The Wedding Story of Kathleen and Nick Martin

Photos ByGEM Photography

Written By

Carri Fras

Date

December 24, 2018

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We have to say, this wedding is completely charming. From the on-trend, rustic-chic vibes, nods to tradition, the gorgeous NFL couple and emotions of love and humor flowing from their photos, we are smitten.

When Nick’s brother, Zack Martin played in the 2015 Pro Bowl in Arizona, this couple hardly knew their mere minutes spent meeting would later lead to a lifetime together. Kathleen says:

“Nick is best friends with my cousin, Chris Tarpey. We officially first met while I was working the 2015 Pro Bowl in Arizona. Nick’s brother, Zack Martin, was playing in the Pro Bowl that year and brought his two brothers with him for the trip. I had 10 minutes of freedom in between the 3rd and 4th quarter, so we decided to meet up and say hi! When we said goodbye, I tagged him last and said ‘Got you last’ which was a game Nick would always play with my cousin Chris and all their friends. The goal of the game was to be the last person to tag your friend before they left.”

A couple months later, Nick had two weeks off before his football season at Notre Dame began. What did the couple do? They had a "speed dating" week! Kathleen says, “We went on just about every date possible within the first two weeks (air hockey, golfing, drive-in movie theater, bowling, double date with my cousin).”

Tradition was important for Nick and Kathleen, and that especially included their church. “Even though I grew up outside of Chicago, I knew that I wanted to get married in the church my parents got married in,” explains Kathleen. “Indianapolis has always held a special place in my heart since it’s where my now husband grew up, but it’s also where I lived for two years prior to getting married and where all my extended family lives on my mother’s side.”

Bringing the outdoors in and creating a lovely, rustic-chic look were Kathleen’s goals. She achieved this with lots of greenery infused with the natural elements of the venue such as the exposed, red brick and high, wooden beams, expansive space and patio view of Indianapolis.

Finding her dress was a special occasion for Kathleen and her family. She says, “My mother has been a flight attendant for United for over 39 years which has allowed me and my sister to fly stand-by to different locations. After Nick and I got engaged, Mary Ann surprised my sister and I with a trip to New York City to shop for my wedding dress. After shopping at Kleinfeld, Lovely Bride and a couple beautiful boutiques in New York City, we finally found the dress I was looking for at Lovely Bride.

She says, "Once we found the dress, we realized that I had not changed after looking back to my First Communion when I refused to wear a white dress with lace and beading. Simple and clean was all I wanted, which is how my wedding dress turned out to be. Simple and clean.”

From the equally pretty and unique seating chart crafted by Kathleen, her mom and her dad to the gorgeous floral arch and fun cigar bar, this wedding lovingly infused special touches. Kathleen adds, “My mother-in-law gifted me my veil which was an amazing cathedral length detailed veil. It went perfectly with my dress and added a dramatic effect.”

What We Love

When asked what guests would remember, Kathleen says, “They will remember how much Nick and I smiled and laughed. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but people could tell how much fun and love we had for each other. People will also remember our band that we had. Everyone had so much fun dancing and singing that we ended up pushing the reception an hour longer. Lastly, they will remember how the groom ripped his pants for dancing too much and got too low.”

Advice From the Bride

This #EatDrinkandBeMartin bride has some good, practical advice to live by. She says, “It goes by so fast. Take in every minute.”

How This Bride Used WeddingDay

Kathleen says, “WeddingDay Magazine was the first magazine I received once we were engaged. It was the first place I started to put together ideas of what I wanted to see in our wedding. It’s a very helpful magazine to have during the planning process.”