Faith + Kody | Wedding Day | South Carolina
How long was your engagement?
10 months Sept. 2022-July 2023
Where did you get married?
Property owned by family friends
Tell us about the moment you seen each other for the first time on your wedding day
Faith— “I was big on using the raw moment of me walking down the aisle instead of doing a first look and I’m so happy that I did. It was a weird feeling haha but good. It's like I was hidden all day (or separated all day) from him and then all of the anticipation lead to me walking down the aisle. From my point of view, standing at the start of the aisle, even though there were a million people around— it felt like it was just me and him. Almost like tunnel vision, all saw was him standing there.”
Kody— “Starting that morning was weird to me, I didn't wake up to Faith beside me, then going through the day and being completely isolated from her was defiantly a wild experience. While we were getting ready and pictures were being taken I was put into a bedroom and forgot about by everyone except my groomsman. I have leaned heavily on those men over the years, but in that time it was more than ever. The rain came in while I was in that room and they helped me through the stress of the weather. But a short time later I was standing at the end of the aisle waiting on my bride. When I saw her it felt like I couldn't breathe, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen was walking down the aisle to ME! I couldn't contain myself and it was a whirlwind of emotions. I didn't know if I should laugh, cry, or beam with excitement......I guess I did all of them at once.”
Faith, Describe your husband on your wedding day
If I had to choose one word, I’d have to say happy. He just seemed so happy and so unbothered. I just knew with all the hustle and bustle of the day and how many people were around us, he'd be antsy. but he was so calm and cool, which then helped calm my nerves. Me, I’m a crowd person, and a people person— the more the merrier. He on the other hand is usually a more reserved, sit-in-the-corner kinda guy, but not that day. He was "politicking" as he calls it. making his rounds, saying hello to people, and just smiling every time I saw him— which made this bride happy. In the behind-the-scene photos I’ve seen so far, there are many that he's smiling and actually showing teeth which is a big deal for him, haha! He never does that. Excited, happy, giddy— that's how I’d describe him on our wedding day.
Kody, Describe your wife on your wedding day
I didn't know what to expect, I was nervous and excited about the wedding. When the weather changed on us in the final hour I was worried, and I knew that she would be too. In my mind, I knew that if I stayed optimistic she would as well, so that’s what I did. After the ceremony I was so happy and also relieved, Faith is a crowd person and I am not. Honestly, I can’t stand them, but this crowd was different. She and I floated the room and of course, in typical Faith fashion, she was all over the place talking to EVERYONE. Faith was definitely in her element and having the time of her life with all of our friends and family. If I had to sum it up in one word I would say she was, "ecstatic".
Were there any rituals, traditions, or sentiments that were part of your wedding?
Faith— “I’d have to say my favorite sentiment of the day was our rings, being Grandma and Grandpa Kleppers from 67 years ago, knowing they were married for 65 years and now we wear them every day is so special to Kody which makes them so special to me. Also, the bracelet I wore on my left arm was the four seasons bracelet that his Grandpa had made and it was hand carved in Vietnam when he was in the airforce. It's one of the Klepper family staples, so the fact that I had the honor of wearing it was so special. and dang that thing is gorgeous!!”
What were the top 5 moments of your wedding day?
1. The surprise of my dad and stepdad walking me down the aisle. It was such a special moment for everyone to see. I talk about how weird but how great our family dynamic is all the time, so the fact that people got to see it firsthand was really cool. I would not have had that moment of my life ANY other way!
2. Kody walking his mom down the aisle was very special for him and her! She never saw it coming. He surprised her with this, but then she told him, "How dare you make me ugly cry in front of people." Haha!
3. THE OAK TREE. I’m not much of a sap, but when it comes to this I am. I knew our wedding was going to have a lot of people, between our family, work, and friends. we just love people. but during the prayer at the end of the ceremony, I looked up while every head was bowed, and I just felt this overwhelming feeling come over me— the fact that this will never happen again in our entire lives, everyone we love, everyone we care about was under ONE oak tree at the same time.
I soaked up that moment, and now that oak tree will mean so so much to both of us for the amount of love and support that gathered underneath it.
