One question I always love asking couples that I marry is this: “If you could describe your Best Day Ever using one word what would it be?” Nick and Katie Miller, who were one of the first couples I married upon moving back to Washington, wanted to feel great PRIDE. When Katie first contacted me, she expressed interest in just having a simple private ceremony with their two children and a couple witnesses in front of a beautiful waterfall about an hour drive away. They didn’t want a formal wedding ceremony or the stress of coordinating something big. She asked, “Would you be willing to make that kind of long drive?” to which I replied, “To do a wedding ceremony in front of a waterfall? Absolutely. That sounds epic!”
Well, as you can tell from the picture above, there was no waterfall wedding. That plan fell through and Nick and Katie proposed a couple different locations for where to have a small, private ceremony. But for some reason nothing seemed to land home in their hearts. It became very apparent, very quickly that God had different plans in store for Nick and Katie, because they truly have a love that was really worth being celebrated by family, friends and loved ones.
I won’t go into details about their story, but this beautiful young couple has a love that was forged in the fires of some of life’s greatest challenges. Where so many people would normally turn away from the difficulty and choose easy street, Nick and Katie, again and again, demonstrated a selfless love toward one another and their children. And through it, they saw both their faith and their relationship soar to new levels. Their family and friends knew all this very well. They knew that their journey was one that is saturated with love, steadfastness and God’s faithfulness. And so, Nick and Katie decided to have a “larger and more formal” wedding ceremony because they knew that their love was truly one that was worth celebrating!
Once they finally got a date picked, Nick and Katie sent me an address for a house out in Buckley (which is out in the country if you don’t know). After a beautiful drive, I finally pulled up to a farmhouse that was surrounded by trees, a barn and a pasture inhabited by Scottish Highland Cows (so cool). In the final minutes beforehand, Nick and Katies’ family and friends were all pitching in to set up what would be the most amazing barnyard wedding I’ve ever seen. Guests began to arrive and you could tell right away how excited everybody was to celebrate this amazing couple. Nick beamed with joy as his children were wheeled in on a Radio Flyer wagon followed by his beautiful bride walking down the aisle. You could tangibly feel God’s presence at work making the moment so unique and precious.
As I began my remarks, I got such a great sense that we needed to briefly stop what we were doing and recognize how proud and excited each person in the crowd was just to be there to celebrate this amazing couple. People raised hands and applauded this beautiful couple right in the middle of the ceremony because they all knew their story, what they’d overcome together and most of all, the great future that God had in store for them. Nick kissed his stunning bride, they walked down the aisle as husband and wife and a fun and memorable country wedding reception was in full swing. My favorite part of the story is that what started as just a small ceremony transformed into something that made Nick and Katie feel what they truly wanted deep down all along from family, friends and God all along: PRIDE!
Best Day Ever Officiant 