By Perfect Wedding Guide National Wedding Expert Susan Southerland
A couple of months ago when the Icelandic volcano erupted, I remember voicing concerns about its dramatic impact on various parts of the world, including here in the U.S. Several people asked me how a volcanic eruption across the globe could have possibly impacted us over here. The couple in today’s real wedding blog can answer this question quite clearly.
Faced with moving their destination wedding to an alternative date due to closed airports in the UK, Julie and Derek persevered. Their understanding and flexible wedding vendors rallied to give this couple the beautiful wedding of their dreams. Thanks to photographer Ginger Midgett, florist Petals by Design, stylist Makeover Maven, DJ Dave Conley and the violinist through Beautiful Music for making this wedding come together!
Susan: How did you and your spouse meet?
Julie: Derek and I met whilst working together in a restaurant when I was 15 and he was 17. We got together then, but split up and each left our jobs. Years later when I was 21, we ended up working together again in the same place, fell in love, and ended up together and eventually married. Fate must have played a part!
Susan: Tell us about the proposal.
Julie: We are not the romantic types, as the proposal reflects! We went away for a weekend for my birthday and Derek asked “will you engage me” over dinner, and that was it…wedding plans were underway!
Susan: Why did you choose your particular wedding location?
Julie: We always wanted to get married abroad. Our first location was Antigua, then Mexico, and finally we decided on Florida. We chose Florida because we had been there many times and loved it and also wanted the rest of the family to experience it. We looked at many venues but when we saw the gazebo at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, we fell in love with the place. Jessica was amazing, as was the staff at Just Marry!.
Susan: What was it like for you on the morning of your wedding?
Julie: Due to the Icelandic volcano erupting, twenty people, including the groom’s parents, best man, bridesmaid and flower girl, were unable to get to Florida. A week later, they were able to fly out. We had to change the date of the wedding several times to ensure that they were there, for which Just Marry! and the Hyatt were amazing in organizing. As you can imagine, we experienced every emotion possible and did not know if we would even get married. The morning of the wedding was therefore full of relief. I felt like a princess. Faye and Karen of Just Marry! were amazing in making sure everything went as planned. Jessica was also amazing in making sure I didn’t worry about a thing. Surprisingly, I was not nervous but extremely excited about walking down the aisle with my dad.
Susan: What were your thoughts as you walked down the aisle?
Julie: I was so proud to be walking down the aisle with my dad; he is an amazing man whom I love dearly. My thoughts were full of emotion, excitement, and nervousness…not to mention relief that the wedding was finally happening. Most of all, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world to be marrying such a kind and wonderful man.
Susan: What was the most memorable part of the day for you and your spouse?
Julie: The most memorable part of the day for us must have been when we said our vows; we were both so excited, so much so that I had to keep asking the reverend [Phil McCullough] to repeat what I was supposed to say! A close second was seeing all our friends and family together. People had traveled from Canada and New Zealand to be at the wedding, and seeing them reunited with those from the UK made our day even more special.
Susan: Were there any particular elements of your wedding day that you considered unique or personal touches?
Julie: Our DJ suggested doing the garter and bouquet toss. The gentleman who caught the garter had to put in on the leg of the lady who caught the bouquet. This was a unique experience for us, as back home usually only the bouquet is thrown. This was great fun and a something nobody will forget!
Susan: Based off of your experience, would you share some advice for other brides and grooms who may still be planning their weddings?
Julie: Enjoy the day. It goes by so quickly. Try to spend a moment alone with each other; you will spend so much time speaking with your guests that the whole day could go by without you even looking at each other. Don’t worry if things don’t go as planned. As you can see, our wedding plans all went wrong as a result of the volcano. Despite this, we had the most amazing wedding and couldn’t have asked for anything different. The day is about you both making a commitment to each other…everything else is just a bonus.
Thank you, Julie and Derek, for sharing the details of your wedding with all of us! Do you have a real wedding story you would like to share? If so, please email me at the address below with your experience and some photos. You might be the next bride featured in this wedding blog!
If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan(dot)southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan
