PETE & KATIE VANNATTA

MARRIED JULY 4, 2016, AT FLATHEAD LUTHERAN BIBLE CAMP IN LAKESIDE, MONTANA

HOW DID YOU MEET?

I met my husband through his grandmother. She asked if I was dating anyone and told me all about my future husband. I was living in Kalispell and he was in Bozeman, so she gave me all of his contact information as well as a picture and hassled me to contact him until I finally went to Bozeman and had coffee with him. The rest is history!

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING VENDORS?

I grew up going to Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp and thought it would be great to have people stay the weekend. We were living in Bozeman, so we went with Bozeman shops for our outfits. For my dress I had to go to Styletheaisle because they have the most beautiful dresses and the staff is just the best around. I found my photographer online and had a referral for Persnickety from a friend.

TELL US YOUR FONDEST MEMORY FROM THE BIG DAY!

I grew up going to Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp and thought it would be great to have people stay the weekend. We were living in Bozeman, so we went with Bozeman shops for our outfits. For my dress I had to go to Styletheaisle because they have the most beautiful dresses and the staff is just the best around. I found my photographer online and had a referral for Persnickety from a friend.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE?

I thought I would save money on not having a DJ and I really regretted it. I think having someone there to make announcements, take requests and just control the flow of the party aspect of the wedding would have been very nice to have.

HOW IS MARRIED LIFE TREATING YOU?

Married life just seems like normal life. It seems like we have always been together, in a great way. Before I met Pete I was always imagining what type of man I would marry, what that life together would look like, our children, jobs, etc. Now the I have met Pete and we share our lives together life just seems very natural and content. He is my best friend and I couldn't ask for a better partner in life. I think that the most important thing for us is to always talk through our issues, even small ones. Like so many other great couples, our goal is to never go to bed angry, 'That is really hard to do, but it honestly helps our relationship. We make a big move right after our wedding and it has been though, but having Pete has made every moment worth it.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE AS A COUPLE?

We plan to buy a house. We just got approved for a home loan and are starting to look at the possibilities. We are almost 30 and I am starting to feel like an actual adult for the first time! Of course we want a puppy and a couple of awesome kids. As a couple, we are very excited to what the future holds and excited to do it as a team!

WHO WAS THE PERSON THAT WAS MOST HELPFUL TO YOU IN THE PLANNING PROCESS AND WHY?

I am a meeting planner so I thought I could handle it all on my own. I did a pretty good job of it all, but of course I need the help of my mom and my bridesmaids! My mom is very crafty and we both spend a lot of time making paper flowers for all of the tables. We thought it would add a nice touch. She helped me pick out my dress, and helped me talk through things when I needed to. It was such a joy to be able to lean on her during such a big event in my life and for us to grow closer together. The day of the wedding my bridesmaid helped me so much and I am so grateful. They all say how calm I was that day, but really it was because of everyone else taking care of things so I could be calm! My husband also helped a great deal. He addressed all of the invitations, wrote a lot of thank you notes, helped me with my stress and had a lot of great input. I am a very blessed and humble bride lor everyone's help-no one can do it alone!

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