In the summer of 2004, Sam and Kaylie set out on separate cross-country bicycle trips. Sam was riding from New York to San Diego with a good friend to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and Kaylie was riding from Maine to Vancouver, British Columbia, with a group of 25 college students to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Their routes crossed for just one night in New Town, North Dakota. They met on the side of Route 2 and both felt an immediate connection. That evening, after finishing their ride, a group of bikers went to the local Tasty Freeze for soft serve. 

 

“It sounds cheesy, but as I was sitting at a round table with seven or eight other people and Sam directly across from me, I felt as if everyone else at the table and in the restaurant sort of fell away, and it was just the two of us sitting there, fascinated by everything about each other,” said Kaylie. 

 

Sam and his friend made a quick decision that night to alter their route and ride with Kaylie’s group across Montana before heading south. “We spent the next 10 days pedaling side by side and getting to know each other.” Thus began their romance. 

 

Much later, one Saturday morning in September, Sam and Kaylie set out toward Lake Travis on their bikes for a ride. On the way, Sam had a flat near the Oasis restaurant. They decided to go in for a margarita and enjoy the beautiful view. An hour later, when they got up to leave, Sam grabbed her. He leaned over the balcony and shouted, “Excuse me, can I have everyone’s attention?

 

“I am completely in love with this woman, and I am going to ask her to marry me,” he shouted. He dropped to his knees and asked Kaylie to marry him. Of course she said, “Yes!” A helicopter landed in front of them, and they got in to enjoy champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries to celebrate their engagement. After a helicopter tour of downtown Austin, they landed at the airport, where friends were waiting inside for them with their suitcases packed. Sam had arranged a trip to Whitefish, Montana, to spend four days at the lodge where they had fallen in love. 

 

Kaylie did the bulk of the wedding planning herself. She began looking through magazines, primarily Austin WeddingDay, and talking to friends for recommendations. Her parents were in Austin not long after the engagement, and they went to see a number of venues together. Sam and Kaylie wanted to have their ceremony outside and their reception at the same venue. They chose the beautiful Allan House, which met all their criteria perfectly. For her “day of” coordinator, Kaylie chose Courtney Zeiky from Something to Celebrate at an open house at the Allan House. Courtney gave her wonderful advice and recommendations during the entire planning process. In addition to the wedding, Courtney planned a welcome dinner the night before and a brunch the day after the wedding for 150 people, both of which turned out just as the couple hoped. 

 

The day of the wedding, Kaylie, her mom and her maid of honor had their hair and makeup done professionally, and then went back to Stephen F. Austin to get dressed. Just before the ceremony, guests were treated to a cocktail hour. The ceremony was held under a chuppah and ended with the Jewish tradition of Sam and Kaylie breaking a glass. Judge Darlene Byrne, a state judge with a soft southern accent, officiated the ceremony. Siblings read a passage that they had selected about love, and Sam and Kaylie read vows that they had written themselves. Barton Strings played classic songs like Pachelbel’s Canon, which was the processional music, as well as some beautiful contemporary pieces.

 

 After the ceremony, Paul Minor and the other members of Alterego took over the tunes while guests enjoyed a variety of hors d’oeuvres from Word of Mouth. A seated dinner followed the cocktail hour, with tables adorned in gold with linens from Marquee. The centerpieces were a mix of ivory and eggplant calla lilies, also used in the bouquets and boutonnieres, parrot tulips, hydrangea, bells of Ireland, and other green and white flowers in bowls made for the occasion by the bride’s mother, a talented potter. Each bowl was unique and members of the wedding party, as well as some other close family members and friends, took the bowls home as gifts. 

 

The exquisite wedding cake was adorned with carefully made sugar flowers that matched the real flowers on the tables. Before Alterego finished its set at midnight, Kaylie performed “I’m Going to Love You Forever and Ever,” by Randy Travis, with the band. 

 

“Sam says this was one of the highlights of the evening for him,” said Kaylie. “Mine was the ceremony. We had known for so long that we wanted to get married, that I didn’t realize how special the actual moment would be,” she said. “The highlight of the weekend for both of us was having so many people that we love around us, and that was also the hardest part, because we had to say good-bye so soon.” 

 

At midnight, the newly married couple and guests moved inside, where DJ Silver took over with his unparalleled matchups, and Word of Mouth delighted everyone with bite-sized grilled cheese wedges and tomato soup. It was a perfect night, with clear skies and a full moon. 

 

“It felt magical,” sighed Kaylie. 

 

The newlyweds spent two weeks in Italy for their relaxing honeymoon, where they reminisced about their spectacular wedding, and pedaled side by side as husband and wife for the first of many times in the rest of their lives. 

The Allan House

 

Reception: 

The Allan House

 

Word of Mouth

 

Marisa

Maggie London. 

 

Jos A. Banks

Stardust Pastries – Summer Pruett

 

Anthology Photography

 

Hair salon: 

Milk & Honey – Chad for makeup and Robyn for hair

 

Wild Poppy – Rebecca Bonura

 

Ceremony music: 

Barton Strings

 

The Alteregos, and DJ Silver for the after party

 

Judge Darlene Byrne

 

The Commodore, a boat run by Lake Austin Riverboats; Salt Lick; The Texas Swing Kings 

 

Marquee

 

“Day of” coordinator: 

Cortney Zieky from Something to Celebrate

 

BoothBooth

 

All handmade by Kaylie and Sam, printing by AlphaGraphics