For Navy couple Kate and Joe, love was found amidst the hustle and bustle of their service life in San Diego. Joe, deep in training, and Kate, serving as a dedicated Navy nurse, carved out time for memorable evenings bar hopping in Little Italy. The spark was immediate, leading them to build a life together that took them from California to Virginia Beach. Joe’s proposal at Barboursville Winery was perfectly imperfect—marked by laughter as he accidentally opened the ring box upside down.
Fast forward to their dream wedding at the Twickenham House in North Carolina, where the Blue Ridge Mountains provided a breathtaking backdrop. Under an arch adorned with moody pinks, deep reds, and pampas grass, they said their vows. Kate’s lace-sleeved gown and elegant bun tucked with roses added an air of romance, while Joe and his groomsmen’s navy suits perfectly complemented the fall hues. Their reception, steeped in warm, rustic charm with candlelight and greenery, echoed their love story—full of depth, laughter, and beauty.
How did you meet?
(Kate’s POV)
It started with a right swipe! Joe and I matched on Bumble (Tinder’s classier cousin) in 2017 while we were both in the Navy and stationed in San Diego. Joe was in training and I was working as a Navy Nurse. We agreed to meet up in Little Italy and spent the whole night bar hopping and talking! I was immediately hooked by those baby blue eyes!! We spent an incredible two years together in San Diego and were able to both choose orders to Virginia Beach, Virginia where we currently live!
What is your proposal story?
(Joe’s POV)
So there we were, at the Barboursville Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia. My right hand was strangely in my coat pocket the entire time so as to not show off the extremely noticeable ring box. Thankfully Kate never noticed, although I am sure she knew something was up. We walked down to the old ruins on the property and I found a small secluded spot to ask Kate to marry me. She claims that the ring box was upside down as I was asking and she is probably right since I was so nervous that I could hardly speak. Also, the secluded area I picked was not as secure as I thought; as I was on a knee, three women rounded the corner and immediately began giggling. They ended up being nice enough to take a few very blurry photos of us afterwards. All in all, it is not how I imagined that moment would go, but we will be laughing about it for years to come.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding.
Even as a little girl, I always imagined myself having a fairytale wedding in the mountains surrounded by tall trees and tucked away from everything. I have always loved the changing leaves, and the crisp mountain air in the fall. I spent hours combing through Pinterest! Our incredible florist, Golden Thistle Design captured all of the jumbled ideas in my mind and as soon as she sent me the proposed design board everything fell into place.
Tell us about your attire choices.
Joe and the groomsmen wore three piece navy blue suits with ties that matched the desert rose color of the bridesmaid dresses. My dress was an off the shoulder, long sleeved dress with the most incredible lace detail and train with a matching veil. I purchased the dress at a local wedding dress boutique in Virginia Beach called Studio I Do Bridals.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
The flowers were by far my favorite part of the day! We had this amazing arch covered in the most beautiful flowers in all shades of red and pink. I also absolutely loved my bouquet and the floral hair piece I had! I honestly loved everything about our wedding day, it was the most incredible day we’ve ever had.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
I loved the time in the morning that I was able to spend with my bridesmaids just drinking mimosas and getting hair and makeup done. We had a very relaxing day with very little stress, which is how Joe and I both wanted the day to go. Joe and I agree that our favorite memory was the first look that we had on the cliffs before any of the guests arrived. It felt so special that we were able to take some time before anyone arrived to say our vows to each other. Saying private vows took some pressure off of the day and allowed us to take a breath and refocus on the significance of the day!
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
Although it is given out of love and very well-intentioned, we were given a lot of advice throughout the wedding planning process by friends and family and at times it felt very overwhelming. Our advice to couples would be to remember that your wedding day at its core is about celebrating your love and not about how to keep everyone happy.