July 16, 2020 Morgan + Brandon

With the worldwide pandemic stretching across the world, weddings in 2020 have been different to say the least! Our hearts go out to all the brides who had to cancel or postpone their 'I Do's. Some brides, though, managed to keep their intended ceremony day and still tie the knot while adjusting for the new guidelines for this pesky virus. 

 First things first...how did you two meet?

We met while working on our undergraduate degrees; we were both science majors and had had classes together in semesters prior. I had seen him around campus and I thought he was the cutest guy—not to mention he was on the soccer team! The fall of our junior year, we had another class together, and on the first day he came up and sat by me and we quickly became great friends. The first time we spent time together outside of class, we went for a drive and ended up at a little dock on the most gorgeous lake surrounded by mountains. It became our favourite spot, and we visited it constantly while in school. At the beginning of the following semester, we started *officially* dating!  

 

I had just begun grad school in Georgia, but Brandon convinced me to visit our friends in Chattanooga with him one weekend. The Saturday night, he said he had a surprise dinner planned, and he took me to one of my favourite restaurants. After eating, he suggested we go for a drive, and we ended up at our favourite dock. As we walked towards it, I noticed flowers and realized what was happening.  He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and yes, we were both crying like crazy! It was so perfect, and he picked the most stunning art deco ring for me. After he proposed, he took me to a surprise engagement party he had planned with my friends. It was the best day and he really thought of everything!  

Finding a dress was a long process for me! I went to several stores and just couldn’t find anything that I loved. It was frustrating and I felt pressured to make a decision. I knew I wanted something a little different, so a friend recommended that I visit The Sentimentalist in Atlanta. I'm so glad she did—it was by far the best bridal boutique that I had been to! They had an amazing selection of truly unique gowns, and as soon as I saw the Annie I fell in love with the fabric: so delicate & simple, but still beautifully bold. I tried on the gown and knew it was perfect. I decided to customize the bodice, and it turned out just right—exactly what I wanted and so 'me'!

Throughout the 8-month planning process, we planned on a traditional wedding and had every intention of getting married in a beautiful stone chapel. Four days before the day, the COVID-19 crisis escalated overnight. With a ban on gatherings of over 50 people, the chapel recommended that we reschedule. It was a difficult choice, but Brandon and I decided that we still wanted to get married on the date we had planned. I suggested that we have the ceremony at Snooper’s Rock overlook in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was our favourite place to go camping, and we had visited the overlook many times.

We informed the wedding party and our families of our modified plan and we kept moving forward! There was no time for indecision or stress, so we just started making decisions and going with the flow—and everything came together perfectly, even though we had to change all of our plans on such short notice! The virus may have meddled in our original plans, but we are having a rescheduled reception late this year so that we can celebrate with all of our friends and family.

Our wedding day was full of so many perfect moments. Walking down the “aisle” (actually a very steep, muddy trail!) and seeing Brandon’s face light up was the sweetest moment by far. As always, the view took my breath away, and standing on the overlook surrounded by nature just seemed like the perfect place for us to say “I do”. It was so beautiful and peaceful.

 

After the ceremony, everyone visited Brandon and I’s favourite ice cream shop downtown. It was like our little reception, and we had the best time.  Getting ice cream while wearing my wedding dress and denim jacket with my new husband by my side felt like an absolute dream. Even though our wedding day looked nothing like what we had planned, it turned out better than I could ever have imagined.  We were able to incorporate so many personal details (like our love for nature and ice cream), and best of all, we could relax and enjoy it fully!  

 

Photographer: Rafferty Photo

Boutique: The Sentimentalist, Atlanta GA

Dress: Annie, customized with a Samantha-style bodice