The Wedding Story of... Matt & Kelly Kalin

When two people grow up in the same town, go to the same school and their last names are Kalin and Klank, there's a pretty good chance they'll become acquainted. "In 8th grade homeroom, we sat alphabetically. Then in sewing class, we were paired alphabetically to share a sewing machine," recalls Kelly Klank about Matt Kalin. "He was my boyfriend back then, too." During high school and college, however, they went in different directions as priorities and interests changed. "I still had a crush on him all that time, though," admits Kelly. "I'd always have my friends fill me in on what he was up to."

Fate brought them together again a couple of summers ago as their old circle of friends met for dinner one evening. Matt and Kelly found themselves sitting next to each other but it wasn't for alphabetical reasons this time. "We started seeing each other again and it was later that summer when we went with a group of our friends to Cedar Point that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him," says Kelly. "Even after spending three days straight with him, I couldn't wait to see him again."

The following May, Matt proposed to Kelly on Silver Beach in St. Joe. "It was getting cold and cloudy and it looked like a storm was coming,"
remembers Kelly. "I had no idea he was going to propose, I was just complaining about the weather. All of a sudden he dropped down on his knee and asked me to marry him."

They chose November 22, 2008 for their wedding date, which left just six short months to plan. "It was a little stressful at times but once we booked the church and the reception hall, everything else just fell into place," says Kelly. That was especially true with her wedding dress. Kelly and her mom had gone to Lynette Bremer Designs in Valparaiso on the one day the store was closed. "The owner just happened to be bringing back some gowns from a photo shoot as we were leaving so she asked me to hold this particular gown while she unlocked
the door. That dress that fell into my arms was the one I fell in love with," says Kelly.

Although elegant and formal describe the ceremony and reception, Kelly and Matt put their special touches on different elements to make it a unique and fun experience. For example, the couple's monogram was displayed on the aisle runner, in flowers on the church door, on the limousine and also on the dance floor at the reception. After all, it was with those two names that it all began back in 8th grade! The reception featured a traditional sit-down dinner for the wedding party and their guests while the children could choose their favorite food from the kids' buffet. For added variety, there was also an espresso bar and a candy bar. The couple followed their perfect wedding up with the perfect honeymoon in the Bahamas. "We had so much fun playing in the infinity pool, swimming with dolphins, getting massages and eating a lot of great food. All of it was just amazing," beams Kelly.