Kimberly & Matthew – 4 Minutes to Forever

It’s really a wonder how fate works to bring two people together who are unknowingly meant to be together for the rest of their lives. Kimberly & Matthew planned their wedding theme around the time they first met. I found it somewhat unusual because it is quite rare to meet someone in the first few minutes & know right there & then that they are the right one for you. Kimberly & Matthew knew they were intertwined to be something special in the first 4 minutes that they met through a speed dating event they both attended. And after that day, the rest of the story was history!

I really like how they were able to incorporate some personal touches into their wedding. Like how Kimberly used a piece of lace from her mother’s wedding gown of 45 years ago into her bouquet. Then her mom made a handkerchief out of the same material for her, her sisters & her nieces. And she also included a necklace of Matthew’s late mother into her bouquet. Matthew also used a piece of his late father’s tie into his boutonniere. I believe that it’s always the personal details that makes a wedding truly memorable & special. We feel very fortunate & thankful to London Light Photography for sharing with us this wonderful wedding story in the hopes that you appreciate this more as much as we did. Cheers again to the lovely couple – Kimberly & Matthew! May you live a long, happy, & prosperous married life!

What is your story as a couple, how did you meet & fall in love?

Matthew and I met in the most random way possible. We met SPEED DATING! I went with a friend just for the experience. It was held at a lounge in downtown San Diego. I went without any intention of really meeting everyone, I was just excited to see what the experience was like. Then Matthew came and sat down, I had been told there was “One cute guy” there and here he was! We talked for the allotted 4 minutes and exchanged sarcastic banter, before he was on to the next. At the end of the whole thing, I was getting ready to leave with my friends when he was waiting for me. He asked for my number and in a leap of faith, I gave it to him. Now almost 7 years later I am so happy I did!

What makes the two of you a perfect match?

The perfect match? I don’t know, I would say our best friendship, the high amount of respect we have for each other, our shared values and how much we laugh with each other. That about sums it up.

What was the best advice you received when you were planning your wedding?

The best advice we received was to be sure to make decisions purely for you and your fiance’s happiness. It is easy to get sucked into drama and family politics. It also really helps to be very organized. It mitigates anxiety and helps you to get through the whole planning process. Oh and TRUST YOUR GUT! That is how I made the majority of my decisions for the wedding and it worked out beautifully.

What inspired your wedding decor? Why did you choose the things that you did?

I have always been an old soul. For as long as I can remember I have loved vintage, classic, 1920s style. Luckily Matthew is the same way so what we did was blend the old with the new and made our wedding uniquely us. We had an emphasis on time and clocks because of the way we met. The theme for our wedding was 4 minutes= 4 Ever…based on the first 4 minutes that we spoke.

Do you have advice for couples still in the planning process?

I would say to have open communication with your fiance. Be honest about how you want the day to go and be sure to compromise on the things that are important to your partner. Usually it is all supposed to be about the bride but it’s his special day too, so be sure to keep him as involved as he would like to be!

What were some challenges you faced planning your wedding & what would you have done differently to avoid them?

I think I would have been more mindful and sensitive to the feelings with regard to choosing my wedding party. I thought long and hard about this, but still ended up hurting some feelings. It all worked out well but again, open communication for your decisions are important so everyone feels included and loved.

What was the wedding budget?

Our wedding budget was between $20,000-$25,000.

Where did you save the most money?

We were able to save a lot of money by booking our wedding on a Friday. It was about $7,000 cheaper at our venue to have a Friday wedding. Also, we really wanted the date 4.4.14 (again to reference the speed dating). We were extremely lucky, 7 months before that date, the venue we fell in love with, had a cancellation on that exact day and we swooped in and got it immediately. Because it was only 7 months out they really wanted to get it booked, so in the negotiations they were able to give us the highest level package for a very low price. Also it helped that at Green Gables the food, cake, ceremony and reception site are all included in the package.

Can you share some tips or tricks that you learned along the way leading up to the wedding or after?

