Our love story!
Although we have known each other for almost our entire lives, we like to joke that a little farm animal sparked the first flame.
I (Kylie) was born in Lexington, Kentucky and moved to Oregon during my late elementary years. After a decade in Oregon, I decided to transfer from Oregon State University to the University of Kentucky in the middle of my sophomore year of college. During my breaks in school I spent most of my time in the Eastern part of Kentucky to visit my family. Mason is from that Eastern part of Kentucky and has a major love for the University of Kentucky. He may or may not have played a major role in my decision to come back to my home state.
Our mothers actually introduced us first because they became best friends around the age of 14. A lifetime of friendship and kids all around the same age makes for wonderful family friends to visit, play board games with, and get in to all sorts of shenanigans with on holiday breaks! It is also a little-known fact that my mother, and Mason’s father, like to pull a few pranks every once and awhile.
So, the story goes… 2015 was a big year in the Thompson and Rennekamp households as Mason’s dad and my mom were turning 30 (we all know that it was actually 50…) and the pranks commenced one last time! Still in Oregon, my mom’s birthday came and went without a hitch, until she started receiving calls from nursing homes seeking her business, courtesy of Mr. Thompson. My mom was bound and determined to get the last laugh! She knew she had to go all out for his birthday. The only problem was that she had left Kentucky for the summer, and the plan she wanted to execute required her darling daughter’s assistance who luckily hadn’t yet made her visit for the summer.
As I made my way to Eastern Kentucky, my uncle dropped off a goat to my grandma’s house, courtesy of my mother. Transportation became an issue as I did not have a car and needed to bring the little guy to the Thompson residence for the big surprise at Mason’s dad’s party. This led me to reach out to Mason to see if he could pick up the goat and myself. Willingly, Mason came to the outskirts of the county, helped me secure the goat in the trunk and off we went!
Upon arrival at the birthday party, we snuck the goat around to the backyard and presented his dad with a sign that read: “Happy Birthday ya old goat – don’t you wish you were a kid again!”
Grateful for all his assistance in the “goat heist”, I knew that Mason must be the one!
The party proceeded, goat and all! And that is the story of Frosty (the goat), Mason, and Kylie – the rest is history!
How did he propose?
Mason proposed where we had our first official date. Well, sort of. He proposed at the location we were supposed to have our first date. Kentucky Native Cafe is half cafe, half greenhouse. Little to our knowledge, this cafe is only open seasonally. So, when we attempted our first date in the winter, the cafe was unfortunately closed, and we opted for ice cream instead. On the day of the proposal Mason had a big exam as he is an engineer and needed to pass this specific exam to work. After his exam, he asked if we could go to lunch at our favorite spot (since then, Kentucky Native Cafe had become a special place for us). He picked me up and off we went. Instead of ordering first, he asked if I would like to walk around the greenhouse. We came to a beautiful room filled with flowers and the next thing I knew he was down on one knee and hidden photographers popped out from around trees! It was perfect.
How did you choose your venue?
As a yoga instructor, I had heard of the Livery because they offer community yoga once a week. I had never been to the space, but once engaged, I became intrigued by the downtown Lexington location. An April wedding in Kentucky can bring any type of weather. Two weeks before the set date, it snowed! Because of this, we knew we wanted somewhere indoors. After touring the Livery and meeting the Operations Manager, I was in love with the space. It presents the perfect mix of historical elegance and bohemian vibes. This was the perfect venue to blend the lives of a Kentucky boy and an Oregon girl.
What elements were most important for your wedding day to you?
I really wanted a space that could accommodate our friends and family so everyone felt comfortable. We had people traveling from all ends of the earth to be at our wedding and it was important that they could all enjoy the most beautiful city in Kentucky in one place.
What advice would you give other brides?
At the end of the day, you will be married to the love of your life – don’t sweat the small stuff. All that matters is your soul has found the one it longs for and the rest will fall into place.
Photographer: Bradley Quinn Photography
Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Livery
Men’s Attire: Macy’s
Wedding Planner: White Cat Weddings & Events
Caterer: Bayou Bluegrass Catering
DJ: Tiger’s DJ Services
Florals: Jeanie Gorrell Floral Design
Rentals: Events With Design
Hair: Hair By Maddie Woff
Transportation: Gold Shield Transportation
Videographer: Blankenship’s Videography and Photography
Hotel Room Block: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton
Rehearsal Dinner Location: Malone’s Prime Events & Receptions
Registry: Macy’s
Rings: The Faithful Platform