The Wheeler House and Barn

Wedding Day

Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Reception

Sparkler Exit

Our Wedding

Taylor and Kait first met in Downtown Tampa in May of 2021. The two shared some laughs, a few cocktails, and a genuine conversation about the mundane 2020 prior. Easy to say, the two hit it off immediately. Taylor and Kait both knew from the start that they had stumbled across something big by finding each other. However, Taylor wouldn't be staying in Florida for long as he was set to be stationed out of Fort Campbell with the Special Forces. Fortunately, Taylor and Kait both thought this would only add to their adventure together and the rest is history.&nbsp; Taylor and Kait travel often to see each other. Some of their favorite memories include: Swimming in lake Minnetonka, strolling down Duval Street in Key West, ordering tequila shots in Nashville, ice skating in Atlanta, hiking in Honolulu, and of course - meeting on the water in the heart of downtown Tampa. If you ask Kait's mom she'll tell you the first time she met Taylor she knew he was the one for Kait. In fact, she even called Kait's aunts right after meeting Taylor to say so. Turns out, she was right. Taylor proposed to Kait in July of 2022. She had no idea he had managed to sneak the ring into his house let alone into his pocket. The two went out to dinner at their favorite restaurant and this was then followed by a moonlight stroll in historic downtown Clarksville. When it was just the two of them next to old clock towers and willow trees, Taylor asked Kait to marry him. Needless to say, Kait said yes. We can't wait to celebrate our love for one another with you at our wedding ceremony and reception in May.

The Story of Taylor and Kait 

Our Story

Photos

Kaitlyn and Jen first met in downtown Tampa when they were randomly assigned to be roommates in the penthouse suite at the University of Tampa. The two quickly became partners in crime and bonded over glasses of red wine and the challenge of trying to figure life out at 21. It’s been 7 years since then and Kaitlyn and Jen have shared so much from nights at Howl-o-scream and MacDinton's together to standing side by side on Jen’s wedding day in New York City and now recently to watching Jen’s little girl Amelia get ready to turn one. We love Jen for how incredibly kind and giving her heart is. Look for Jen on our wedding day, she’ll be the one who always has what you need- be it words of wisdom, a lighthearted joke, or a box of tissues and a glass of wine.

Jen 

Daaneyal and I (Taylor) met in 8th grade math class at Bridgewater Middle School in 2007. Unfortunately for the rest of the class, our ridiculous senses of humor lined up immediately, and we've been friends ever since. In high school our specialty was skipping Spanish class, which we always managed to schedule together, and sneak off to find any excuse not to be on campus. Our junior year Daaneyal managed to convince me to play a year of water polo (I was terrible) and at UF I followed him into the same fraternity. There's a lot of stories in all of those years, so bring us a couple drinks and ask us to do "the laugh", we'll tell you a few.

Daaneyal

Kaitlyn and Alex met thanks to Taylor. After spending the afternoon showing Kait all of the places where he grew up in Orlando Taylor planned a dinner for Kait to meet his sister Alex. Kait loved Alex instantly from how kind, utterly authentic, and bold she was. It’s been over two years since that dinner and Kait is still ecstatic every time she gets to spend some time with Alex - whether it be discussing the purpose of life over a glass of wine, hitting Broadway in Nashville together, or bonding over getting out of some laborious task Taylor has asked them all to do. We love Alex for how fearless, genuine, and loving she is. Look for Alex on our wedding day, she’ll be there to absolutely light up any room you’re in.

Alex

Gardner and I (Taylor) met at the University of Florida back in 2012. It turned out that we both were in the same degree program and had the same study habits, which included waiting until the last minute and binging through 72 hour panic sessions in empty lecture halls, frantically filling chalk boards with what we hoped was solid math. We've been friends ever since, and he's been an incredible friend helping me plan for a life outside of the Army. Find Gardner and ask him what he thinks thinks about my future as a golf instructor.

Gardner 

Kaitlyn and Maranda met in Raleigh when she and her husband Ray joined Taylor and Kait at a local fair.  From that point onward it became very clear the four would be close friends. They would collectively go on to go ice skating on rooftops in Atlanta together, spend New Year's Eve blasting fireworks in Taylor and Kait's backyard in Nashville, and make many drives across Georgia to hang out for a weekend. Ultimately what started as a friendship between the four of them quickly led to a genuine and deep shared understanding of life between Maranda and Kait. Today Maranda and Kait share long phone calls about different things they may be going through, trade makeup and clothes in the bathroom together before going out in Nashville, and sing and dance in the living room together over the holidays. We love Maranda for how sincere, valiant, and kind-hearted she is. Look for Maranda on our wedding day, she will be the first person to tell you to get up out on the dance floor and to clink your glass with hers for a cheers. 

Maranda

Ray was literally the first person I (Taylor) met in the military. At 30th AG at Fort Benning in 2017, I discovered that the bunk I was assigned to came with a bunkmate. We looked at each other, gave the typical nod, and immediately got to talking about how much working out we had done to get ready for what we had coming. We stayed good friends through Basic, and all of the Special Forces Q course, golfing and hanging out to stay sane through the chaos. His apartment with his wife Maranda was always my home away from the barracks, and the three of us became awesome friends through a lot of days and nights spent just killing time in good old Fayetteville. He's a new business owner now, ask him all about it.

