Wedding Day

1841 Farms and Vineyard

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like Sandy from Grease?""No, I don't think so." It should be no surprise that I turned him down when he asked me to get Chinese food the next day. Little did I know then, I'd be constantly eating Chinese food with him the rest of my life. What can I say? Nate loves some good fried rice. Despite what could have been an awkward start, we had a very natural and easy friendship. We stayed that way for several months - strictly, just friends. But we were friends who loved to stay in touch and give each other a hard time about football, particularly missed Vikings field goals. We were the kind of friends who would chat at every law school function and were always ready to meet up and make plans. That came in handy for me during the holiday vacation after our first semester of law school. My parents had only moved to Wisconsin a few years prior, and my only Wisconsin friends were in Madison. I knew Nate was still in town, and despite being over an hour away, he was the closest friend to me at that point in time. We spent the evening watching Planet Earth (because who doesn't love David Attenborough), and for the first time I learned about Nate's passion for travel, foreign relations, and all things bourbon. He drove me home and I remember feeling thankful I had at least one friend close enough to visit during the holiday break. I was surprised when he got out the car for a hug - we had never been the type of friends to do that. Needless to say, it was the best hug ever, and I spent the rest of vacation thrilled to have every class with him next semester. A few weeks later we went on (what we only recently determined to be) our first date. Nothing says romance like a grocery trip to HyVee. Of course, Chinese food was involved again. Shortly thereafter, we spent every Sunday together, sat by each other in every class, and eventually admitted to ourselves that we were dating. Lots of memories fill the space between then and now: trips to Chicago, camping around Wisconsin, Brewers games, introducing Nate to my family in Minnesota, lots of NFL football, long walks, and even more Chinese food. We managed a long-distance relationship as Nate accepted a position with the Department of State and began months of training during the second wave of the pandemic. Despite the distance, we felt as confident in our relationship as ever. It became clear where things were heading for us. In July of 2021, Nate proposed at The Boathouse in Madison - the same place he officially asked me to be his girlfriend. As we walked toward the dock, it became apparent what was about to happen. He stood back up so quickly that I asked him to kneel back down so I could take it in a bit longer. Of course, he obliged. Since then, time has been a blink. We graduated law school, and are both working full-time. I am working in Chicago and Nate is wherever the Department of State tells him to go that week. The love and support from so many of our family and friends led us to each other. That fact is not lost on us. As part of our appreciation for how you all have touched our lives, we hope you can join us on August 5th, 2022, to celebrate our friendship, love, and marriage. With love,Nate and Kate

Like any good love story, it began with a failed pickup line. 

Our Story

Photos

Katie's only sister, cat owner, speech language pathologist, yoga guru. 

Jennifer Cameron

Nathan's only brother, ultimate Bucks fan, engineer, and UW alum.

Justin Derge

Katie's cousin, self-proclaimed Disney-adult, former college athlete, and everyone's favorite party host. 

Grace Rath

Nate's childhood friend, Loras graduate, drinking buddy, avid Brewers fan. 

Peter Hartwig

Katie's eldest cousin, doctor, Beyonce lover, and Isla's mom. 

Jackie Kirihara

State Department bud, cocktail connoisseur, and Nate's personal ski patrol. 

Jeff Cook

Katie's law school roommate, Moulin Rouge lover, an excellent cook, and our personal litigator.  

Olivia Schwartz

Marine Corps comrade, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design graduate, and all things motorcycles. 

Gordy Russell

Katie's Kappa sister, cat mom, public defender, and the most selfless of friends. 

Abby Hean

Marine Corps comrade, Cole's dad, proud Texan, and Cowboys die hard.  

Gavin Nichols

Katie's law school go-to, certified Swiftie, travel-lover,  and everyone's favorite bartender. 

Harper Brown

Marine Corps comrade, Flo-baby's pup dad, former roomie, and Nate's Milwaukeean go-to. 

Katie & Nathan

Katie & Nathan

Photos