NO COINCIDENCES – Kristie Brumbelow & Kevin McKeown

Photography by
RACHEL LAUEN, ULTIMATE PRODUCTION COMPANY

It was a beautiful day in April.

The town of Alys Beach with its breathtaking views and picturesque architecture offered the perfect backdrop for Kristi and Kevin’s wedding. Every facet of the day is vivid in their minds. “My favorite memory is Kristi walking down the aisle,” Kevin smiles. “We had already seen each other at the first look, which is my second favorite. She looked gorgeous. When I watched her walk down the aisle with her dad, my happiness and joy was beyond anything I had felt before.

I knew I was about to marry the woman of my dreams. It was overwhelming. I admit there might have been one or two tears, but definitely not three.” Kristi was a vision in a lace and tulle gown. With rich lace pattern continuing through the bodice and onto the tulle skirt with sheer side cutouts extending to a completely open back, she looked stunningly elegant.

While she cherishes every minute of her wedding day, one moment is special to Kristi. “When we were saying our vows, it felt as if we were the only people there and were truly committing our lives to each other forever. We had a deep connection already, but I felt like it reached another level at that moment.” The day was perfect, and the couple had meticulously planned another highlight. “It was a surprise to our guests that we had a choreographed dance,” Kristi says. The wedding photos show Kevin swinging her up into the air. “We had studied intensely for it, with lessons and choreography at Dance Life Dance Studio in Panama City. We loved the fact this would be one of the first things we would do together as husband and wife.” Their love story began two years prior. Kevin had moved to Panama City after completing his pilot training in Texas. He had never been to Florida. “I lived in Panama City Beach for about four months before I met Kristi. I decided to take the offer of my coworker to meet with a visiting group he knew.

When I saw Kristi, I immediately wanted to find out more about her. She was very pretty and had the look of quiet intelligence, which I love. I found out she was a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. That gave us a lot to talk about. We spent the night excitedly talking. A connection was made but she had to leave the next day to go back to Georgia.” The story could have ended there as both went their separate ways. Of all things that could have happened, about five months later, they met again. They both participated in a half marathon in Savannah, Georgia. “We had no idea the other would be there, but we instantly hit it off again and decided to run the race together.

We talked as much as our bodies would allow during the race.” They said goodbye again after crossing the finish line as Kevin had a work engagement that day. But, once again, after work, the first place they both went to in Downtown Savannah–they met. “There were too many things that had to fall in place for us to meet again so we decided the only explanation was fate – not coincidence.” It was the beautiful beginning of a long-distance relationship.

They took turns traveling to see each other on the weekends for a year and four months. After driving over 58,000 miles to be together, Kristi finally moved to Panama City Beach. “Almost immediately following our chance encounter in Savannah, Georgia, we decided we were meant to be together.” Kevin remembers. “I proposed on New Year’s Eve 2017 while taking her flying for the first time over the Smoky Mountains at sunset. Four short and stressful months later we were married.” They realized quickly they are perfect for each other. “Kristi is everything I wanted in a life partner,” Kevin gloats. “She is driven but down-to earth, intelligent, understanding, extremely loyal, and very passionate. Not to mention, she is downright gorgeous. We are able to connect on a level I would have never believed possible.” “Kevin is the epitome of a loyal and pure-hearted person,” says Kristi. “I am so lucky to have met him and am now married to such a handsome guy. I hold him in such high regard. I love the way he loves me and treats me special.

He knows the meaning of being a gentleman. He is one of the hardest workers I know, and he loves to be busy. He is a go-getter, whether it is with his work or his latest Ironman or marathon race. Even with his adventurous nature, he is great company to sit back, relax, and have meaningful conversations. Kevin is a very family-oriented guy, and it shows in the relationship he has with his family and is developing with my family. He is an amazing guy. I am proud to call him my husband.” Making Panama City their home, life has changed for the better as a married couple. “It is extremely nice to have a loving partner with you at all times,” they point out. With Kevin as an active Air Force pilot, they can only plan a few years at a time. “We have talked a lot about the possibilities but the one thing that we know is we want to have three kids and see where life takes us.

We know we will enjoy doing whatever it is life brings because we will have each other to rely on.” They consider communication as one of the most important things. “No matter what, you have to let the other person know what you are thinking and what you are feeling. Open communication, even on negative topics, will bring you closer together because you gain insight on how the other person feels and thinks. With that new insight, your relationship will move forward and be stronger every time.” With the strong bond they share, Kevin is confident that every wedding can be harmonious once both partners are involved. ” Plan the wedding together,” he says. “Talking with other couples, it seems it is uncommon for the groom to do any planning, but I think that is a mistake. Months of planning is required for one afternoon. There are a lot of things the groom can help with that can make a big difference. Probably the biggest difference is the stress that it takes off the bride. For the brides out there, try to bring the groom into your planning. If it doesn’t seem like he has the patience to sit with you and go over things a thousand times, give him a task. Trust me, if you both put in the effort to make the day the way you want it, it will make planning much more enjoyable and the big day will be even more spectacular.” The couple extends thanks to their parents and their families for their help with the wedding. “It seems like when we were struggling with a decision or couldn’t figure something out, they would be right there with their wisdom and experience. Our wedding day and weekend went off better than we had ever imagined because of everything our families did.”

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PARENTS OF THE BRIDE
Barry and Sandy Johnson
PARENTS OF THE GROOM
Sean and Tonya McKeown
BEST MEN
Kyle and Korey McKeown (Brothers)
MATRONS OF HONOR
Heather Powell and Kaylin Baugh
OFFICIANT
Rick Young
(Pastor, First Baptist Church of
Woodstock in Panama City Beach)

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[box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]If you would like to have your wedding featured, please send an email to wedding@panamacityliving.com.[/box]