Wedding Day

Saint Augustin's Catholic Church

Confession

Ceremony

Adoration

Des Moines Marriott Downtown

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

Somehow I lost the coin flip and Kat has deemed that the groom will be writing “Our Story”   The first time I remember meeting Kat was in August of 2023. “Trad Nate” was introducing me, and I thought she was beautiful to say the least. Long skirt, nice hair, and fun red cowboy boot earrings. As cute as she was, our relationship would not come to fruition until quite a while later. Near the end of the year, I found my eyes falling on Kat’s beauty more often than usual. I was fortunate enough to witness her interior beauty as well. I would see her at daily mass, praying in adoration, or just spending time with friends at the church.   The Lord seemed to be drawing us together as our paths continued to cross as time went on. On one particular Sunday, there was a group of Iowa State students attending a Traditional Latin Mass at St Augustin’s in Des Moines which is the location of our wedding! Afterward, I was invited to the Amundson residence for Margaritas. A classic Sunday evening for my new family. When I arrived at their house, I made a game time decision. I reasoned that I would probably ask Kat out, so I decided to introduce myself to her father. From that point on, I was known to him as flow.   The tipping point happened after a TNL. For those who don’t know, TNL stands for Thursday Night Liturgy, and it is the student mass at the Iowa State Newman Center. Following mass, we tend to go out to the bars like the good Irish Catholics we are. On this particular night, I felt that God was speaking to me through His gift of fermentation. I was talking to Kat all night. She looked so cute in her boys size small Lucky Charms shirt. We were at Outlaws, and afterwards we decided to go to Macubana for a little late night snack. On the walk there, I asked Nate for the green light, he said yes, and I decided that I would ask Kat on a date the next day. When we arrived at Macubana, we were seated in a booth and our friend and bridesmaid, Helena, was sitting next to Kat. It was at this moment that the liquid courage started to take effect and I decided that now would be a great time to squeeze myself in between Helena and Kat making my intentions quite clear.   The next day, I went on a run because I was so stressed. I called my mom and my dad separately, and both of them gave me the same advice. I went to mass, then I asked her out and she said…no. Kinda, she said she was busy that night, but she would love to go on a date the following Tuesday. So we went on our date, and it was wonderful! Our first date consisted of hanging out at Gray’s Lake, eating Casey’s pizza, and watching the first movie of Kat’s favorite saga, Twilight.    We had a brief time together before I went off to Colorado and Kat began her internship for the summer. The summer consisted of constant texts, phone calls, and letters. It was such a joy to be able to take this time to grow closer to Christ while reflecting deeply on our relationship. This time led us to a deep faith in Christ and a deep love of each other.  When I returned to Iowa to start school again, I was sure I wanted to marry my sweet Katherine. It was only a matter of time. After lots of conversations, prayer, and discernment, I asked Kat to be my wife. It was a wonderful day, and God’s providence was in full effect.   The day I proposed was January 1, 2025, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. That was the day of our consecration to Mary. The end of a 33-day prayer retreat about growing closer to Jesus through devotion to our Blessed Mother. Someone Kat and I love dearly. On the day of our proposal, I took her out to dinner under the guise of this consecration. In this way, I was able to avoid suspicion for the whole day. I took her out to dinner, and we got Mexican and margaritas, her favorite. Then we went to the Cathedral of the Madeleine to “pray”. To clarify, we did not travel the 15 hours from Des Moines to Salt Lake City, Utah just for the proposal. We were already there for the Catholic SEEK conference. We briefly prayed, and then I proposed. On our way back, we stopped for a quick photo with Joseph Smith. Then we ran into Fr Casey, the man who will celebrate our wedding, and he blessed the engagement ring! It was truly a wonderful day and I am so blessed to be engaged to Kat. We are counting down the days to our wedding and continuing to pray for the outpouring of God's love and mercy and ask you to do the same for us.   God bless!

Our Story

JESUS!!! WOOOOOOO!

What to Expect

The Catholic Mass is the highest form of worship, centered on the Holy Eucharist, which we believe is the true Body and Blood of Christ. Within this sacred liturgy, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage, exchanging vows that are not just promises to each other, but a covenant before God—binding, sacred, and strengthened by His grace. Every part of this Mass has been chosen with intention. The Scripture readings reflect the beauty and duty of marriage, and the hymns are traditional, timeless, and God-centered. Throughout the Mass, there will be moments of standing, sitting, and kneeling, which Catholics do as a sign of reverence and participation in the prayers of the Church. We are honored to begin our life together in this way, surrounded by faith and the presence of God.

Confession Before the Wedding

To prepare our hearts for this sacred day, Confession will be available at 11:15 AM. If you are Catholic, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation before entering into the celebration of the Mass.

Adoration After the Wedding

Our very first date began in the best way possible—at Mass, followed by a Holy Hour. Before we even really got to know each other through conversation, we spent almost two hours together in silence before God. That quiet foundation of prayer set the tone for our relationship, and it only feels right to begin our marriage the same way. After the ceremony, we will spend our first moments as husband and wife in Eucharistic Adoration for 30 minutes. This is our way of placing Christ at the center of our marriage, offering our gratitude, and asking for His grace in this new vocation. You are welcome to stay and pray with us or quietly reflect before heading to the celebration. We invite you to enter into this sacred moment with us, whether in prayer, reflection, or simply by being present.

