Kasey McManus moved to coastal Delaware from Pennsylvania, hoping to find someone who shared the same attitude toward life —easygoing and beach-loving.
Initially, mutual friends thought she and Rick would make a great match and encouraged them to meet. But it wasn’t until a dating app presented the opportunity that Kasey finally decided to talk to him.
According to Rick, “It all started with a beer,” (coincidentally, that also happens to be the name of their first-dance song) “and then a few more after that. From our first date, Kasey was easy to talk to, kind and caring, and I quickly realized that we had a special connection. We had many common interests that included soaking up the sun on the beach, enjoying craft beer and listening to live music. Some occasional dancing was involved, in which I showed her some of my notorious dance moves. I’m pretty sure that is how I made her fall in love with me, as she claims I am her favorite person to dance with.”
The two continued to date, and Kasey knew that Rick was her person.
“My family all seemed to know that he was my person, too; he fit right in with the McManus clan and wasn’t easily scared away — even when my sister and her best friend showed up on vacation in a whirlwind of Dogfish Head brewery tours and drunken cornhole.”
A regular date-night for the two often included dinner in Lewes, and ended with watching the sunset from the beach, ice cream in hand. For Rick, this was the perfect opportunity to propose to his best friend and favorite person.
“When I asked a stranger to take our photo in the sunset, Kasey was a little confused, and then when she turned and saw me on one knee, she was very confused. Luckily, the nice lady snapped a few good photos of our special moment,” he said.
Kasey was surprised and a bit flustered with the display.
“I wanted him to stand up as quickly as possible so I could give him a big hug and not have a big crowd watching us. I forgot to accept his proposal and skipped right to ‘Thank you.’ I’m sure Rick will never let me live it down.”
Rick took Kasey’s “Thank you,” for a “yes,” and the wedding planning began.
It made sense to the two of them to have an evening wedding on the beach, but the idea of planning for two weddings — in case of inclement weather — was just too much. Finding a venue that would give the best of both worlds became the goal. When Rick and Kasey discovered Ivy in Dewey Beach, they knew it was perfect.
“Having a venue that accommodated an outdoor wedding regardless of weather conditions was on the top of my list of must-haves in a venue choice, but thankfully the weather conditions were absolutely perfect for an outdoor ceremony on the bay,” said Kasey.
Another important element that solidified their decision: “Ivy was able to adequately accommodate my handicapped guests comfortably, without the hassle of walking in the sand, while still giving us that beach-wedding feel, which was also really important to Rick and I.”
And, in true testament to their favorite pastime, they still got their sunset.
“A sunset over the bay in Dewey Beach in the summertime is so incredible, and the sunset on our wedding night certainly didn’t disappoint! Ivy has the perfect spot to catch one of these beautiful sunsets — we were so lucky.”
On June 22, 2019, Rick and Kasey said their vows overlooking Rehoboth Bay. The ceremony was held under a tent, which was later converted to house tables for dining while guests moved inside. Cocktail hour had couches for seating, high-top tables for hors d’oeuvres and easy access to the bar, which stretched the length of the room, eliminating the typical obnoxious line of anxious wedding guests ready to get the party started.
Initially, the couple wanted a live band, but it wasn’t in the budget. As a compromise, they chose a Dewey Beach location so they could see the live bands that would be playing that night for the after-party. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a party at the reception!
“One of the things that had me falling head over heels for Rick was how much fun we have on the dance floor, and our wedding night was no exception — we had every guest out there dancing with us!”
For their reception, Kasey hand-made more than 100 tambourines out of embroidery hoops, lace and bells. When the music started, she handed them out to guests to get them to join in, and they were an absolute hit.
“An added benefit to these tambourines was that some of my handicapped and elderly guests could join in on the dancing and fun with everyone else. At one point, my brother-in-law and his friend tied their ties together for a good limbo run. Our dance floor was packed the whole night; our dancing guests even spilled over the dance floor, but that didn’t stop anyone!”
Kasey and Rick may have had a list of must-haves for their wedding, but there is one thing they think all couples should keep in mind when planning — you and your spouse will set the tone; your wedding day is what you make of it.
Kasey says, “The little details don’t matter; the vendors don’t have to be the very best, they just have to be good, hard-working people at a fair price; the day of my wedding, the only thing I remembered was spending time with my family and friends.”
This isn’t to say there weren’t a few hiccups, and not everything happened on the timeline that Kasey and Rick planned. But they both agree that it was the best day, and neither had ever smiled or danced so much in their lives.
After the wedding, the couple spent the rest of their summer doing what they love most — hitting the local drive-on beaches and looking for live music in Dewey. In November, they took their honeymoon in Jamaica during Thanksgiving. A few months later, they found themselves in the midst of the pandemic.
“When COVID-19 hit and shut everything down at the end of March, we were able to really slow things down, enjoy our time together in our beautiful home, and even though Rick is an essential worker, we have both been able to get lots of cuddle time in with our two dogs. We have been very fortunate to live at the beach and to be able to take advantage of some of our favorite outdoor activities safely, including long bike rides and beach days.”
Celebrating their first anniversary in the middle of a pandemic didn’t curb their plans. In their typical low-key fashion, after exchanging gifts, they spent the evening reminiscing their wedding day, flipping through photos, watching their wedding video and eating the wedding cake they had frozen the previous year.
“We were nervous that the cake might not have held up for a year, but my cousin, Jill Graber, made an amazing cake and I was not going to let our first anniversary go by without at least trying it — it was still delicious even a year later!” said Kasey.
Despite all the changes going on in the world, Kasey and Rick have been able to stay true to their easy-going natures, enjoying each other’s company, and still see each other as their favorite person and forever best friend.
Vendors:
Venue | Catering - Ivy
Photographer - J. Nicole Photography
Flowers - Flowers on Savannah
Cake | Desserts - Jill Graber
Favors - Swell Joe Coffee & Salt water Taffy
Entertainment - DJ Sharon Messina
Hair - R. Sterling Hair Boutique
MUA - Amanda Evans
Dresses - Arielle Bridal | Revelry
Transportation - Jolly Trolley
Invitations - Basic Invite
Rentals - Coastal Tented Events
