MILANA + KEVIN WEDDING DAY

They met on their first day of classes their freshmen year at Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri. On this day, freshmen had to do a scavenger hunt around campus, and the two were placed in a scavenger hunt group together. The rest of the group bailed, so Milana and Kevin finished the scavenger hunt together.
They had fun together – even though they were strangers. He thought she was friendly. She thought Kevin seemed genuine. They decided eventually to go out on a date together, only Kevin didn’t remember how to pronounce Milana’s name. He cleverly asked his friend to introduce himself first to purposely set Milana up so that she’d have to say her name out loud. Milana loved how he made her laugh and is so patient. He loved how loving and open-hearted Milana is.

The two dated 5 years. For a birthday one year, Milana got Kevin tickets to see Brad Paisley, one of their favorite singers. Before the concert, she went to Kevin’s house where he surprised her with a proposal! Milana’s family from Illinois and his family showed up to surprise her right after the proposal. After a quick family barbecue, they went straight to the concert to celebrate. Milana had no clue Kevin was thinking about proposing. It was the biggest surprise!

They were planning a wedding mass for June 13th, 2020 at the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Louis with a reception to follow at the Franklin Room historic ballroom across the street. They had invited 230 people were looking forward to having a blast with their friends and family!

The first word of the quarantine came during Milana’s bridal shower. The following weeks were spent scrambling and determining how to move forward. They had to change almost every element of their wedding due to COVID-19. They ended up going forward with their original wedding date with a wedding mass in Milana’s hometown of Marion, Illinois followed by a reception in the driveway of her childhood home. Kevin’s family made the food, they had an outdoor rug as the dance floor, and they ate s’mores. Their parents, siblings, and wedding party were in attendance totaling 17 guests. Although it was nothing like what they had planned, they felt the day was amazing. With having such a small wedding, we were able to spend even more time with each other and time with family. “It was still such a perfect day proving that you only need each other to have a special wedding day.”

At one point during the planning, it seemed as though Kevin and Milana would only be able to have 10 guests in attendance, and 2 of those people were going to be Roger and I. What an honor that is!! We were thrilled that they were able to have a few more people in attendance when some restrictions reduced, and to have been included in that group who came to Milana’s home town of Marion. It felt like we were part of the family, and we were thrilled to be able to capture this beautiful day for the two after all they’d been through!

Enjoy a look at Milana and Kevin’s wedding day!

Kevin’s favorite moment of the day was this – the moment Milana walked down the aisle towards him to become his wife.Love this view of Kevin and Milana’s intimate ceremony. Thinking of their kids someday looking at this photo and being able to identify the people they see by name as these are the people that are unwavering family is so sentimental, and is definitely a hidden blessing of COVID. “We looked forward to celebrating with our family and friends who were able to be there! We had spent so many weeks without each other during the stay at home orders that it was nice to be together again.”We have been having some unity candle struggles in 2020! Lol this was the second malfunction of the year!
Milana did a wardrobe change, but not before getting a pic in this adorable jacket that she made!

MORE ABOUT MILANA + KEVIN’S DAY!

What were the biggest challenges when you knew your date would not be how you initially envisioned?

It was extremely hard and emotional to have our plans change so often in the months leading up to our wedding date. We had the whole wedding planned, but there came a point where we knew it would have to change. We were constantly thinking of new options and ideas on how we could get married in a safe and special way on June 13. We constantly had dozens of plans in the works.

What was your favorite moment of your day?

Milana’s favorite memory was reading a letter Kevin wrote to her before the ceremony. Kevin’s favorite memory was Milana walking down the aisle. We also both loved listening to our friends and family give speeches at the reception.

Who did you work with to make your day spectacular?

Our florists from Roses and Mint in Saint Charles were incredibly kind and flexible the entire time when our wedding plans were in the air. Our flowers were gorgeous too! Milana got her dress from Sincerely Yours Bridal in Manchester. The owner, Melanie, was so supportive! She helped get Milana’s dress to us and made sure it fit despite the coronavirus craziness. And finally, Karin and Roger drove all the way to Milana’s hometown to shoot our wedding. We had the best vendors who stuck by our side even in so much uncertainty.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We went to Seaside, Florida the day after the wedding!

Advice to future couples saying “I Do”:

If your wedding is being impacted by COVID-19, know that your day will be special no matter how many changes you have to make! Being together is what matters.

Enjoy even more of this beautiful, heartfelt day!