Here at Madison Sanders Events we place high priority on allowing our couples to be truly present with one another during their engagement…wedding planning should be fun, should feel special, celebratory and stress-free. It is always our hope that, with our help, couples can spend time talking about their future spent together in marriage instead of logistics and details regarding the wedding. We pride ourselves in wedding planning and event design with a focus on the beauty of marriage! The first year of marriage can be full of both joys and tough lessons learned and we feel so fortunate to get to stay in touch and “cheer on” our couples as they embark on that next chapter!

Meet Newlywed Mr. & Mrs. : Erica & Cory

We are Cory and Erica Thomason. We grew up in Liberty, MO and have come back to settle down in KC near the airport. I (Cory) am a freelance graphic designer/videographer (who periodically films weddings for fellow Madison Sanders Events couples!) and Erica is a teacher at a small private Christian school as well as an Assistant Youth Pastor at Liberty Christian Fellowship.

How long were you engaged before your wedding and do you wish it had been longer/shorter?

We were engaged for 11 months before we got married. We met in high school and dated for 5 years before getting engaged, so we wanted to be engaged no more than a year. That amount of time was just right for us. It allowed us to finish up our senior year of college, gave us plenty of time to plan and figure out vendors, and enjoy the time of engagement without feeling too rushed. 

What do you wish you would have known while planning your wedding? What advice do you have to give brides/grooms currently planning a wedding?

Don’t stress out, and don’t wait until the last minute. It may feel like there are tons of details and a million things to get figured out, but we promise, those details will work themselves out over time. Also, don’t let things pile up. Engagement is too important of a time to talk about life and the future marriage to miss it freaking out about flower arrangements or where your aunt is going to sit. At the end of the day, you’re going to be married, and that’s what matters. 

What does life look like for you as a couple now that the wedding is behind you?

At this point, life is pretty…normal? You spend all this time planning out what life is going to look like when you are married and dreaming together, and then all of the sudden you’re actually married and you just…do life together! It’s such a weird feeling how normal it is. People talk about marriage as if it would be a fairy tale, and it IS incredible. But, incredible in that day-in, day-out, you get to spend time with your best friend in all the most boring, mundane parts of life and those moments become your joy. 

Do you have a favorite date idea to share with other newlyweds?

Explore Kansas City! It has so much more depth than people ever give it credit for. Go get some tacos and a drink at Taco Republic and take in the sunset at our favorite overlook in KC- The Scout in Penn Valley Park. 

What goals do you have for the next 5 years?

We’ve got the normal goals like to get all of our college debt paid off, buy a new car (the 1999 CRV is getting a little creaky), and learn how to ACTUALLY cook…not just reheat things. We went to Europe for our honeymoon and fell in love with international travel, so we want to save as much money as we can to see different parts of the world…until someday when a couple of kids make those plane tickets a bit too expensive.