The Wedding Story of...Katie & Tony Galbreath

When sophomore biology class is the first memory of your husband, you know there’s some pretty serious history involved.

 

“I remember the exact moment when I realized I was in love with Tony,” Katie said. “I was sitting in class and my friend told me that every time she looked over at me, I had a big smile on my face. It was almost impossible to think about anything but my blue-eyed, brown-haired hunk. Needless to say, my biology grade suffered.”

 

The two met in June of 2004. They were both 15 years old. Nearly eight years later, they were united as husband and wife at the Salem United Church of Christ in Wanatah. 

 

“We have been together so long that, in retrospect, he’s been my soul mate from the beginning,” Katie said.

 

 

The high school sweethearts had planned a trip to Hawaii to celebrate six years of being together as a couple. On May 21, 2010, they had a romantic day on the beach and then took a hike up Diamond Head, the volcanic crater at Waikiki. Katie could see that Tony was nervous, but attributed it to his fear of heights. At one point, he asked her to look at the ocean so he could take a video. When she looked back, he was down on one knee proposing.

 

“If there wasn’t a railing there, I probably would have fallen off the edge of the cliff,” Katie said about the proposal. Because the two were in college, she thought they would wait until graduation to get married. But Tony, realizing that Hawaii was the perfect spot for a proposal, decided to go all out in one of the most romantic and recognizable spots on earth. 

 

The two decided on a wedding date while enjoying more beach time in Hawaii. They wanted to graduate from college beforehand, so this longtime couple opted to get married 10-20-12 (they both like even numbers).

 

 

 

Katie said the planning began almost immediately and was a huge collaboration between family and friends. “We wanted to break away from the cookie cutter wedding and felt like we had a lot to celebrate after being together for eight years.” The fact that they moved to Austin, Texas during the planning process was made easier because 

so many details already were in place. 

 

Not a fan of typical fall colors, this fall bride chose a lot of sparkle combined with dusty lavender. She said they didn’t want an “in your face” purple, but a more subtle color that would create an elegant reception atmosphere. They chose to work with roses because of their natural beauty and versatility. 

 

Centerpieces were designed using a deconstructed ombre look. The main centerpiece was not planned out as carefully as the others and Katie thought it was going to be a smaller version of another centerpiece. But her mom surprised her by using crystal chandeliers, which Katie had “drooled over” while planning, but decided not to use because they didn’t fit in the budget. 

 

 

 

Katie found her dress online and fell in love with the designer, Essense of Australia. But when she tried it on, she didn’t feel the automatic fireworks she had expected. The designer representative, who was at the salon, suggested a belt and flower to add some additional detail and dazzle. “My soon to be mother-in-law said ‘Katie, this is the dress you are going to marry Tony in.’” While she eventually decided to eliminate the belt and keep the flower, Katie couldn’t have been more pleased with the “curve–enhancing” silhouette. 

 

Her sister spent 12 hours expertly adding rhinestones to her shoes and purse, making Katie feel like Cinderella at the ball!

 

 

 

The big day finally arrived and Katie remembers it as being “amazing, beautiful and fun…..the absolute perfect day!”

 

She said she was trying really hard not to cry as she walked down the aisle towards Tony. “Anyone that knows Tony knows that he always carries himself with a smile, but on our wedding day I noticed his smile was more radiant than usual. It was hard to resist the urge to just run up and give him a big kiss,” Katie said.

 

The couple honored Katie’s deceased maternal grandparents by putting their wedding bands in the bridal bouquet. 

 

 

 

Tony and Katie had about 150 guests at their reception, which took place at The Allure in LaPorte. “I think my favorite memory was looking out from the balcony and seeing the entire dance floor filled with people and realizing they were all there to celebrate our love and that the entire day start to finish went even better than I could have imagined,” Katie said.

 

Working for three years as a cake decorator, she said she felt some pressure in regard to the cake design. But she said it turned out to be more of an interesting and rewarding challenge to bring their vision to life.

 

Tony and Katie gave a nod to their love of the islands by dancing their first dance to “Love I” by The Green – a song they first heard on their trip to Hawaii.

 

 

Katie advises other couples to take their time and plan a wedding that reflects the bride and groom. She also added that you simply cannot have too many photos of family. “On the day of the wedding, be sure to take a few moments to step back from the hustle and bustle of the day and take everything in. These are the moments you will remember the most.”