Just Married: Kiki Steinberg and Trent Bowers

The story begins with a familiar plot. It’s the 1980s, and a teenage girl growing up in a Virginia suburb has her eyes set on the captain of the high school football team. But the crush never amounts to anything. He continues walking the halls with his cheerleader girlfriend, while our main character admires from afar.

Fast forward two decades, and thus begins the first chapter of Kiki Steinberg and Trent Bowers’ love story.

She was living on Siesta Key in 2013 and planning to run the Gulf Coast Triathlon in Panama City when a high school friend told her Trent was also competing. The two reconnected and won the relay division together.

Their romance quickly progressed and the two started a long-distance relationship while Trent was living in Cumming, Ga., where they live now with his son, Tristan.

The Proposal

On Jan. 1, 2016, after two years of dating long distance, Trent proposed. He had the ring for three months, but wanted to wait to be on Siesta Key Beach, where they fell in love.

After a filling meal at Café Gabbiano, Trent made Kiki walk the beach — much to her dismay, because all she wanted to do was “get in yoga pants and watch TV.” He told her she was the best woman he’d ever met, then asked her to marry him.

The Wedding

Kiki says she wanted a fun, relaxed atmosphere for their wedding day.

   “With a lot of  weddings, people are so worried about what color napkin it is,” she says. “We both like to party and have fun, and we wanted a huge celebration with all the friends and family who we love to death.”

This is evident when recounting their favorite moments from their Dec. 3 wedding at the Bay Preserve at Osprey. For Trent, turning around after the first kiss to see all their guests for the first time as a married couple was unforgettable.

For Kiki, the most special moment was when her father got out of his wheelchair and walked her down the aisle.

The night ended with a cigar and bourbon bar and late night after-party at Evie’s at Spanish Point Restaurant & Tiki Bar. The couple called it an unforgettable end to the day, and an appropriate location because of the lack of noise ordinance.