I am so excited to finally share this wedding. Becca and Jimmy are the most fun, and their wedding was nothing short of a riot. Their wedding took place on the weekend of summer solstice, the longest day of the year. They had selected Walden Hall as their venue as they could stay on-site for the weekend, there was a pool, and it allowed dogs. Huge win all the way around. It was important to the family that Rosie, the pit bull, was able to be a part of their ceremony. She was the sweetest girl and made for an adorable flower girl.
I met Becca months before her wedding and she and I started planning. One of her biggest requests was that she has a moon gate for her ceremony site. We were able to rent one from a local planner and The Posey Details adorned it with gorgeous florals. It was perfect. The floral covered, circular arbor, framed up their ceremony, and later their sweetheart table perfectly.
Becca looked gorgeous in her Haley Paige gown, and how fun is her sequin Bride bomber? I love it when people can take such an important day, full of tradition, and make it their own.
After months of working with Becca and hearing about her Fiancé, Jimmy, it was time for the rehearsal. I had never met Jimmy before the night of the rehearsal so I didn’t have much to go on. I arrived at Walden Hall and walked around to the pool area. The family was setting up an “I Do BBQ” and the wedding party was well underway with the celebrations. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman that looked very familiar coming out of the pump room. She looked exactly like my boss from when I was a lifeguard in high school, from ages 15-18. My 15yr old self had a minor panic attack. I figured that couldn’t be my old boss, it has been about 20 years since I had seen her, and we weren’t in Northern Virginia where I had lifeguarded. I go on my way, introduce myself to the groom, and start getting everyone ready to rehearse. As I am talking to the wedding party, here she comes. The mother of the groom, my old boss. I am not sure if she remembered me exactly, her company manages several pools in the northern Virginia area, but I remembered her. I introduced myself and we all had a good laugh. What are the odds!? I am happy to say that in the past 20 years I have grown and matured from that rebellious teenager that she first encountered as a lifeguard. The one who was more concerned about tan lines than making sure the bathrooms were clean. I do have fond memories of seeing her truck come around the corner and the whole pool deck coming alive. It’s amazing what a team of lifeguards can get in done in a matter of seconds once we caught a glimpse of her truck. The rehearsal went well and I went home to prep for the wedding the following day.
On the wedding day, Lisa and I drive in and start setting up. Everyone seems to be in good spirits, the photographer and videographer are grabbing their detail shots and the vendors were arriving. There were junior bridesmaids in the prettiest coordinating gowns, a great group of friends that made up the wedding party, a flower boy walking our girl Rosie who was the flower girl, the moon gate was covered in florals. There were donuts, neon signs, and lots, and lots of fun.
The most memorable moment was probably the father-daughter dance. I have witnessed over 100 father-daughter dances. I have never witnessed a father-daughter dance like this one. The bride’s father has early-onset Alzheimer’s and no one is sure how much longer he will keep his memory. At this wedding, he danced with all three of his daughters. He spun them around like little girls, as I am sure he did their entire childhood. It was the most moving and joyful father-daughter dance. I cried like a baby, all of the vendors cried like a baby, all of the guests cried like a baby, everyone cried like a baby. It was so special. I know that that moment, those photos, and that video will be something that this family will hold on to forever. I am so appreciative that I was able to be a part of this moment and experience this level of human interaction and love with these great people.
As always, I would love to chat.
Here are the vendors that made this event possible:
Venue: Walden Hall
Photography: Heather Chipps Photography
HMUA: Les Bourgeois Artistry
Stationery: Lauren Perry Studio
Cake/Donuts: Bijou Sweets and Treats
Dress: Hayley Paige purchased from Annalise Bridal Boutique
Florals: The Posey Detail
