The Wedding Story of... Kaitlyn & Tanner Smale

an artistic couple shares the limelight

While German may not be the language of love, it was high school German class that brought Kaitlyn Robison and Tanner Smale together. She was a sophomore and he was a senior. A friend who was in theater introduced the two of them. Kaitlyn sat behind him in class, but didn’t think he started noticing her until she came back from winter break
with a tan. 

 

 

The proposal 

Tanner, who works at Premier Arts, the resident theater company of the Lerner Theater in Elkhart, had been performing in the musical “South Pacific” when right after the curtain call, the music changed abruptly and the One Direction song “Kiss You” started playing. Everyone in the cast began dancing and passing hearts down the line. The hearts read “Will You Marry Me?” Tanner jumped over the line of dancers at the same time a confetti cannon went off. When the song ended, he got down on one knee and proposed in front of more than a thousand people. Watch the proposal here.

 

 

The ceremony 

The gazebo on Emma Lake was supposed to be the site of the ceremony, but Mother Nature had a different idea. The decision to move the ceremony inside the barn and have everyone seated at tables had to be made when the rain did not let up. And it was only natural for Tanner to be saying his vows center stage rather than outside. “It ended up being beautiful with all the lights and everyone could hear our vows and the rest of the ceremony,” says Kaitlyn, determined to enjoy whatever happened that day. 

While most couples opt for ceremonial customs like lighting a unity candle or pouring unity sand into a jar, Kaitlyn and Tanner established their own tradition. They created a unity canvas where each of them poured paint until it blended together. The decorative metaphor was a symbol of not only their union, but it also symbolized the wedding itself that was a result of their joint, artistic efforts.

 

 

The DRESS 

Like most brides, Kaitlyn admits the dress she ended up with was not the one she imagined. She knew she wanted a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline, but fell in love with the bows and crystal buttons on the back of a satin dress. “The sales ladies at Ashley Rene’s saw that I was drawn to detail and sparkle, so they suggested removing a floral/beaded applique from a belt and dressing up the front a bit,” she says. 

 

 

 

The DÉcor 

When a graphic designer embarks on her journey to plan her dream wedding, one can expect that the artistic creativity will be evident throughout the entire affair. Such was the case with Kaitlyn’s wedding. Except in her case, the expectations to impress guests were even higher—Kaitlyn is a graphic designer for a wedding publication. Her career is to take the delicate details of each wedding and tie them together in one, pretty package paying special attention to the details that others typically overlook.

They say it’s a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together and the evidence is all in the details of Kaitlyn and Tanner’s wedding. As a designer, Kaitlyn took the opportunity to create their own logo, thus, “branding” their wedding. The logo was interspersed through many of the D.I.Y. elements of the special occasion including the invites and programs (designed by Kaitlyn, obviously) and the cornhole boards and ringbearer’s box.

Not to be outdone, Tanner also rose to the occasion with his creative side and took D.I.Y. to a whole new level. He built and painted the guest book board as well as the large sign on the road, pointing guests in the direction of the ceremony. 

The wedding colors were gray and yellow, with yellow being only a minor hue in the décor (the bride loves the color combo but isn’t a fan of yellow by itself). The tall centerpieces made by a family friend highlighted whites and ivories and the sequined table runners were gray. 

 

 

 

The venue 

Kaitlyn and Tanner decided to get married at Lakeside Occasions in Topeka, Indiana – a restored 1887 Guernsey dairy barn, complete with a loft, a stage, a chandelier and lots of strung lights adding to the ambiance. “We wanted to do a barn wedding without doing the typical casual mason jar thing that is popular among barn weddings,” says Kaitlyn. “We were shooting for more of the ‘rustic elegance’ feel.”

 

 

special moments 

Kaitlyn and Tanner are so grateful for the friends and family who showed up at 7 a.m. that Saturday to help them set up in the pouring rain. The bride also was touched by one of her maids of honor who gave her the sweetest card with a drawing tucked in that Kaitlyn had given her in seventh grade. “She always knew she would give it back to me on my wedding day.”

 

 

the floral

Ranunculus, lilies, chrysanthemums and garden roses in yellow and white comprised the bouquets. 

 

 

The Cake 

The bride opted for an all-white cake with various textures on each layer. Yellow-dyed paper flowers added a pop of color. The cake table was covered with the same sequined fabric from the table runners, adding a touch of glamour to the historic barn.

 

 

Advice from the bride

“Don’t sweat the small stuff. The weather might be rainy, your dressing room could flood and the beautiful outdoor ceremony you’ve planned every detail of may have to be moved inside. But none of that is important. All the matters in the end and all that you will remember is that you’re married to your best friend.”

 

 

What we Love

The vintage-style pocket watches that Tanner and his groomsmen wore and the classy and dignified cornhole games made by Kaitlyn. Cornhole never looked this good!