Kathy Klingaman and Joe Sugarek met and dated after Kathy had just graduated from college. However, life led them on different paths, and the twosome didn’t reconnect until 25 years later. Fatefully, nine years of courtship culminated in a memorable walk down the aisle.

When it came to crafting their big day, Kathy felt like she was venturing into unknown territory. “The best advice I received from [Mary-Frances Hurt and Hannah Kohler of] DFW Events was that just because it’s a second marriage doesn’t mean that you have to limit yourself to a certain type of event – whatever you decide to do is going to be okay,” she recalls. The couple wanted to produce a celebration of family and an unforgettable party for their loved ones. So, they naturally selected a location that felt like home, Kathy’s brother’s ranch, for the events of the wedding weekend.

It was important to the couple that their respective families be part of the event, so Kathy’s three daughters and Joe’s daughter and son-in-law served as the bridal party. Bridesmaids donned mismatched white dresses and footwear that complemented the rustic venue. “All the girls wore cowboy boots – it felt very Texas!” exclaims the bride of the bold, personalized creations. Kathy looked lovely in a strapless gown with lace details, a beaded belt, and satin skirt. 

On the spring day of the wedding, Kathy and Joe exchanged vows beneath a magnificent canopy of verdure accented by ivory flowers. However, mother nature almost sidelined the bride's dream of having an outdoor ceremony. As guests took their seats on the verdant grounds surrounded by trees, a few raindrops began to fall. At the end of the service, “We presented the girls with necklaces and Joe’s son-in-law with a lapel pin – [all featuring] a medallion that shows three rings, which symbolized the joining of our families as one,” explains Kathy. As if on cue, when the preacher pronounced them man and wife it started to rain. The newlyweds took it as a sign of good luck.

The cocktail hour and reception were held in a nearby chic wooden structure with a transparent ceiling. Glass lanterns containing multiple levels of candles were suspended overhead. Bright pink and orange blooms framed the stage, composed the couple’s monogram, and decorated round tables swathed in turquoise linens. Chartreuse and vanilla hydrangeas were tucked in between each tier of the wedding cake, which was displayed in the middle of the space.

Dish options listed on a wood grain-print menu for the sit-down dinner service included coastal crab salad with grilled corn and mango, seared venison with a coffee-and-juniper rub, and milkshake shots garnished with mini doughnuts and baby sopapillas. The Project Band and Grammy-nominated country music artist Pat Green – who is one of the couple’s favorite musicians and a family friend – performed during the festivities and sang “Let Me” for Kathy and Joe’s first dance.

“Back in the day when I got married for the first time, you had to do things a certain way,” the bride notes. “It’s not that way anymore.” By choosing elements that reflected their personalities and incorporating aspects that were important to them, Kathy and Joe created the wedding of their dreams.