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Engagement pictures were by Darien Stahl of Darien Stahl Photography
Christopher and I met working for Apple in Fort Worth, Texas. I was there for school and decided to stay there after I graduated and got a job working for Apple. We met soon after I started and were instant friends. Not long after that we fell in love. We love that the company we love brought us to each other.
Our whole relationship (5 years) we talked about all the adventures we want to take in life and how we want to be by each other’s side through every adventure (marriage, puppies, children etc.) and how each day is our own “adventure” so when Christopher proposed instead of asking will you marry me, he asked “will you go on adventures with me forever?” :)
And the story goes...
In January of 2012, I admitted to Christopher that I was homesick and wanted to move back to Atlanta. I asked him to visit Atlanta to see if he would like the city. We toured Atlanta seeing all the sights and I decided to take him to my favorite place: the Georgia Aquarium. We sat in the big room with all the fish and talked about our future and how we always wanted to be together and go on adventures to different places.
One early Sunday morning, October 21, 2012 after completing the move to Atlanta, Christopher took me to the aquarium after a yummy brunch at J. Christopher’s. He saved my favorite room for last: the huge aquarium wall which just so happened to be empty (which never happens). He sat me down in the same place we had our conversation back in January, told me how much he loved me, pulled out the gorgeous ring and said, “will you go on adventures with me forever?” I cried and said YES!
I chose the Dobbs Chapel as our ceremony location because my late grandmother built the chapel in honor of my grandfather. They both loved the church and it never had a chapel. She built it because she dreamed of happy couples getting married there and I am the first in my family to be married there. Our reception was the the country club that my mother and stepfather belong to. I wanted grand chandeliers and a large space.
I dreamed up the idea of the bridesmaid dresses before I even chose my own. I love shades of blues and greens so much that I couldn’t choose one color so I chose five different shades that created an ombre effect that would fade into me walking out in white. With 10 bridesmaids I wanted a gown that they could feel beautiful in and dance in! Sweetheart necklines always look flattering on girls and I loved the knot on the Ivy & Aster dress. It reminded me of tying the knot! The girls all looked so gorgeous in each color!
I went to Bella Bridesmaid Atlanta with my Maid of Honor, my sister Gena to see the dresses and I was amazed at how easy it was to pick the dress and the colors. The ladies there were so great about making it easy for all of my out of town girls to get the dress ordered and help with the right size.
My gown was designed by Monique Lhuiller and I purchased it at Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas. It was the first I tried on and I loved it!
My favorite part of the day was the ceremony. I tied so many elements of our families into our wedding and I really felt that it all came together perfectly. My father and grandmother passed away on the same day in April of last year so it was important to me that they be represented in the ceremony. I wore the veil that most of the women in my family have worn on their wedding day, including my late grandmother. The veil was made in 1910 in Brussels so it felt so special to be wearing such an old heirloom. We dedicated the chapel flowers to them and I carried a charm of a picture of my dad on my bouquet so he could walk me down the aisle. My bouquet and the bridesmaids bouquets were wrapped in my grandmother’s old silk scarves that she loved to wear. The bible that our ring bearer carried was the Jackson family bible.
My brother and I had a first look and it melted my heart. My groom and my groomsmen wore iPod shuffles with flowers as the boutonniere to commemorate where we met: working for Apple.
The whole ceremony was about our families and the love of our family members bringing us together. It’s hard to pick a favorite moment, but the reception was a blast. My first dance with Christopher to La Vie en Rose and the first dance dedicated to my father but with my brother, step-dad, and father in law to Georgia On My Mind was beautiful and sentimental. I loved our final dance to Don’t Stop Believin was amazing complete with a confetti canon to cap off the song.
I was inspired by The Great Gatsby. I knew I wanted to throw a party that even Jay Gatsby would do anything to be invited to! I wanted a grand party with tons of fun! I was also inspired by my colors the shades of blue and green like the ocean. The bridesmaid dresses colors were a part of everything! I uses the swatches of the colors of the dresses to make our stage backdrop and our wedding cake. Those colors were everywhere and I loved it!
My advice to other brides would be to not be afraid to get things done early. You will be happy to get things out of the way so you aren’t overwhelmed as it gets closer. I would also urge bride’s to know what type of planner they are, (one who wants to be in control, one who needs help, or one who relies on others to plan everything) and communicate that early on with those who you love and those who are going to offer help. Over communicate what you would like and how you would like to be helped so no one’s expectations are unmet without any type of understanding. When the day comes just remember to slow down and take time to make mental notes of all the love and wonder around you!
Photo credits: Wedding and bridal portrait photographer-Jeremy Harwell of Harwell Photography
Engagement pictures-Darien Stahl of Darien Stahl Photography
