Marmaros Productions

Oct 96 min read

Kristen & Evan

Updated: Oct 14

7.13.2024 | The Oakley on the Lake

How We Met

Kristen and Evan discovered Marmaros through Instagram. We heard from Kristen in August 2023 inquiring about her July 2024 wedding. We hopped in a call to hear all about her vision for her and Evan’s wedding day and went over what it is that Marmaros provides. With a signed contract in hand, Mallory was assigned to Kristen and Evan’s day and we were ecstatic to get to planning!

Love Story

Evan and Kristen's love story began at their 8th-grade graduation ceremony, marking the start of a journey that would weave their lives together forever.

Following a summer filled with back-and-forth text messages and late-night phone calls, Evan officially asked Kristen to be his girlfriend under the Friday night lights of a high school football game during their freshman year.

From the age of 14, Evan and Kristen have grown up side by side, navigating the twists and turns of life together. Their love story unfolded with letters exchanged in high school hallways, the excitement of learning to drive, and the joy of finally being able to take themselves on a dinner date! Kristen cheered on Evan from the sidelines of countless soccer games, while Evan never missed a chance to support Kristen at cheer competitions or lacrosse games.

As they embarked on the college chapter of their lives, Evan and Kristen were determined not to let distance separate them. Weekends were spent alternating between Dahlonega and LaGrange, creating cherished memories and attending even more soccer games.

In July of 2023, Evan orchestrated a typical date night that would forever change their lives. After a visit to one of their favorite breweries, they headed to the lake with Ruby. Little did Kristen know that this ordinary evening held an extraordinary surprise. As Ruby jumped in the lake to fetch her ball, Kristen turned around to find Evan on one knee, ready to embark on the next chapter of their journey.

The excitement didn't end there. Soon after, Evan, Kristen, and Ruby packed up their lives and set off for Columbia, MO, where Evan pursued his dream of becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Together, they embraced the challenges of adjusting to life in the Midwest, finding strength and support in each other's presence.

Evan and Kristen's never-ending belief in their compatibility has brought them to this moment of joy and anticipation. Grateful for the love and support of those who have stood by them throughout the years, they eagerly anticipate the next chapter of their love story.

Let the wedding bells ring!

Down to Business

Kristen and Evan live in Missouri, so all of our meetings happened virtually. Their venue, The Oakley on the Lake, was being built while we were planning so it was fun to get venue updates along with wedding planning updates. We were SO excited to see this venue for the first time!! In early June, we all headed up to the venue for a final walkthrough where we got to meet one another in person along with getting to step inside the stunning (and newly opened) venue. In this walkthrough, we chatted with Angela, the owner of the venue, Amy, their florist, and Kathy, from their catering team to nail down all of the final details and make sure our plans were in place. As we were leaving, we hugged Kristen and excitedly knew that the next time we would be seeing her in person it would be wedding weekend! We stayed in touch in the last 30 days prior to the wedding and felt so ready and excited for July to finally be here. On the Friday before the wedding day, we headed back to The Oakley on the Lake and did a walkthrough of the ceremony prior to sending everyone off to enjoy their rehearsal dinner at Bare Bones Steakhouse.

The Big Day

The ladies woke up and headed to The Oakley on the Lake to start hair and makeup with Formal Faces. Amy and her team with Each Day Florals got to the venue and got to work placing tablecloths and napkins on the tables along with starting to get floral arrangements looking magnificent. Scott, their videographer, and Rose, their photographer, arrived and started to knock out photos of details and decor. Marmaros was busy going through the decor that Kristen brought in and setting it in the correct places around the venue. The girls were having such a great time together in the bridal suite and once they were wrapped up with hair and makeup, the ladies stepped into their stunning colorful dresses and Kristen got into her dress from Wedding Angels Bridal. Kristen and Evan did not want to do a first look but did a first touch and private vows with one another, so we knocked out as many group photos as possible prior to the ceremony knowing we would have more afterward!

Guests started to arrive and mingled with one another in the lobby to stay out of the heat until it was time for the ceremony. To start off the processional, we sent Evan and their officiant, Matt, down the aisle followed by grandparents, parents, and the wedding party. Before we could send Kristen and her dad down the aisle, we had to send one of the most important members of the wedding party, Ruby, who was the flower pup. Ruby was walked to the end of the aisle and when she was let off of her leash she ran straight for Evan! Matt made sure Evan was turned around so that he didn't see Kristen until she and her dad, Steve, were at the end of the aisle walking his way. Matt performed a traditional ceremony which included a unity candle ceremony. The unity candle ceremony was accompanied by Mallory, Kristen’s maid of honor, and her friend Madison singing. Kristen and Evan kissed and were pronounced husband and wife and walked back down the aisle to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”.

Rose and Scott worked on capturing moments with the family and wedding party while guests headed over to the lawn to enjoy some appetizers and frozen margaritas at cocktail hour. Before starting the reception, we took Kristen and Evan down closer to the lake to get some stunning couple portraits. Our newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Sampers, were introduced to their guests at the reception to “Forever” and cold sparks. They took to the dancefloor to share their first dance together, and then we heard a welcome from Kristen’s parents. Next, we dismissed tables to grab food from A Delightful Bitefull which everyone loved. After Kristen and Evan had a chance to mingle with their guests, they cut their cakes from Sweets and Treats by Rachel. The bride's cake was a stunning multi-tiered cake decorated with a giant bow and stunning pearls. The groom’s cake was a multi-tiered cookie cake which was also surrounded by personalized cookies some of which had sweet Ruby on them! Next, we heard toasts from the people of honor before Kristen and Evan took to the dance floor to dance with their parents. Kristen decided to not only share a dance with her dad but also share a dance with her mom which we loved! Club Rett opened the dance floor and once it was opened for the night the space was never empty. To have a break during the dance party, Rett played “Joy of My Life” by Chris Stapleton for a sentimental anniversary dance. Alas, the best of nights do come to an end, but everyone enjoyed dancing and singing together during the last song of the night. We instructed the guests to head out front to form two lines and to blow bubbles as Kristen and Evan ran through to get into their getaway car from Atlantic Limo.

Something Spectacular

Kristen and Evan had a unique vendor which we loved! They hired Cheryl from True Event Artisan to do live watercolors of the wedding! Cheryl started with doing a live painting of the ceremony for Kristen and Evan. After the ceremony, guests were welcomed to go up to Cheryl’s table and request a watercolor of themselves. These watercolor portraits were stunning and such a fun addition to Kristen and Evan’s wedding which guests loved!

Raving Reviews

"Book with Marmaros!!!!! From the very beginning of wedding planning I’ve felt prepared and at ease for our big day. Mallory & team were the perfect fit for our day and we really felt like we could enjoy everything and not worry about timeline, set up, etc. The Marmaros girls are the best!"

Happily Ever After

This was such a fun day to be a part of! Kristen and Evan, best of luck with your new chapter of life in Missouri! Give Ruby lots of love and hugs for us. Congratulations and much love!