Real Weddings | Kaley and Will | October 6, 2019
October 6, 2018 was one for the books. Kaley and Will Geralds said it best: “Magical, relaxed, easy, perfect…all of the cheesy words that people use to describe wedding days are so true.”
With all of the unique and personal touches included in their wedding, Kaley and Will made Cliff House their home for the day, and honestly that’s all we can ask for in a wedding day- to feel like family.
A little more than a year later, they celebrated by reliving their special day with us.
From Kaley: Will and I met on Tinder, believe it or not! When we first “matched” I was away on vacation, and then sick for a good while so we texted back and forth for about 2 months before we every actually met in person! By the time we had our first date it felt like we were already such great friends. Even though we met on a dating app, our dating experience was pretty old school. We took our time to develop a friendship and get to know each other before anything else.
KG: We wanted our wedding to be very laid back. We wanted it to feel like our friends and family were over at our house for dinner, which is why we brought so many of our own plants and decorations to fill the space. We filled up 5 cars worth of stuff to make the space truly feel like us. When we were planning the schedule and events we just kept thinking that we wanted it to be a fun night for everyone who attended.
KG: We wanted a modern yet traditional space that was large enough to not feel cramped but small enough to not feel like you’re in a warehouse. Price was a factor too, of course. We loved that {the Cliff House} was mostly customizable, being able to bring in our own decor was such a plus for us.
We also just fell in love with the little details at The Cliff House…like the lovely light fixtures and the outdoor porch. It was the only venue we toured where we got the goosebumps and just knew it was where we wanted to get married. We came home and booked it immediately.
KG: Getting ready was such a fun part of the day! The girls and I got ready over at the Belmont Hotel and Will and his groomsmen got ready at the venue. I’ve always heard people describe the getting ready part as stressful and rushed, where everyone is watching the clock to make sure you are staying on schedule. For me I remember it as so relaxed and fun! I got ready pretty quick, so we had a lot of time to just savor the moment and relax. I mostly remember drinking mimosas and eating jack in the box while sitting on the floor playing with my little nieces, haha.
WG: We got to bring our best friend, Dolly (our dog), to the ceremony. We got to have an alpaca petting/photo station at the cocktail hour. I never really felt stressed at all, which I think is pretty cool for a wedding day. I got to marry my best friend while standing next to my best dudes.
KG: After the ceremony Will and I immediately left with our photographer to go take photos. We finished with photos at the bus that is behind The Cliff House and from there I could see the cocktail hour happening outside. The lights were twinkling, the music was playing, there were alpacas, and a photo truck…so many details that had been planned via emails and spreadsheets that I was just hoping would come together perfectly. Seeing it from afar like that just felt like a dream. It was exactly what I wanted, and it felt like a surreal moment where I was able to just appreciate it and soak it in.
KG: We had a lot of decorations and table settings to set up during the room flip, and me being the control freak that I am was so worried about this part! I remember the moment that they opened the doors for everyone to be able to move from the cocktail hour to the reception I was kind of nervously looking around the corner to see what the room looked like…and oh my gosh. Our Cliff House wedding planner, Tzahhia, did SUCH an amazing job, and in such a short amount of time! It felt like a magical movie moment.
We also are so thankful that The Cliff House let us bring our sweet girl Dolly to the ceremony. She walked down the aisle with her little flower crown on and stood right up there with my bridesmaids. She was a perfect angel the entire ceremony, and only barked when everyone cheered at the end, right on queue. She was 13 when we got married, and she passed away a couple of months ago. So, for us, her being a part of our special day will always be one of our most favorite memories.
KG: Magical, relaxed, easy, perfect…all of the cheesy words that people use to describe wedding days are so true. There’s not another time in your life that all of your best friends and family will be in the same place celebrating your happiness and future with you, and it truly is just such a special day.
Thanks, Kaley and Will, for letting us be a part of your family for a day, a day that you’ll remember forever!
We wish you nothing but the best in the years to come. Cheers!
