What started as a match on Tinder, a popular dating app, led to a walk down the aisle and an inseparable love for Katie, a registered nurse, and Ryan Kessler, a service manager for H-E-B. After meeting on the app, they went on a date the next day to Grub Burger in College Station. It turned out Ryan’s family was from a town called China Spring, and Katie’s parents were born there. After realizing their families knew each other, the rest was history.
“We dated for about two years,” says Katie. “We would go to First Friday, eat at IHOP all the time, and hang out at each other’s apartments. Ryan was going through the leadership program at H-E-B and was moved to Spring, so we did long distance for a year. I didn’t follow him due to my job as a nurse in College Station. We saw each other about twice a month.”
An ordinary visit to Spring on July 25, 2018, turned into a surprise engagement for Katie. Ryan had said he had to grab some papers at work, when in reality he was picking up the ring before heading home to propose.
“I was totally unprepared and was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and no makeup,” says Katie. “We had just returned from a trip to Florida. I thought we would get engaged there, but getting engaged on a random Wednesday at home was perfect for us.”
The wedding was held at Brownstone Reserve on Oct. 26, 2019, and included unique touches as a nod to Katie and Ryan’s love of video games.
“We’re both nerds and we love playing video games together,” says Katie. “Our wedding music was all instrumental, and the music at the ceremony was from Skyrim: Spirited Away. I walked down the aisle to a song from the Legend of Zelda games. Ryan’s cake also had a little Batman on it.”
Katie’s favorite part of wedding planning was picking out the wedding dress with her mom, sister, and grandma, as well as the bridesmaid dresses. The hardest part was picking out the tiny details towards the end of the wedding planning, Katie says.
“My mom helped plan the wedding, and we also had an amazing wedding coordinator,” says Katie. “It all came together so well.”
The ceremony took place outdoors with beautiful displays of flowers on either side of the couple at the altar.
“The walkway into the ceremony was very long,” says Katie. “I walked over a pond and stone bridge, and there were rose petals and lanterns on the path. My favorite color is dusty blue so we had that in the wedding, and I love Halloween so the wedding took place in October.”
Along with Katie’s favorite dusty blue, fall colors were incorporated throughout the décor from the bouquet to the table pieces. Each bridesmaid wore dresses of the same color but the tops of the dresses differed. The reception took place indoors with a dance floor that included a DJ and a fog machine, and On the Border catered.
From the timeless fall wedding touches to the couple themselves, the Kessler’s love story and wedding has them set for years of love to come.
Kessler Vendors:
Venue: Brownstone Reserve Wedding Coordinator: Wonderfully Wed Photographer: San Angel Photo Florist: Postoak Florist Catering: On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina Bar Service: Luke’s Bartending Service DJ: Southern Style Entertainment LLC Cakes: It’s Cake by Kris Hair and Makeup: Naturally Flawless Rentals: Party Time Rentals Wedding Dress: Brickhouse Bridal Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal Groomsmen Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
