A small wedding
for a large family

By Hanna Wickes

Nicole Kemper always imagined a wedding as large as her family: 32 aunts and uncles, plus spouses and cousins. “I never imagined having a small ceremony.” When Nicole’s reception venue postponed her wedding from May 17th to October 1st, she realized a small wedding might be the only option. “Both of my parents are 1 of 8, so I thought a small wedding was never in the cards for me; I was hugely skeptical,” she said

Skepticism aside, she was determined to hold a ceremony before the rescheduled date no matter how big or small. Her new date? July 2nd, the same day as her two-year engagement anniversary. “We took it as a sign.”

From there, the couple started planning for their big day and small ceremony. Held under an outdoor tent next to the Delaware River, 21 close family members created the aisle Nicole walked down with her father.

“There was no music so we sort of hummed. It was a very stripped down version of a wedding, but it was so beautiful.”

The photographer of the event, Brian Smith, took photos after the wedding. When the subject of Nicole’s past dancing career came up, “Brian’s eyes lit up immediately.” From there, Brian excitedly leapt in front of the white barn, “Can you do that?” he asked. “The shot came out so great, and I love that it shows my creative side, as my husband really supported my dancing and creative side, and he’s creative himself as a graphic designer.”

Nicole’s advice to other couples:

Keep an open mind and be willing to let your guard down. Have a back-up plan. “You’re marrying the love of your life at the end of the day and that’s all that matters.”