Mr. and Mrs. Walter - 11.18.23

My final wedding of 2023 was the perfect way to round out the year.

Katy and Tyson became husband and wife on Saturday in a lovely and intimate celebration with their closest family and friends at the gorgeous Sentryworld Inn in Stevens Point. (Seriously though, the Inn was recently built and I’m already obsessed after shooting a couple of weddings there now)

The happy couple met online and, after a few weeks of talking, had their first date at Devil’s Lake State Park. Katy was living in Waukesha at the time and Tyson was here in Stevens Point, so it was a perfect meeting point.

Both of them stated that they knew this was it pretty early on, particularly after they kept receiving signs that they were “meant to be”.

Katy fell in love with Tyson’s calm and caring nature. Her favorite thing is how much they make one another laugh. She did admit that she “can’t be mad at him because he always makes [her] smile.” Tyson shared similar sentiments noting that he loves how she looks at him as well as their humorous banter.

As an outsider, it’s easy to see that laughter is a core part of their relationship. During their engagement session and their wedding, both Katy and Tyson seemed to have smiles glued to their faces and constant giggles were heard. When I think of these two, the word “joyful” is what pops into my head.

Not only did Katy gain the title of “wife” on Saturday, but she also had the privilege of adding “bonus mom” as well. Standing alongside the happy couple were Tyson’s kids - Roan and Maize. It’s clear that Katy loves those two as if they were her own. She included some great details that emphasized the importance of the two kids in this blending of families, including matching watches for all four of them and a thoughtful note and gift to both of her new step-children. She and Maize even had matching dress hangers and sparkly shoes.

Can we also take a moment to admire the GORGEOUS shawl Katy used to keep warm as the day got chillier? It was handed down to her from her grandmother and, despite its age, is in pristine condition. I just love when family heirlooms are a part of wedding days!

I also love that the couple exchanged gifts prior to their first look. We even had them open the gifts together while still not seeing one another. Once they finished opening, they turned around and had their first look. Initially they were set to open the gifts in their respective rooms while getting ready but I suggested the idea of opening them immediately before their first look to use the gift opening as a build up to seeing one another for the first time prior to the ceremony. It ended up working great!

Despite the choice to get married in November, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Mid-day it got up to 52 degrees! I know they were anticipating the possibility of a snowy wedding, but the mild temperatures made it feasible to have an outdoor ceremony on the patio. And speaking of mid-November… I was joking with our couple that I was surprised they didn’t get any grumbles at their choice to wed on a major Wisconsin holiday (aka rifle hunting opener) but they said they did not really get any complaints. That is just further evidence of the support they had of their loved ones.

Wishing this adventure-seeking, outdoor-loving couple many many years of wedded bliss!