Jamie Costic and Kaytie Russo's Wedding in Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Originally, we planned to get married on July 6th - 30 days after my 30th birthday - but were halted when we found out one of my college friends also was planning her wedding for the same day. Not being able to bring up that we both had a wedding the same day, we had to find another day that we could use the golf course as our venue. We quickly decided to get married on July 4th instead.

The next ten months were filled with secret texts, not drinking (me) for fear of letting something slip, and carefully wording every conversation to get recommendations from friends on food trucks, photographers and bakers without them catching on. Imagine, having three of your best friends getting married in 2019 and have to sit in conversation with them unable to dish on your own wedding planning. It was painful and down right cruel at times. But also so worth it to see their faces at our wedding. Jamie got hard to work sending texts and telling people about my “surprise” 30th birthday party he was throwing me on the 4th of July. As the ten months went on, I found enjoyment in finding ways to egg my friends and family on to talking about their plans for July 4th. It became a game to me. We spent the last year sneaking around, so much that when I found out my sister was coming to town the first weekend of June, I had to text my hair/makeup girl to meet me at our friends house so it wouldn’t blow the surprise. Or there was the day before the wedding, my friend and I were picking up the cake, when I noticed my brother out on his back deck (they were neighbors) at 9:45am. I couldn’t tell you the last time my brother was EVER up at 9:45, let alone outside painting his deck. So here I go carrying my cake down the main road in Derry to avoid my brother being tipped off! (Ha) Or, how we tricked Jenny’s boys into thinking they were fooling me as we made centerpieces at her house the day before the wedding (they thought I had no idea I was making my own centerpieces for the party - that was a great “I told you so” moment! 😂). Needless to say, we got pretty good at keeping secrets.

Flash forward to the day of our wedding/engagement/birthday party. We went about our days business as usual, Jamie going to work at the course, I went to the parade with some friends and their kids who came into town for the fourth. Our plan was slowly coming together for the day, with Jamie getting my dad and step-dad to the party early to ask their permission. I even got to partake in my favorite past time, taking a nap! As the time approached for my friend Ashley (she was in charge of getting me to the party) and myself to make our way to the course, I was overcome with a feeling of nervousness and anxiety all in one. Nervous that everything would fall into place as we had planned, anxious (but definitely excited) about the idea of becoming a wife and hoping that everyone would be surprised by our plan.

We show up to the pub, and everyone yelled “surprise” while I pretended to have no idea what was happening. I smiled, trying to keep my excitement up so as to fool everyone. Next came the proposal....my only saving grace was that Jamie’s speech was completely honest and raw, including Sully in it and making me cry. We were able to play our cards so the crowd truly believed that Jamie popped the question and I had no idea.

We snuck out shortly after the proposal, thanks to our incredible photographers, and ran down to the pro shop where my hairdresser was waiting to throw my hair up and finish my makeup. Simultaneously, the wheels were in motion. The D.J. received his letter written by us with instructions on how to get everyone outside for the ceremony. The bar girls received their instructions on pulling out wedding decorations. Our parents received their gifts waiting for them in their golf carts while the archway was put in place with the aisle runner and the live band was playing off to the side. Everyone began to figure out what their true purpose was in coming to Glengarry Golf Links that day.

And then my dad and step-dad took me on the walk towards my future, the guy who I’ve always wanted to spend forever with, who was at the end of the aisle with the one thing in my life I love as much as Jamie - Sully. I walked with my dads towards our future as husband and wife. And in that moment, this entire experience was 150% worth every secret we kept over the last year. It was worth every time that I listened to my best friends dish about their own wedding planning to see the look on their faces when they saw me walk out of the Pro Shop in a wedding dress. As soon as I turned the corner and saw Jamie's face, I was immediately at ease, I knew he was my forever. Everything about that day can be summed up in one word: perfect.

We both woke up the next day knowing that neither one of us had a single regret about the experience leading up to the fourth or that day. We are enjoying this new chapter of our lives known together now as husband and wife, and look forward to growing together throughout our lives.