I'm so glad it's Friday! I feel like this has been the longest week ever. To get the weekend started right, I've got a fabulous Southern wedding to share with you. Krista + Dave tied the knot this past Summer at the swanky Montaluce Winery in the North Georgia Mountains. Krista looked stunning with a relaxed up-do from J. Thomas Salon, a gorgeous gown with lace detail from Charme Bridal and the perfect pair of sandals. Jars of Flowers created the floral arrangements and Krista's amazing bouquet. After becoming Mr. + Mrs, the pair toured the grounds of the picturesque winery where photographer Liz Yeakle captured some seriously frame-able images. At the reception, they treated their guests to beautiful views of the winery, a mouth watering meal and a gorgeous cake from Frosted Pumpkin.
How did he propose? How long were you engaged for?
Dave is quite the romantic…..Every month, there is a grade level meeting at my school. Dave and I were now teaching at different schools. I showed up to our monthly meeting and read the agenda. It stated that there would be a guest speaker from our “sister school” (where Dave taught). I really didn’t think anything of it, until when the guest speaker was Dave! He walked into our meeting and started a PowerPoint presentation about “student recognition.” Each slide lead more into how creating a family with trust and love is important. At the end, there was a huge heart on the screen that read “I found my true love.” He walked over (in front of 40 other people!) and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He had already talked to my principal, and had got a sub for me for the rest of the day. There was a limo waiting for me at school, and he took me to the Sundial restaurant, which looks over the city of Altanta. We were engaged for 11 months!
Out of the entire day, what was the most memorable moment?
The most memorable moment was when my wedding party had left the bridal suite to walk down the aisle and I was waiting with my Dad. We were standing in front of a giant, wooden door, and the time seemed to be passing so slowly. My dad whispered to me “I can feel your mom, she’s here.” When he said that, I could feel her there, and as I walked down the aisle, I felt that I walked down with both my parents
Your wedding was filled with gorgeous details. Did any have special meaning? What was your favorite?
My mom passed away when I was in high school, and I wanted to do something to remember her, but not have it too sad. To start the ceremony, our guitarist (Austin Adams) played the instrumental version of “Please remember Me” by sara mclaughlin. As he played the song, my mom’s sister walked down and lit a candle that had the “Lords Prayer” enscribed in it.
My favorite part was that Dave and I wanted to keep the ceremony simple and personal; so, instead of having readings from the bible read, I picked two of my closest, childhood friends to write and read a personal message. They did a great job! They wrote a combination of personal stories, song lyrics, and ended it with a verse from the bible.
During the reception, we decided to have a photo table. I brought in wedding pictures from both my side and Dave’s side. Moreover, we brought in childhood pictures of Dave and I J
How did you choose your venue?
Dave and I spent many weekends up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. We feel in love with the outdoor, simple life feel. We had researched some wineries up in that area, and fell in love with Montaluce Winery. When we went to meet with their wedding planner, I immediately fell in love and didn’t look at any other venue!
Tell us a little bit about your menu...
Dave and I had both Wisconsin and New York cheese for appetizers, along with Margarita flatbread
Pizza. We had a summer salad, bread, and a family style dinner. We had steak and fish as our main dishes, along with several sides (Sorry, I can’t remember all of them!)
Looking back on your engagement and wedding, is there any advice you would give to brides in the planning process?
Always go with what your heart is telling you, in the end it’s your wedding. Allow people to help, it can get overwhelming at times. The week before is the most stressful, be sure to get lots of sleep J Remember to enjoy the time with family, friends, and especially your fiancé, it goes so fast!
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