Each month, one lucky couple wins $500 off of their wedding rentals, and we can’t wait to introduce you to our September winners, Karyn and Kevin! We spoke with the beautiful bride-to-be Karyn for all the details on her and Kevin’s love story, their wedding plans, and more!

Where did you and your fiancé meet?

At one point in college, Kevin lived with 3 roommates who all went to high school together in Crystal River, FL. My best friend at the time was high school sweethearts with Kevin’s roommate, so we had crossed paths on occasion but never really got serious, until…

Date number one was the former L.A. Hangout, which at one point was a staple of Tampa college life. Kevin invited me to see a local band there with his roommates and other friends (the band: The Offshore Riot).  I was over an hour late because I “got lost,” a.k.a. drove around the nearby neighborhoods debating whether to show up.

I am so thankful I did.  Magic happened… The rest is history.

How did you know he was the one for you?

The moment I knew I was in love with him was at the beginning of our relationship, about 6 months or so in. We didn’t spend the holidays together that year; our relationship was still new, and he had gone to his Grandma’s in Rhode Island for Christmas. All of his mom’s family would gather at Grandma’s for the holidays. He told me that since Grandpa passed away (several years ago), Grandma had been making a “honey-do” list for him. She would keep the list and add to it as the year would go on. When Kevin got there for the holidays, he would work on the things on the list.

The way Kevin talked about the honey-do list was with pride; he felt honored to be able to take care of his Grandma. I thought that might be the sweetest thing I had ever heard… I mean, I knew he was a good guy, but seriously?!

I had always heard, find a man that takes good care of the women in his life (Mom, Grandma, etc) and you’ll find yourself a loving husband. Marry that one… And here we are 🙂

What are the things you have in common?

We love to go see live music. We are big fans of the reggae rock genre, but live music in general is always a favorite date night.

We also have a love for dogs. Our pup, Dexter, was rescued just a few months into our relationship. I was driving home from work one night and saw him on the side of the road. It was just before Christmas and it was really cold. So I pulled over and he climbed in my car. Dexter has been our furbaby ever since… he is the best, sweetest dog ever.

How did he propose?

Kevin’s proposal was so thoughtful… it was everything I could have hoped for.

On our 6 year anniversary, his gift to me were plane tickets on Allegiant Airlines to Asheville to see my family. I was so overjoyed; I would get to see my nieces. My sister even sent a video right after I had opened the plane tickets, of my niece singing (in the best 3 year old voice EVER) “I loooooove you, Auntie Carrot!!” She calls me Auntie Carrot because Karyn was tough to pronounce at first. I like Carrot better, anyways. I must have watched it a dozen times the week leading up to our trip, so excited to see my family and take a trip with my favorite person, ever.

Fast forward to Friday and we are supposed to fly out. We have our bags packed and are standing in the living room of our apartment, about to walk out the door with our luggage and head to the St. Petersburg Airport. Kevin gets an email on his phone. “Uh oh,” he says, looking really concerned. Allegiant cancelled our flight 3 hours before we were supposed to take off. I was absolutely devastated. There were no other options for flights; we would have to book a different weekend. I was so excited to see my family, so another weekend was distressing. Before I could let the disappointed tears flow, without hesitation, Kevin said, “Well, I guess we’re driving!”

He had planned to propose up in the mountains, so he was not going to let Allegiant ruin it.

I was thrilled. I love taking road trips with him. All of that uninterrupted time with my favorite person! So we got on the road. We made it there Saturday morning. My mom had planned a family cookout at the house that night so that I would get time with my nieces and other family in the area. There were burgers, s’mores, my favorite Ace Joker Cider – it was a perfect evening.

We were sitting by the bonfire when Kevin got up to go inside the house. All of a sudden, I got a text message – “come inside.” I was so confused, thinking, why do I need to go inside? It was a weird thing for him to text me.

I walked inside, and he came from around the corner. He got down on one knee in my Mom’s kitchen. I was in complete shock. How did I not know this was happening?! He knew I would want to talk to my mom and sister as soon as he proposed… and when he proposed, I was floating. It was like nothing I’ve ever felt… like your heart will explode and you can’t sleep because real life is so much better than anything you could dream of.

What part of your wedding day are you looking forward to most?

I can’t wait for the moment I’m walking down the aisle and we make eye contact. He is the most amazing person and I can’t wait to marry him.

What is the inspiration for your wedding colors?

Our wedding color palette is burgundy, eggplant, raspberry and blush pink. It’s the perfect romantic palette for a fall wedding.

That sounds gorgeous, Karyn! We can’t wait for your wedding, and congratulations again on being our September winners!

Are you getting married soon? Tell us your story for a chance to win $500 off your wedding rentals with us! Click here!

Photographer credit: Regina as the Photographer