America Planned Their Entire Wedding and it Turned Out Amazing!

Stephanie Weers
April 8, 2016
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance
Tags: Real Wedding, today show

You watched (and voted!) as SMP helped dress Kaitlin for the Big Day, and now this sweet couple is spilling all the details of their TODAY Show wedding. They’re sharing exactly what it’s like to be married on live TV (no pressure, right?) with Joey Fatone as officiant to your “on the move” sidewalk ceremony. It’s an untraditional day with loads of love, laughter, style and heart, and you can see it all in The Vault!

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SMP: Why did you and John initially decide to apply for the Today Show wedding?

Kaitlin: We got engaged on TV on New Year’s Eve (live on the Chicago countdown!) and it was the most fun experience. As we began to write our guest list, we realized how expensive and overwhelming it is to plan and pay for a big wedding with both of our families. We began doing more research and came across the Big Fat TODAY Wedding contest, and we thought that would perfect! We have a big fat Italian family, so why not enter a contest inspired by big, tight-knit families?! We filmed a video of us writing our long guest list (with John’s Italian mom in it, of course) and tried to make our submission video authentic to our situation.

SMP: Tell us, what was it like to have America plan your Big Day?

Kaitlin: It was fantastic! America has great taste! Everyone was very supportive of our experience. John would read the comments online and they seemed to always support us and show excitement for our story. We had fun with it, and our families and friends loved being able to be a part of the process, too. Not having to plan the wedding was a dream! Also, my sister blogged the whole journey which will be fun to look back on.

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SMP: What was it like being married on LIVE television?

Kaitlin: It was really exciting! Everything was fast paced and memorable. And getting married by Joey Fatone is an N’SYNC fan’s dream come true! Such a fun twist. We were left in the dark about all the details of the ceremony and reception until our rehearsal, so we just went with it and had a great time.

SMP: Driven to the day by Carson Daly, Serenaded by Andy Grammer, Married by Joey Fatone on a NYC sidewalk, tell us how you felt going into the Big Day?

Kaitlin: I wasn’t nervous – we had rehearsed that run about four times before the big moment so I knew what to expect. One thing that did make me a bit worried was that it was my first time wearing my dress. I didn’t want anyone to step on it and I hoped that I wouldn’t trip on the train during the spins in our dance! But everything went smoothly and I could feel the love from everyone there.

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SMP: Any favorite moments of the day?

Kaitlin: Our favorite moments were the ceremony and our first dance. The ceremony was just really fun! The whole thing was only three and a half minutes from start to finish. To be able to sing and run through the streets of New York being serenaded by Andy Grammer was the best part for us. We laughed the whole way down the aisle. And our first dance was a fun moment in the making. We were sent to a dance class downtown on 14th Street and got so into the whole process. We even requested a second session just to make sure that we got it right and we enjoyed every minute of it! It was one of the things that we got to do on our own and we had so much fun performing it together.

SMP: If you could do it all over again, would you?

Kaitlin: Definitely! The most fun part was the experience itself. It was really special to be featured on the show every day. We worked with so many fantastic people and everyone was so kind and welcoming. The producers worked so hard to make this day memorable and their hard work made it that much more special.

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SMP: Although you were married with America watching, were there still some details you managed to keep super personal?

Kaitlin: Yes, for sure. Many of them involved my dad, who recently passed away this past September. On the inside of my dress, the wardrobe crew sewed in a heart shape from my dad’s shirt and tie. That was my something blue. They also had a table for two set for my dad, which made me cry the second I saw it. And while America voted on almost all the details, John and I got to choose all of the the appetizers and menu items.

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SMP: Describe what it felt like to going from engaged to married in less than 4 minutes?

Kaitlin: That was exactly what we wanted! We will have been together 5 years this month. So by the time we got engaged, we couldn’t wait to begin a life together as husband and wife. We also always hoped for a less traditional wedding, and this was definitely it.

SMP: What’s one piece of advice you’d want Brides everywhere to know?

Kaitlin: It’s not about the party and all the stuff—it’s about the two of you! And cherishing those moments when you are together that day. That will be the part that you remember and hold close to your heart.