Wedding Highlight: Katie & Paola
Katie and Paola were married on a lovely January day at The Barn at Valhalla in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We wrote them a custom, bilingual/Spanish ceremony to help them celebrate their love with all of their closest friends and family, and it was absolutely perfect and authentic to this beautiful couple.
Photo Credits: Long Yau
What stood out about their ceremony: The marriage of two cultures with wonderful, welcoming families.
Katie and Paola met when chance circumstances brought them both to Valdosta, Georgia. Paola had recently arrived to study in the United States from her home in Columbia, and Katie was there temporarily for work. When they met there was a bit of a language barrier as English is Paola’s second language and Katie didn’t know any Spanish, but despite their differences these ladies were absolutely drawn to each other and quickly knew that this was going to become something extraordinarily special.
When planning their wedding, Katie and Paola really wanted to make sure that everyone there felt included and loved. At our ceremony planning meeting we talked about the best ways to incorporate and balance the Spanish and English elements of their ceremony so that it could be meaningful and engaging for everyone present. What we came up with was true to Katie and Paola and a joy for their loved ones who came to celebrate with them! Paola's mom, dad, and brother flew in from Colombia for the wedding— their first time in the United States! Katie's family welcomed them with open arms and open hearts, each one digging deep and speaking all the Spanish they knew.
The thing that stood out most from their wedding was how beautifully the two families blended and celebrated this special day together. Paola and Katie each have one brother, and both were adorable with their sisters. The fathers were consummate gentlemen and Pao's mother and Katie's mother-in-law treated each other like old friends. The families did an amazing job marrying the two cultures - the dinner following the rehearsal was a fabulous spread of Colombian food. The Barn at Valhalla is a gorgeous venue and the wedding party was able to spend the entire weekend there together.
Katie and Paola share an incredible connection and there was a sense that they were in another world with one another. The fathers were precious as they both presented their daughters to the other with visible emotion. One of the sweetest moments of the ceremony were the vows that Paola and Katie had written and shared with each other. The brides wrote their vows in both English and Spanish. I later learned that Katie had practiced diligently to pronounce the words correctly ... and she absolutely nailed it!
Overall, it was such a wonderful celebration of a truly beautiful bond. Congratulations, Katie and Paola!
