to grow with each passing day. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to fall in love with my best friend.

Kate:
Kristie, when did you know you wanted to marry Mike?

Kristie:
Almost immediately I knew we had something special. I always wanted to be more than friends. I knew that when he finally let me in, and we started dating, we weren’t going to turn back. He was the ONE long before he was my boyfriend.

Kate:
What about you, Mike? When did you know you wanted to marry Kristie?

Mike:
There wasn’t one moment when I decided I wanted to marry her. It was over the course the 10+ years she befriended me, during good & bad times, always having thoughtful words and an open ear for me. It was when I took the chance to risk our friendship and open my heart to love her more than that. That was the best decision I made and through the years dating, I truly saw how amazing she is, how caring and loving she treats me, and that she is a wonderful mother in the making. She makes me a better man each day and want the best version of myself more and more.

Kate:
What’s your engagement story?

Kristie:
We were in Lake Charles celebrating the 4th of July with my family and he wasn’t his normal self. He kept telling me how much he loved me and couldn’t say much more beyond that. I knew something was up when he asked me to go for a walk and we didn’t even make it out the front door before he was on his knee asking me to marry him. I think the best part was that my sister had just gotten out of the shower and her hair was wrapped in her towel, when I turned around (tearful and happy) she was dancing in the living room and ready to celebrate!

Kate:
Tell me about the wedding, from your perspective.

Kristie:
Joyful. Happy. Peaceful. Calming. Perfect.
I couldn’t have tried to make the day any better if I tried. Everything was better than I could have imagined and all of my favorite people were there to help make our wedding day, a day that we will always hold close to our hearts and never forget.

Kate:
Kristie, what is something Mike does that you know you can’t live without?

Kristie:
This is a tough question, but I think if I had to pick ONE thing, it would be how he puts his heart into everything he does. He is so kind, generous, and full of life. His heart is honest, true, and full of love!