Communion: Who Can Receive?

Holy Communion is for practicing Catholics in a state of grace (meaning baptized, confirmed, and not conscious of mortal sin). If you are not Catholic or are not prepared to receive, we ask that you either remain seated or come forward with your arms crossed over your chest for a blessing.&nbsp;

We invite you to join us for an evening of celebration at the Des Moines Marriott, where we will continue the joy of the day with good food, lively conversation, and dancing. You can choose to arrive at 4 or earlier after the wedding ceremony. Cocktail Hour | 4:00 PMUpon arrival, you are welcome to settle in, enjoy a drink, and mingle with fellow guests. Dinner | 5:00 PMDinner will be served as we gather together to share a meal in gratitude and celebration. Dancing &amp; Festivities | 6:00 PMOnce dinner concludes, the dance floor will open, and the evening’s festivities will begin. Whether you plan to dance the night away or simply enjoy the company of family and friends, we look forward to sharing this special evening with you. We are so grateful to have you with us on this joyous occasion and cannot wait to celebrate together!

Hank Esker

Katherine Amundson

Nathaniel Amundson

Anna Esker

Paul Esker

Mary Esker

Jackson Esker

Helena Erickson  

Bryce Carter

Audra Wilkinson

Corbyn Myller

Kaitlyn Hoyme

Joey Whitehill

Marissa Piper

Wesley Jansen

Elizabeth Jansen

Fr Casey Flack

Wedding Party

The photo the ISU students took after the Traditional Latin Mass, afterwards we went back to the Amundson's for margaritas

Here we are completing our Marian Consecration

Hank brought me around to stand in front of the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe and went down on one knee!

The friends who were there to help make it happen! (Thank you to The Very Reverend Martin Diaz for letting us into the locked Cathedral)

We were in Salt Lake City (land of the Mormons), obviously we needed a picture in front of Joseph Smith

Ran into Fr. Casey (the man who will be celebrating our wedding) and he blessed our engagement!

Photos

In order to get your room at a discounted rate, please click on the blue Website button below. Or you can copy and paste this link in your web browser:https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1739211288906&amp;key=GRP&amp;guestreslink2=true&amp;app=resvlink We have the blocked dates available from October 16 - October 19. Guests will only need to confirm/enter their arrival date to begin the reservation process, and the reduced rate of $149.00 king bed and $159.00 for 2 queen beds will automatically be presented/selected. You can also call Marriotts reservations department at 800.514.4681. Please keep in mind the cutoff date for guests to make reservations with this rate is Friday, September 26th, 2025.

Hotel

What to do with the time gap?

Adoration wraps up around 2 PM, and cocktail hour kicks off at 4 PM… so what to do in between? You're more than welcome to head to the Marriott early and get the party started! If you're up for exploring, there’s plenty to do around Des Moines—check out a local sports bar to catch some football, or if the weather’s nice, take a stroll around Gray’s Lake, the spot of our first date! Look below for more info on bars and restaurants.

5 minute drive from St. Augustin's and 3 minute drive to the Marriott. Good spot to drink, eat, and watch a football game!"Casual brewery offering many craft beers, plus comfort eats and a modern patio."

Big Grove Brewery & Taproom

2 minute drive from St. Augustin's and 7 minute drive from the Marriott. "A small, neighborhood cocktail bar serving craft cocktails, unique wines &amp; beer alongside homemade bites"

The Bartender's Handshake

8 minute drive from St. Augustin's and 4 minute drive from the Marriott. "Secret Admirer is a quaint and airy indoor bar with a skyline facing urban/garden/park-inspired patio."

Secret Admirer

3 minute drive from St. Augustin's and 5 minutes to the Marriott. Small sports bar atmosphere. "Casual option for burgers, wings, and other American fare, plus happy hours."

The Station On Ingersoll

Enjoy a walk around Gray’s Lake on a beautiful October afternoon! This spot is special to us—it was an activity on our first date. We shared a paddle board (not exactly allowed, and we got scolded for it) and ended up in the water, so we took a long walk to dry off. Its a 7 minute drive from St. Augustin's and 6 minute drive to the Marriott.

Gray's Lake Park

3 minute drive from St. Augustin's and 5 minutes to the Marriott. "Cozy pub with an extensive selection of beer, cocktails, and happy-hour specials, plus wings."

Wellman's Pub

Things to Do

Registry

<a href="https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1739211288906&amp;key=GRP&amp;guestreslink2=true&amp;app=resvlink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Click here to book your Marriott room</a>

We are registered at Williams Sonoma/Pottery Barn, Crate &amp; Barrel, Etsy, and Target.Your presence is the greatest gift — thank you for celebrating with us!

<a href="https://www.williams-sonoma.com/registry/5hknpwncpr/registry-list.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">William Sonoma</a>

Katherine & Hank