select category
June 21, 2019

Kristy & Norman

After a whirlwind courtship, Kristy and Norman were married in a lovely backyard wedding in Neenah, Wisconsin. To say I felt honored and privileged to be part of this day would be an understatement!

Both the bride and groom lost their previous spouses to cancer in the past few years. From much sorrow and mourning now comes much joy and celebration! I praise God for his plans and provisions that surpass our understanding. Kristy wanted the relaxed atmosphere of their special day to place focus on Jesus and, she said, “the realization that this story is written by Him and He has orchestrated every bit of it!”

After being introduced by mutual friends online and connecting through Caring Bridge, Kristy and Norman finally met in person this past January. Their first official meeting, not yet a date, happened when Norman made the drive from his home in Wisconsin to Kristy’s in Minnesota. They spent the day chatting at a coffee shop for a couple hours followed by Ethiopian food for dinner.

Norman and Kristy very quickly realized God had set them aside for each other. Over spring break this year, Norman surprised Kristy by arriving a few days early for a visit with Kristy’s family in Pennsylvania. He snuck into the home Kristy’s family was renting for the week and proposed to her in a gazebo on the property. Kristy was expecting the proposal but was taken completely by surprise when Norman actually did it!

Kristy and Norman are both adventurous and love being outside. They also love investing in others and spending time with family and friends. It makes sense that their quick engagement period was filled with memories of spending time visiting extended family and each other’s children, motorcycle rides, spending their spring breaks together, and endless weekends traveling back and forth between Wisconsin and Minnesota. They simply did life together!

The couple’s combined seven children made up their entire wedding party. What better way to start your new life together, than surrounded by those you love most?

Though there were about 200 guests, Kristy and Norman wanted to keep the wedding casual and simple and have it be very much focussed on family and friends. Children were definitely invited to this wedding! The ceremony and reception took place in the gorgeous backyard of Norman’s brother-in-law. Kristy wanted to create a “family-oriented environment where people would feel good about bringing their kids.”

The couple honored their late spouses, Dan and Katie, in several meaningful ways.

A reception filled with fresh fruits, cream puffs, crudités and (most importantly) chocolates imported directly from Belgium by the bride’s parents? Yes, please! Speeches by each of Norman and Kristy’s children were thoughtful, hilarious, touching, and dripping with love.

Did I mention there were lots of adorable families at this wedding?!

The bride’s dress from David’s Bridal was creamy and elegant, and the bridesmaids wore various styles of dresses in navy blue. The ladies all wore Toms shoes and the boys had fun socks matching their personalities. Norman wore a pair of socks Kristy had custom made that featured a photo of the family dog, Barkley. The flowers were created by a close family friend, Julie, and reflected the low-key, simple themes of the day.

With Kristy and Norman living 5 hours apart, the biggest challenges in planning their wedding day were time constraints and the busyness of normal life with kids. Now, a move of Norman’s family to Minnesota is in order.

I loved the couple’s send-off: wildflowers! Their fun getaway vehicle, the Scout, has been used as a hunting vehicle in Norman’s family by four generations. Kristy and Norman are headed for a romantic, relaxed honeymoon at a family lake house.

These amazing vendors were also part of the big day:
Wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal
Veil: Amazon
Ladies shoes: Toms Shoes
Bride’s Jewelry: Kohls
Hair and Make-up: The Salon Professional Academy in Appleton, WI
Florist: The couple’s friend, Julie Parr
Rentals: Fox Cities Party Rental
Accommodations: Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel


You might also like