Ray (Ashton)

Kaitlyn and Shannon first met at Kaitlyn’s first job- working at David’s Bridal in Spring Hill. The two had seen each other around highschool before though and it didn't take them long to realize they'd soon and very easily be good friends. Shannon and Kaitlyn have been friends for nearly a decade now and in that time they’ve seen each other through all the highs and lows of life and stood next to each other through all of them. One of Kaitlyn's favorite memories is the day she and Shannon got stuck in a torrential downpour at Disney Springs and the two spent hours laughing as they were drenched and stranded in dinosaur ponchos. We love Shannon for her ruthless sarcasm and unyielding compassion for those she loves. Look for Shannon on our wedding day, she'll be the one to surprise you with a quick-witted quip. 

Shannon 

Alex and I (Taylor) were top bunk neighbors at Basic Training back in 2017, and barracks roommates through almost all of our Special Forces training at Fort Bragg. We would have gone through the whole pipeline together, but Alex fell victim to a small wildlife mishap that is now the stuff of legend at Camp Mackall. Through the grind of it all, Alex and I eventually made it through the Q course with the same job in two different parts of the country, still great friends all the same. I got to be at Alex's wedding to his wife Sam back in 2020, and it's awesome to have him with us for ours.

Kaitlyn and Jenna also met at Kaitlyn's first job where they soon learned there was not a single thing work could throw at them- be it a bride in a full-on meltdown, a botched supply order, or an insubordinate employee - that the two of them couldn't take on together. This led them to spend many years working together in various roles across four different David's Bridal locations and by the end of it the two had developed a lasting friendship. Kaitlyn and Jenna have seen each other through a little bit of everything and from it, they've become close and lasting friends. Kaitlyn was there the morning Jenna found out she was pregnant and Jenna was there in the middle of the night when Kaitlyn called and needed a friend. We love Jenna for how loyal and compassionate her heart is. Look for Jenna on our wedding day - she'll be the first one to tell you to take your heels off when your feet hurt and to stop contemplating it and grab another drink. 

Jenna

Eric and I (Taylor) met on day one of Basic Training sometime in June of 2017 at Fort Benning. There's a great story that goes with how we all got to know old Eric, but it's one for the big day. Eric left our group for a little while between Fort Benning and Fort Bragg due to some unfortunate and nonsensical administrative circumstances, but when we got back together, things picked right back up. We were friends all throughout our time at Fort Bragg, playing golf, going to the beach, and hanging out to get through it all. Then in 2022 something awesome happened and Eric decided to figure out the beginning of his civilian life in TN as as a roommate in my new house. We've had a blast in Clarksville together, even though both of us are itching for somewhere closer to an ocean.

Eric

Kaitlyn and Kalee met at David’s Bridal in downtown Tampa. Kaitlyn and Jenna were both there the exact day Kalee was hired and both of them were very curious as to who the fiery redhead running around like she owned the place was- and well it turns out it was Kalee who just so happened to be an absolute firecracker of a human. Kaitlyn and Kalee are often inseparable and if you ask Kalee's husband Tony he'll be the first to tell you when the two meet up they often work as catalysts for chaos. We love Kalee for how absolutely daring and authentic she is. Look for Kalee on our wedding day, she’ll be there to dance on top of a table or two with you. 

Kalee 

Regan and I (Taylor) met at some point in our medical training pipeline, although I'm not sure either of us could tell you exactly where it was. One fateful day, Alex Placido decided to go and get married and leave poor Taylor alone in the barracks. To fill the void, I reached out to another fellow lonely barracks dweller that I knew, Regan, and she agreed. We (probably illegally) packed up her old barracks room and dragged everything over to the new place to set up shop. Then COVID happened, and a real friendship was formed. For the next few months we let our vitamin D levels get dangerously low while we social distanced and got better and better at playing Call of Duty Warzone and drinking White Claws. Luckily we got to stay roommates through language school, and we're now neighbors in Clarksville, where Regan will make surprise visits on the way home from work because: why use gas station bathrooms when your buddy's house is on the way home too?

Regan

Wedding Party

Q + A

Hampton Inn Atlanta-Canton

Hotel Block

If you're interested in getting to know northern Georgia, we recommend some time spent immersed in nature. One option is to book a trail ride with Georgia Frontiers where you can ride horses through the forests and trails of Georgia.

Georgia Frontiers

For our movie buffs, and history fans, we invite you to tour the Swan house in Atlanta. The historic mansion has been featured in: Stranger Things, The Hunger Games, and The Walking Dead.

Swan House at Atlanta History Center

For those of you who are nature buffs or who are simply interested in getting away from the city, we invite you to hike Robert's Lake. The trail has a variety of lake and water features and is described as moderate difficulty, taking about 38 minutes to complete. For those who would enjoy a simpler hike, a paved trail is located nearby at Eagle's Beak Paved Walking Trail.

Robert’s Lake Trailhead

For those who love a variety of food and local handmade trinkets -Ponce City Market is a local market on the outskirts of Atlanta. The Market offers a variety of some of the most trendy food stalls featuring culinary diverse foods as well as local vendors and artists. It's a great place to shop for locally made gifts and to grab a bite to eat.

Ponce City Market

For the animal lovers of the group, the Georgia Aquarium exhibits hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, including the only whale shark exhibit on our half of the planet. You can buy tickets online, and enjoy cruising through the entire aquarium in just a couple of hours.

Kaitlyn & Taylor

Kaitlyn & Taylor

Photos