The Priester's Carolina Roost: Did that really just happen? The wedding of our dreams!

Where do I even begin to explain the OVERWHELMING emotion that consumed us both on that day!? From my uncontrollable shaking while walking down the aisle (for some reason I can perform in front of anyone at any time, but that I couldn't handle), to feeling the reality says my vows to the man I will spend the rest of my life with, to walking into the reception I've been dreaming about and planning for since last May, to spending time with ALL of my friends and family from both of my two home states, to finally having a wonderful "mini-moon" in Hilton Head for a few days of much needed rest!

An EXTREMELY special thank you is deserved for Mrs. Joan Asbury. Mrs. Debbie Whitley and Miss Keli Moore. The most special and memorable aspect of my wedding has been the decor and flowers. I have dreamt about it since I was a little girl. From the burlap, to the hay bells, to the raw cotton bails, to the moss, to the birds and the theme colors of Bordeaux red, plum purple and peacock blue, these three fantastic friends brought it to life! I will be forever grateful to them all for understanding my vision and so elegantly carrying it out. It truly made my wedding day special!

The beautiful mantle over the fireplace in the Cotton Dock Barn

At night with the fire lit

The head table centerpiece with a birds nest in it on the other side

The chandelier that hang in the middle of the dance floor

The buffet table centerpiece

One of 7 beautiful hanging lanterns from the the wood beams of the barn

The birch log, cotton, baby's breath, moss and white and antique green hydrangeas

Bride and groom chairs with raw cotton wreaths

Burlap ribbon used with the fabric that "caged" in the head table (bird theme)

the purple, red, blue and turquoise ribbon wand the guest waved as we left the reception

The lovely bouquet before the toss

Hooray for hay, cotton, feathers and burlap!

The chandelier again

The ceremony was held at St. Luke's chapel in the beautiful downtown Charleston and the reception was at Boone Hall Plantation's Cotton Dock Barn. Boone Hall Plantation is a very famous historical site just outside of Charleston in Mt. Pleasant. The "Avenue of the Oaks" was the setting for the famous "Run, Forrest, Run" scene from the movie Forrest Gump, and the bicycling and home of Allie from The Notebook. The setting is breathtaking. God truly blessed us through the random series of events that lead up to our wedding...

Avenue of the Oaks

Bridal party going to take pictures around the Plantation

The beautiful plantation home

Though Tyler proposed in Charleston and we decided to have the wedding there, God began working in my life. At the time Tyler proposed, I was living in Columbia, SC (about 1hr. 45min from Charleston). Finances became REALLY difficult at the time of the engagement and that cause me to plan and RE-plan the wedding I think a total of 4 times. Boone Hall was booked at the time of our engagement when we thought the wedding would be in April, so we planned to have everything at Magnolia Plantation (still very lovely but not our first choice). I thought there was a strong possibility of me getting a teaching job in Columbia, and that school's spring break was April 2, so we planned for that date. After not getting that job, I began cutting and rearranging things here and there and we moved the date to February because every venue was less expensive during the winter months. In early October a job became available that I got in Summerville, SC. Of all places to get a job, Summerville is only 15 min. from Downtown Charleston and is actually considered a suburb of Charleston as well! We were so excited to be living in the most beautiful part of the state and to be getting married here too! In addition, Boone Hall had an opening for the very last weekend in February so we jumped in that slot and cancelled the others as fast as we could. Isn't it AMAZING how God works in our lives in ways we could never expect in order to bless us beyond belief?! Thank you Lord for creating and building this special day when I didn't think I could ever figure out how!

"Trust the Lord God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6