‘-How did he propose?
Long story short, I was confident that I knew the specific day that Joseph was going to propose because of random “pieces” I kept putting together… but my closest girlfriends eventually convinced me I was wrong & it’s hard not to believe what your best friends tell you! So, on the day I originally thought was the proposal day, I took a nap & overslept before going to dinner with some friends. Therefore, my hair was a mess! When I left the house, my mom even asked me “are you sure you don’t want to shower?” But, when you don’t think the proposal is happening, you don’t care! So, we went to dinner and then went walking along the riverwalk in Downtown Chattanooga. We turned a corner and there was Joseph at the end of a dock… and I was SHOCKED. I skipped down the dock to him and got so giddy. He got down on one knee, opened the ring box & the ring was upside down! Thank goodness it didn’t fall out and into the water!!! But, I said yes (of course) and we basked in the exciting moment.
-Tell us about your venue and how you chose it:
As we thought through our wedding day vision, we continuously threw around the word “simple.” There’s something so beautiful about simplicity & our venues spoke so well to that. Our wedding ceremony was held at Patten Chapel, and we didn’t even have to add one decoration because the architecture and beauty of the chapel was enough. Similarly, we held our reception at the Turnbull Building, and while we did decorate, the exposed brick, natural lighting, and wood added so much character to the event! We felt there was no need to be over the top because the natural beauty of the building itself was simply enough.
-What was your favorite and least favorite part about the wedding planning process?
Least favorite…Weddings are seriously so exciting & I think it became so easy for my thoughts to start wandering to the wedding & wedding planning, which eventually had me tired of thinking about the wedding! It was just so easy to let the plans consume my thoughts. My favorite part was seeing the vision of my wedding day dream come to life. I remember looking around the reception at one point & thinking “wow, this is exactly what I dreamed of.” That made all of the “least favorite” parts worth it!
-Any advice for other brides planning their big day?
I would strongly encourage brides-to-be to not let your engagement season be defined by wedding planning. It’s a season designed for marriage preparation, so use it for that! Plan when you have to plan, but don’t let it consume your mind– it’s going to be hard not to let it consume your thoughts because it’s such an exciting time, but I promise, the caterer can wait a few more hours, the DJ can get his contract tomorrow, and the venue will gladly let you come look at it for the fifth time. Bask in the season with your fiancé because it’s a time like you’ll never experience again.
-What was your favorite part of your wedding day?
Wedding day goes by so quickly! One of my most cherished moments of the day was when Joseph and I had a fifteen minute window of time at the reception venue where we had the opportunity to spend time with one another, alone. We hadn’t been announced into the venue yet, so no one knew we had arrived except for our photographer. After she finished some portrait shots, she gave us a few minutes to sit and simply be with one another. In the midst of that busy day, I so greatly appreciate the time to simply rest and recap the wedding ceremony with my new husband.
