Real Weddings: The Rook's Breathtaking Elopement

By Kirrin Finch

Anastasiya (they/them) and Kat (they/them) crossed paths on TikTok, sparking a whirlwind romance filled with adventures, late-night ramen hunts, and endless laughter with their four furry friends. Learn how they curated a wedding ceremony that reflected their true selves by wearing Kirrin Finch for their breathtaking elopement in Drake, Colorado!

Tell us about yourselves!

My name is Kat (they/them) and I'm a paranormal podcaster, crafting enthusiast, and cat momma from Georgia. I would describe myself as quite the nerd with special interests ranging from haunted history to obscure animal facts. My wife's name is Anastasiya (they/them) and they are an animator for Floyd County Productions in Georgia. I like to describe them as a little bit artsy and a little bit of "Yee-Haw" based on their trick riding background and affinity for bolo ties. They even wore a bolo tie to our wedding and it matched their suit perfectly!

How did you two meet?

Anastasiya and I met on Tiktok of all places, rather unexpectedly. After one day of messaging, we realized how close we lived to one another and impulsively decided to go out for pie and drinks the next evening. I feel like that date set the tone for our relationship, consistently a little bit late and always ready for a new adventure. We spent that night (and almost every night since) enjoying getting to know one another and indulging in each other's sometimes incredibly cheesy senses of humor.

Most of our time together is spent finding a new ramen house, exploring a farmer's market, or finding a new series to binge on Netflix at home with our two cats and two dogs.

What was important to you in planning your wedding day?

The most important thing was finding a way for our ceremony to really feel genuine to us as individuals and as a couple. For us, this looked like finding a way to celebrate as intimately as possible without guests or the added stress of a large event.

How did you go about choosing what to wear for the wedding day?

For my dress, it was customized from a small business (BoomBlush) that I have loved for years. I wanted something that celebrated my more obscure interests and fashion while still maintaining a hint of tradition.

For Anastasiya's suit, this was a tough one. They wanted something different but just finding something that fit was a struggle on its own. As someone who doesn't have the body type formal "menswear" is designed for, this was a pretty big hurdle. We were very close to our wedding day when they found Kirrin Finch! They were through the roof excited to see not only LGBTQ models but unique patterns and fabrics. They really felt like they had the opportunity for something more unique for our ceremony.

Anastasiya, How did you feel when you first saw yourself in your wedding suit?

I can say I was absolutely beaming when I tried on Kirrin Finch for the first time! Weeks before it had been a constant loop of stress regarding alterations, my body image, and self consciousness. It was like every bit of that melted away when I tried Kirrin Finch on.

Which Kirrin Finch pieces did you wear?

I wore the Georgie Charcoal Suit Blazer!

What were some of the most special memories from your wedding day?

We told no one except my mother and our jobs before hand and planned a trip to the mountains of Drake, Colorado. We found a photographer, Taylor with Leann Moments Photography, who put us in contact with our wonderful Pagan officiant, Liv. Looking back it was probably easier planning our wedding than it was keeping it a secret from our loved ones. Other than our officiant and photographer, we wanted no guests on our wedding day in order to really celebrate as a couple.

The day before our wedding, we still hadn't found the perfect spot. We spent that morning making a list of hikes, packing a bag and our bear spray, plotting how we were going to visit all of these places to find the perfect spot. Our first hike was a seven mile hike to Mt Palisade in Drake. Little did we know, less than half a mile in on our very first hike, we would find our breath taking wedding overlook. We giddily spent the rest of that last night together, going over all the final details of our plans for the next day.

On our wedding day, we started with tea before driving up the mountains. I even remember practicing our first kiss in a Walmart parking lot before our drive. Once we got there and found our officiant and photographer, it was time for the hike. We made the half mile to our ceremony overlook and nervously laughed and high fived our way through our handfasting ceremony. After tying the knot, literally, we hiked another stretch to a more private spot to read our personal vows to one another. This was my favorite part and an intimate moment I'll never forget.

After our wedding, we celebrated with a champagne pop and a hike back down the mountain. That night, we booked it back to Denver for some Korean BBQ and our first night as wives! Following the wedding based on the different rules of the marriage licenses in Colorado, we took our license home and had our pups sign it as our witnesses!

Any advice for other couples planning their wedding?

Don't be afraid to put yourselves first. Everyone is going to have an opinion for your wedding day, but don't forget that it's YOUR wedding day. The most important thing is at the end of the day, you're married. Everything else is just background noise and details. Forego anything that takes away from your ability to stand there as a couple and enjoy that experience together.

Photographer: @leannmomentsphotography