Like the beginning of so many modern love stories, Katherine O’Regan and Joseph Whyte’s started on Hinge. While living in San Francisco in 2018, they both swiped right. By the end of the year—on New Year’s Eve 2018, in fact—they were engaged. “When you know, you know,” Kate quips. The proposal on Baker Beach was an elaborate ruse conducted by Joe, but it wasn’t without its hiccups. He enlisted his friend as the photographer; however, his friend was running late. Joe had to brew multiple cups of tea to delay their voyage to the Golden Gate Bridge. Ultimately, though, everything went according to plan, and Kate said, “Yes!”
Continuing the theme of adapting to best-laid plans gone awry, the couple originally envisioned a 2020 wedding in Ireland, where Joe is from. “When the pandemic hit and we postponed as many times as we did, our original wedding started to lose its magic, so we decided to pivot to something new with a much smaller guest list,” Kate explains. They turned to a different venue that Kate had actually discovered on Instagram years earlier. The French home could also accommodate their families, so it proved to be a serendipitous turn of events. “I wanted it to feel like a vacation for everyone and just have the venue and South of France vibes speak for itself,” she adds. Lindsay Moynagh of House of Hannah helped her achieve this classic, timeless, and romantic wedding weekend—very Bridgerton-inspired. Kate also notes, “Lindsay’s wedding was my dream, so I told her to plan it as if it was hers!”
For the 2020 version of their wedding, Kate found a dress that was appropriate for a bride saying “I do” in an Irish castle—a piece with a high neckline and long sleeves in the style of Kate Middleton’s 2011 gown. But once the couple began planning their French wedding, she knew this dress wasn’t right anymore. Plus, it reminded her too much of navigating their wedding during the uncertain pandemic period. She now needed something that was classic and comfortable for summertime nuptials. She found a textured Pronovias dress. There was only one left in the atelier, and it just so happened to be in her size. They even let her have it for half of its original price.
Kate accessorized with butterfly diamonds, an homage to Joe’s late mother. Her mother and father also gifted her pearls as her 30th birthday and wedding present. She felt like herself with natural makeup by Alesia Solo and a chic chignon hairstyle. Joe kept his groom outfit classic with a Suitsupply suit and Gucci loafers.
On June 2, 2022, the intimate wedding party met inside a deconstructed 16th-century abbey. Kate and Joe’s friend, Casey Keenan, officiated the short 25-minute service. She adds, “We chose him because we knew he would bring moments of laughter, as well as seriousness, too.” Joe’s mother passed away in 2020, so they lit a candle for her. There was also a ceremonial lighting of candles in honor of their parents’ wedding dates. Flowers Living created the blooming arrangements. Photographer Paulina Weddings documented every dreamy, picturesque moment. After exchanging vows, Kate and Joe absconded in a car from Provence Classics.
Soon enough, the newlyweds joined guests for dinner catered by Chef Steven Borishansky under trails of fairy lights. The table was set with custom-made napkins, candles, and gold-rimmed glasses. A string quartet serenaded when the tender toasts weren’t being shared. To this day, Kate remembers she and Joe held hands throughout dinner and took the time to really stop and look at all of their friends and family who traveled so far to join them for their wedding in another country.
Once plates were cleaned and the Made in Cake confection was cut, everyone returned to the abbey once more for dancing. Mr. and Mrs. Whyte shared a first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” and the revelry lasted until two in the morning with plenty of warm wine and James Carr deejaying. “It is something we still talk about,” Kate shares about her wedding. “It was everything we wanted!”
