Katherine Lyvers and Ryan Fajt
September 29, 2018
Katie and Ryan met at ESF Summer Camps in Greenwich, CT, in 2003 and then reconnected when they both became counselors at ESF in 2011. After six years of dating, Ryan popped the question in 2017 and ESF featured into his proposal. He surprised Katie by hanging up hundreds of string lights throughout the camp pavilion before getting down on one knee.
They were married at Stanwich Church in Greenwich, CT, where the bride’s family were parishioners. “I was especially happy when Reverend Neely Towe, the former senior pastor of Stanwich who had baptized me as a baby, agreed to fly from Jacksonville, FL, to officiate and bless our marriage,” says Katie. “Another easy choice for us was Burning Tree Country Club for the reception, because both our families have been members there for years.” The trees along the golf course were just starting to turn the golden colors of fall, making for a beautiful backdrop for photographs and the cocktail hour, and the newly redecorated clubhouse had the modern classic elegance they wanted.
The bride and her mother created many personal touches, including wedding programs with tissue boxes attached “For Your Happy Tears”; a hand-painted sign reading “I Have Found the One Whom My Soul Loves” to hang across the church’s center aisle; an upcycled vintage mirror to display the table assignments; and a vintage frame collection to display wedding photos of the couple’s parents and grandparents. “These personal touches made our day feel even more special,” says Katie.
The bride wore a silk Sareh Nouri gown with a show-stopping bow and dramatic flower petal train, topped with a cascading cathedral-length veil. She rode with her father to the church in a teal blue vintage Cadillac convertible.
At the reception, guests donned colorful Vineyard Vines sunglasses and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset overlooking the golf course during cocktail hour. When it was time to move inside, Ryan and Katie got the party started by entering the Burning Tree ballroom to James Brown’s “I Feel Good!”, and danced their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Fajt to “Never in My Wildest Dreams” by Dan Auerbach.
To close out the evening, guests gathered outside the club with sparklers to give the couple a special send off.
Photos and Story by Bruce Plotnik
