We asked our real bride, Kasey, how she met her fiance, Nick, after they participated in the Piece of Cake! 5K. Their wedding is coming up next July and with their love for running, we wanted to hear more about their personal love story!
How did you meet your fiance, Nick?
Nick and I met 8 years ago as coworkers at Performance Running Outfitters. It wasn’t until 4 years ago that we started dating. Although we have always been good friends and share almost everything in common, the timing wasn’t right when we first met. I’ve told Jessica and Trae Hoepner (Owners of PRO) many times, that everything happens for a reason, and if it wasn’t for them, Nick and I may have never met. We owe them a lot! Fast forward 8 years and here we are, engaged to be married! Nick and I do almost everything together- from going grocery shopping, to working out/running. We’re best friends, it’s as simple as that.
How do you share your love of running together?
We both competitively ran in high school and college, and thus led both of us to meet through work at a specialty running store. Our go-to race distances are running marathons/half marathons, and we strive to find races in different cities or states. Nick’s goal is to run a marathon in every state. When we’re not running the same race, we’re on the course fulfilling the duties as “Number 1 Cheerleader.” Even though we run races at different paces (Nick’s WAY faster than I am), we often run daily runs together after work or on the weekends. It’s another way for us to interact with one another and hold each other accountable for getting workouts in. We encourage one another to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and when I’m having a bad run, it’s much easier to push through when my sidekick is there to distract me.
How did Nick propose?
Tell us a few details of your wedding!
We love everything outdoors, so naturally our wedding is a barn wedding. We’re getting married at Cupola Barn next July. Not only do we get to enjoy the summer weather by having the ceremony outside, but the reception venue is GORGEOUS! The renovations are amazing, and they continue to add new pieces to the location. It’s rustic, yet beautiful! We’re having a late afternoon ceremony which will flow immediately into cocktail hour, dinner and dancing.
We want our guests to enjoy the day as much as we do, without long breaks between the ceremony, dinner, and reception. I have six amazing ladies who are in my bridal party, with my sister as the maid of honor. Nick has six awesome groomsmen, and his brother is his best man. I already found my dress (at Bucci’s Bridal of course), and I can’t wait to wear it when I marry my best friend!
Who was most important for you to come to your bridal shop appointment and how did you know you found YOUR dress?
I couldn’t have gone dress shopping without my sister (MOH), my mom, and my grandma. Our family has always been close, and growing up, my grandma used to watch my sister and I at least once a week during the summer. We had so many fun adventures with her. She and my grandpa spend the summers here, and the winter months down south, so I knew I was going to find my dress this summer because I needed her there with me.
Even though my sister and I are three years apart, growing up we were often mistaken as twins. She’s the person I can trust to give me an honest opinion, but she’s always been my biggest supporter.
Last, but certainly not least, my mom has been nothing short of an amazing role model and friend. She’s helped me through so much, and when I saw her crying when I came out in my dress, it was reaffirmation I had found MY dress! Even before I received the opinions from my family, I knew it was the one. It had everything I was looking for that I didn’t realize I had wanted. I couldn’t stop smiling and looking at it from every angle. It was very difficult taking it off at the end of my appointment 🙂 Kudos to Janelle, because she pulled it on the first try!
For those thinking about doing the Piece of Cake 5K in the future, what are some good tips for a couple to run it together?
First and foremost- have FUN! This event is meant for brides (and grooms) to meet new people, try a new activity, and maybe win some prizes. Whether you run a 6:00 minute mile, or walk the entire 5k, physical activity is beneficial to our bodies and our minds. As a bride, I know how stressful wedding planning can be, and going for a run allows me to focus on other things besides the wedding, it allows me to think clearer about wedding decisions, and I feel a heck of a lot better when I’m done. I would definitely recommend brides and grooms to run it together! As I mentioned before, Nick and I run together, which allows us to interact with one another in a new way other than conversations over dinner or sitting on the couch watching tv.
If you want to run it together, I would recommend running together beforehand. We all don’t run the same pace or have the same style of running, the last thing you want to do is get discouraged because your partner is running too fast, too slow, rubs shoulders with you, runs one step ahead of you etc. It’s also a good idea to have a game plan going into running it together- Are we running the whole thing?; Are we taking rest breaks and how many?; Are we going to finish together even if the other person is struggling and can’t keep up?; Are we actually going to run the race together or are we going to do the “See you at the finish line” thing?. All of these questions are good ways to make sure both of you are on the same page, and make the event much more enjoyable! Deciding to run this race together, again, allows a couple to hold each other accountable. After all, our wedding day is one of the most important days in our lives right? We all want to look our best, and getting out there and being active gives you the best opportunity to look and feel your best on that special day! Just remember- the number one goal is to have fun, and what better way to have fun with your fiance than this awesome 5k….and the cupcakes and champagne after!
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