katie + tre white

How I know the couple: Tre and I worked together in corporate marketing and events! He is a talented graphic designer.

It’s not every day you get to experience a leap year wedding, but that’s exactly what happened on February 29, 2020, when Tre White and Katie White tied the knot at Perkins Chapel in SMU. As the wedding coordinator, I knew I was in for a wild ride from the very beginning.

The rehearsal the night before was supposed to be a calm and collected run-through of the big day. However, everyone showed up an hour and a half late, which meant we had to do the rehearsal outside the chapel. Coordinating the rehearsal dinner and speeches afterwards was equally hectic. But that’s what being a wedding coordinator is all about – making sure everything runs smoothly, even when it seems like everything is falling apart.

The morning of the wedding, I found myself running all over town to pick up last minute items, including a unity candle and mixers for the drinks. Once I had everything in order, I headed to Four Corners Brewing, the reception venue, to make sure the tables were set and the bar was ready. Then, it was back to Perkins Chapel to make sure the wedding party was getting ready on time.

The grooms party showed up a little past their call time, so I quickly ushered people around and pinned boutonnieres on anyone who needed one. They passed a bottle of whiskey around, and we only started the ceremony 5 minutes late. But despite the chaos, the ceremony was beautiful, and the pictures with OJ Jackson turned out stunning.

Once we arrived at the reception space, I helped the florist and venue staff with any last-minute touches and made sure everything was in order. When cocktail hour started, I snuck the bride and groom into the back and made them chug water before their grand entrance. From there, it was straight into the first dance, father-daughter dance, and mother-son dance. A quick blessing was said, and then the buffet opened. I made sure the bride and groom had plates ready at their sweetheart table so they could enjoy their meal.

After the speeches were finished, it was time to party! The dance floor was packed, the drinks were flowing, and everyone was having a great time. Unfortunately, they didn’t hire anyone to cut the cake, so that duty fell to me. Let’s just say I won’t be adding “cake cutting” to my resume anytime soon.

The sendoff was quick and followed by a flight to Italy for the newlyweds. Little did they know, a pandemic was about to hit, but they were lucky enough to catch the last flight back to the US before everything shut down.

All in all, Tre and Katie’s wedding was a wild and crazy adventure. But that’s what made it all the more memorable. Congratulations to the happy couple, and here’s to many more adventures to come! #whitewedding