I will share a tip that I wish I had used. I would have not even bothered with the RSVP note cards in the invitations. They were hard to keep track of, some people forgot to write their names on the cards and it cost us extra in postage to send it with its own envelope. I would have instead requested that they RSVP via email. This helps to organize, keep an accurate count and have everything electronic.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We actually haven’t gone on our honeymoon yet…we are going in less than a month! The best decision we made was to have a Honeymoon Registry, instead of the typical bridal registry. Since we had been together for 6 1/2 years prior to getting married and living together for 5 of them, we didn’t need the typical wedding gifts for our home. Instead we were able plan the trip of a lifetime and include our family & friends by doing a Honeymoon Registry. We used “Honeymoon Pixie” but there are a ton out there that are wonderful. It is so easy and really is the only way we are able to afford our trip to Europe. We are flying into Paris for 3 days, then to Barcelona and then will leave on a 7 day Western Mediterranean cruise! It is definitely going to be a trip we will never forget and we have our family and friends to thank!

What are you most excited about for the future?

We are excited to start a family and traditions of our own. Growing old with my best friend is something I will never take for granted.

How many guests were invited in your wedding and what was the final guest count?

We invited 156 guests (with the goal of having 120) and in the end we had 123 guests present.

Was it difficult to narrow down your guest list?

VERY! We started out by brainstorming every single person we could think of and then began looking realistically at that list and making revisions. In the end we had such a great close knit group of people. We wouldn’t have been happier. The only hard part was certain people in the family not being there due long distance for health constraints. But they were there in spirit!

What songs did you use during the ceremony?

• Precessional – My two uncles Ron and Jimym played live acoustic guitar
• Wedding Party Entrance – Vitamin String Quarter “All You Need is Love” by the Beattles
• Bride’s Entrance – Vitamin String Quarter “All I Want is You” by U2.
• Recessional – “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Electric Zeros

What would you say, the overall story for this album?

The overall story of our album is encompassed by love, best friendship, laughter and family. It is because of my parents Bob and Cathie Shultz that Matthew and I were able to have such a once in a life time day. My parents have been supportive both emotionally and financially throughout the whole process. We owe our memories of such an amazing day to them. This Album is dedicated to two of the most loving, unconditionally supportive parents that we can call ourselves incredibly lucky to have.

What inspired the wedding day outfits?

Classic, vintage beauty and comfort. I made a point to have wedding flats made and I would recommend that to ANY bride. I was comfy, happy and felt beautiful!

What was your favorite part of the day?

It is extremely hard to pick just one part of the day. One part that sticks out in my memory is sitting at the reception, looking out at the tables of people and thinking “Wow, this room is filled with every single person I love in this world, in one place, celebrating us.” Seeing Matthew down the aisle and posing with my wedding party was so touching and fun. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Was there any Do it Yourself (DIY) projects? If so, can you describe them in detail?

I had every intention of there being a lot more DIY projects. But working full time, having limited time before the wedding date turned into a lot of Etsy browsing. I was able to order the most beautiful little wedding ballet flats. For the bridesmaids’ gifts, my great friend Sheila made necklaces and I stamped each bridesmaids charm with the letter of their first name. My mom, made her wedding dress 45 years ago. After 3 daughters (I am the third) she let me use the lace from her dress to wrap around my bouquet. She then made handkerchiefs for each of my sisters and my nieces from the same material. We used a necklace of Matthew’s late mother to also wrap around my bouquet and he wore a piece of a tie of his late father around his boutonniere. We added a lot of personal touches and afterwards, our guests remembered those things the most.

What were the highlights from the ceremony & reception?

The highlights of our ceremony for me were our individual vows to each other and the hand fasting ceremony. Our Officiate (who was AMAZING by the way) showed us all these really unique rituals to do during the ceremony. We used 6 different colored ribbons (each color represented something important to us) and then at the end we “tied the knot”. We now have our knot with our ribbons from the ceremony in a shadow box with our vows displayed.

Was there a theme for the ceremony and reception?

Since our wedding was on 4.4.14. We had “4 Minutes = 4 Ever” as the central theme, referencing the date and how we met. We incorporated our love for Hip Hop and Country music in the reception music selection. Our overall themes were vintage, classic and romantic, with a little twist of laughter and fun.

Vendors

Photographer:  London Light Photography
Event Venue: Green Gables Estate