she says
While I was getting ready, my daddy gave me a bracelet with a heart-shaped charm that had a sapphire stone in the center.
He explained that because my wedding date is in September, he purposely chose a sapphire, because it’s September’s stone.
Every bride deserves “something old, something new, something borrowed” & thanks to my daddy I had my “something blue”.
she says
For as long as I've been daydreaming about getting married,
the one thing I’ve always known is that I would ask my mama to be my Matron Of Honor.
No one understands me & nurtures me the way she does.
Being together on this day put me over the moon & having her in my life completes me.
he says
Because we live on opposite coasts from our families & only see them about once a year,
we decided that instead of having the men separate from the ladies, we would get ready with our own families.
My mom & pops are the ones who shaped who I am.
I knew how special it would be for the three of us to be together, leading up to the biggest moment of my life.
she says
When it was finally time to walk down the aisle (which in this case, was a winding forest trail)
I got myself to relax, slow down, & engage all of my senses, so I could remember this moment forever.
I inhaled the earthy scents that surrounded me.
I squeezed my daddy’s hand even tighter.
I heard the sound of my brother’s voice & guitar getting closer.
& then on the last turn to the mossy arch, somewhere in between the hanging leaves,
I found Patrick’s eyes, & the both of us immediately started to cry.
he says
Even though we chose to have a destination wedding, it was still important to have a piece of home with us.
We asked both of our mothers to collect a jar of sand from our hometown beaches to bring along in their luggages.
For our unity ceremony, we blended sand from Onslow Beach, North Carolina & Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
she says
Patrick calls me his Buzzabee, I call him my Honey.
He even had it engraved on my engagement ring.
As an ode to this pet name, he wore a bee brooch over his heart & I wore a bee pin in my hair.
The cherry on top was when he ended his vows with “You are the bee that blossoms my garden of life”.
he says
Every time Sam goes home for the holidays, her family wears matching pajamas.
Last year, when I went home with her, they invited me to join in.
When I found out they wanted to do something similar at the wedding,
I knew it was the perfect opportunity to introduce my parents to this tradition & include them as well.
A jean jacket might be ordinary, but it gave us all a sense of belonging & I felt like our family connection strengthened.
It was especially meaningful to me, because I wore the same jean jacket I was wearing when I proposed.
she says
Several times while discussing wedding plans,
my parents would emphasize how even though we weren’t having a big wedding,
they still wanted to give me everything I would have originally wanted.
Ever since I was a little girl, I fantasized about having a vintage getaway car.
When we walked around the corner to the parking lot, we discovered the most stunning surprise.
Your gorgeous, white, 1960s Rolls Royce awaits!
she says
Literally all the decor at the reception,
(from the personalized champagne glasses, the wooden signs, the engraved cake cutting set, & the cake topper,
to the flowers on the table, the handwritten name tags, our hashtag on the menus, & even the rustic napkin rings)
were bought & created by my extraordinary mama & daddy.
They even hurried to arrive ahead of everyone, so they could put each little thing in its perfect place.
& to be even more sentimental, every single decoration in the room had a unique meaning behind it.
Patrick & I didn’t have any idea what the room would look like until we actually stepped into it.
It was more beautiful than anything my imagination could have dreamt up.
Thank you so much mama & daddy,
for thinking out every detail so thoroughly just to build an evening that encompassed everything I treasure.
he says
As soon as I walked into the room, I immediately noticed the line of trees along the wall.
I loved how even though we were in the heart of the city, our forest theme continued on.
she says
Knowing about my obsession with Harry Potter, my parents were kind enough to stop by
Eeylops Owl Emporium & Ollivanders Wand Shop to buy me a couple necessities!
she says
In the front yard of my childhood house, a large branch snapped during a storm.
My daddy kept it & transformed it into eight place card holders.
she says
Having played the piano growing up, I instantly fell in love with classical music.
Little did I know, my parents hired a cellist to play pieces by the famous fathers — including my favorite, Chopin.
Will even played Rains of Castemere “The Red Wedding” song from Game of Thrones (obviously at Patrick’s request).
he says
Our giveaways were small bottles of honey & olive wood dippers, tied together with a tag that said "Meant To Bee".
Each flavor reflected a part of our ceremony — the golden sunshine, the woody forest, the mountain berries & wildflowers.
We loved the idea that a light drizzle had the power to bring each of us back to the sweet day where we became one family.
Our dining room had a private balcony with panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains & Elliott Bay.
When the sun began to set, we took turns stepping out to dance.
First Dance
From The Ground Up by Dan + Shay
Father Daughter Dance
Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman
Mother Son Dance
Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion
Our elopement was a utopia of bliss, & we were so grateful to do something that represented us entirely.
We were able to embody absolute freedom, breathe in the mountain air,
embrace our unity with nature, & release our love to the open skies.
Complete with lots of tears & all hairs standing on end, our wedding day was pure magic.