4. The side-by-side ride from the ceremony to the reception, to me this was such a special moment. It was the first and truly the only time we were together, and alone. Our videographers rode with us but it was like they weren’t even there because we were just talking to each other. Once we got to the reception, we waited, and waited, and waited again to be lined up for the introductions. We were sitting there together, just us. and we got to talk like we would if we were sitting on the couch at home after work. It wasn't supposed to happen, but I’m glad it did since that truly was our only time alone during the whole day.
I didn't realize at the time this was one of my favorite moments, but looking back now it was so special.
5. The beer boys!!! This was hands down one of my favorite moments, haha! It showed our personalities through and through. We weren't introduced to your average celebration song, or who let the dogs out. It was only appropriate that 2 of our closest friends spew and pour beer all over them while passing out beer cans to our guests as we were introduced to This Miller Lite Of Mine! Haha! it was great!
Were there any moments that made you cry?
Faith— “NOPE!!! I was so proud I really held it together. Again, I’m not a sap usually, but I can be when I get nervous or in an "all eyes on me" kind of environment. Now, I’m not saying I didn't have a lump in my throat when our song was playing and my dad and stepdad were walking me down the aisle. but I did not mess up the makeup, Haha! I think my crying was mostly done before the wedding day!”
Kody— “Like a baby.” Haha!
Faith— “He cried as I walked down the aisle, but between the tension, the emotion, the song, and everything going on, we can't blame him. He is not a crier. We've been together for 2 years and this was the second time I’d seen him cry. the first being Friday night at our rehearsal dinner when his dad spoke. Another time he remembers crying was as the groomsmen huddled together for a prayer before the ceremony, and he claims he choked up during his best man’s speech, but he totally cried.”
Most weddings never go quite as planned. Was there a blooper or “oops” moment at your wedding?
Of course. as always. Our food line wasn’t prepared properly which made the process of going through the line take longer,
it stormed like crazy one hour before,
a super-smearable pin was left for our guest book.
and small things but they don't matter.
The one "oops" that cracks me up the most, was the beer boy situation— which really only me and Kody know about. When we were still sitting on the side-by-side waiting to be introduced, we realized we had NO, I mean not one single canned miller lite. which was the whole entire reason we did it. Thankfully, my cousin’s husband ran to the gas station to get a case for the beer boys. It had to be a 12-minute trip normally, but I swear he was gone and back within like 6 minutes. I don’t know how he did it, but he definitely saved the day on that one. The reason it cracks me up so much is because of how much thought went into this introduction. and the ONE THING we needed we didn’t have, also something we have on us ALL THE TIME hahahha!
Is there a story to the song you picked for your first dance?
Kody and I had only been seeing one another for a few weeks. maybe even hung out only 2 times when Tyler Braden's song came out "What I see." I remember I was getting ready in my bathroom when I lived with my mom, he was coming over soon, and it came on shuffle. I sent it to him cause it reminded me of him and me, keeping in mind we had only been together for a short period of time, but back to the first date when I knew I’d marry him, lol! This song made me feel so weird, but so good. The lines in the song are perfect,
"Golden hour silhouette," golden hour being my favorite time of any day, the time of our wedding, and most of my favorite pictures are taken then.
"Front seat rolling through the country," the second time we hung out, we rode out to the farm where our ceremony was held, and sure enough, this song reminded me of that night.
“The wrap-around porch, the mat on the door, daisies on the front walkway, the mailbox with our name on it, the house full of his and hers,” every bit of it I could I could see as my life with Kody one day, and better yet he saw it with me.
"A life full of nights to burn, the dogs, a couple kids," every bit of this song is us. It’s not just a song we liked and chose to dance to, it’s a song we sang together and loved listening to together. It’s a song that up until the day we danced to it made me so fuzzy inside just by listening to it. Now I'm even fuzzier inside when I hear it.
What was your best memory from your wedding day?
The Oak Tree. The amount of love and the amount of support that was under one oak tree at one time is what we talk about most, even now. and even 30 years from now. There is such a negative stigma about having large weddings, as in the amount of people. It doesn't have to be elaborate, it doesn't have to be expensive, and for the show. What it's about is every single person we love and that loves us was there to celebrate and witness the truest kind of love.
From the beginning, my theory was to keep it about our marriage and not about our wedding. The oak tree was already planted there, the sunflowers grow in that field year after year. All we had to bring was the love. And truly we will never forget how loved we both felt on that day, at that moment. I’d do every bit of it over and over again!
Describe newlywed life in three words.
Exciting, Reassuring, Simple.
