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When Alin and I pulled up to Jennifer & Brad’s Lake Norman home, it looked like something out of a home & garden magazine. We then met the lovely duo and immediately fell into “like” with them. My good & talented friend, Stephanie was the one who had introduced us all and had given Alin and I the opportunity to shoot this memorable wedding for her very close friends.
This day was surely bittersweet. Brad and Jennifer were celebrating one of the happiest moments in their life: becoming husband and wife at the home they worked so hard to transform and call their own. And yet, the morning of the wedding Brad had learnt that his mother, who had been sick for a long time, had passed away. I couldn’t even fathom what Brad and Jennifer were going through and I didn’t have the words then nor now to understand it all. All I know is I had observed the way these two took care of each other throughout the day, and it was an amazing thing to see.
I asked Jennifer to write a few things about how they met, their home renovation, and their wedding plans and here is what she said:
“We honestly felt, just before we met with you and Alin and started taking our pictures, that such a serene calm had come over our house on that day, after there had been so much frenzy. It felt like Beverly was a part of that and brought a sense of peace to us from a place where she could finally be at peace and be with us. And her fingerprints were on so much of the wedding. She and I had shopped together for the fabric that made the table runners. She was going to sew them for us, but my mom ended up doing that. Beverly helped me find every single vintage mason jar used for the flower arrangements and candles…many of them were Brad’s grandparents, and some she sought out at flea markets and yard sales last summer. I wore a ring that had been her grandmother’s which she gifted me last Christmas. Brad wore her father’s wedding band, and I wore my grandmother’s. Those are just the material ways in which she was a part of the day.
I am sure I could gush on forever about how Brad and I met and how our relationship has developed. But in a nutshell, here’s how it all went down:
May 2007: We have a chance meeting by phone. Who knew this would be the start of something?!
July 6, 2007: We actually meet in person and go on a date. We knew then this would be the start of something!
July 8, 2007: Jen makes her soon-to-be-famous broccoli mac-n-cheese for Brad. He actually swoons.
August 31, 2007: Brad introduces Jen to the simple pleasures and survival tactics of backpack camping. Jen survives. (barely)
October 2007: We take our first (at least first with indoor plumbing) trip together to Seattle…and continue to fall deeper in love discovering a new city.
January 2009: We take two big leaps together…our adventures in letterpress printing and homebrewing begin!
February 22, 2010: Brad surprises Jen in Charleston with a very important question (and some very important bling). Jen says YES.
September 30, 2010: We move into our dream home…bring on the renovation!
April 30, 2011: We look forward to celebrating with you at our backyard wedding at home.
May 1, 2011: Let the new adventures of married life begin!
Our wedding planning took a few twists and turns after we were engaged, but when we found our house last summer, we almost immediately knew it was where we wanted to be married. So ‘our backyard wedding’ was the milestone event that kept us going thru the frenzied renovation and the long days and never-ending weekends of work, mostly completed by Brad. We were lucky enough to buy the “before” dream home exactly 7 months before we got married there. It’s where we’ve always wanted to be, and where we always plan to be. To be able to share our wedding, at our dream home, with our closest family and friends was simply a dream come true.”
And without further ado, have a listen to some music and look at the photos from Jennifer & Brad’s gorgeous backyard Lake Norman wedding!
[audio:http://carolineghetes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/And-Then-You-by-Greg-Laswell.mp3|titles=And Then You by Greg Laswell]
Day of Coordination: Irene Reinhard of Blush Wedding & Events
Officiant: Reverend Rebecca Nagy
Flowers: Lily Greenthumbs
Catering: Something Classic
Band: Chris Crosby Trio
Bride’s Dress: by Alix & Kelly
Groom’s Attire: J. Crew suit & Brooks Brothers shirt
Hair: Jessica Loy of Thairapy at Salon Sabeli
Save the dates & Invitations: Vanora Letterpress
Homebrews: made by Brad
Venue: Jennifer & Brad’s Lake Norman home
Signs, altar, lighting, table runners, ribbon wands: DIY
Most of the DIY, the bride says she is forever grateful to her parents and her brother for helping them work on the house and wedding prep until literally minutes before the wedding. Also to Irene Reinhard, who made everything come together and flow together seamlessly.