Amalie Orrange has this way of always, always sending us the sweetest soirees, so when I saw her name attached to this gorgeous Dade City affair, I knew we were in for a little something special. And by something special, I mean a wedding that leaves us smiling from ear to ear, thanking our lucky stars and celebrating our Friday with a whole lot of pretty. And I was SOOO right on the money. Ready for a day of vibrant pink hues, sparkly Kate Spades and ruffles as far as the eye can see? Yep. Me, too. Check it out in the full gallery.
From Amalie Orrange… The couple is Kayla & Chad, two of the sweetest people you ever could meet. They are middle school sweethearts and got married in the town they grew up in, it was a full town event! I had the pleasure of getting to know this sweet couple and am honored to now call them friends.
From the Bride… In 1997 Chad and I attended the same middle school in our hometown of Dade City. Both of us went to different high schools, but we still remained friends since one of my best friends (and bridesmaid) lived directly across the street from Chad. Little to Chad’s knowledge at the time, I spent many hours spying on him and his friends from just across the road. After high school, we both moved to different cities to attend college and after a few years we found ourselves back in the Dade City area. On an ordinary night out with friends we both ran into each other at a local hangout. We talked a few times throughout the next few weeks, and Chad invited me to have lunch with him. After a bit of convincing from friends I finally decided to take him up on his offer. Well, a thirty minute lunch break quickly turned into four hours, and I knew that afternoon we had something special. From that day on there has not been a day that has gone by that I have not been so thankful that we met for lunch. Who knew the perfect man for me was here all along!
In May of 2012, we were in the middle of packing up our old apartment to embark on a new adventure together called “home ownership.” It was common for Chad to bring home boxes from Lowe’s on a daily basis and May 6th was no different. On this Sunday afternoon, after I had spent a day of shopping with my mom, Chad came home from work with more boxes. He told me that within the boxes were more packing supplies for our stuff, so naturally I responded, “Want to see what I bought?!” I tried on five dresses before he could say no. After the fashion show, we discussed dinner options for that night. He had just gotten home from work, and was unmotivated to make a decision. He said, “All I want to do is play with the bubble wrap in that large box.” I love bubble wrap, so I immediately headed toward that box. When I opened the box, to my surprise, heart-shaped balloons flew up to the ceiling! I asked, “What is this?!” He said, “Keep going….” Tied to the end of the balloons’ strings was a small box. He smiled and said, “Open it.” Inside was my ring! I was shocked! All I could say over and over was, “What is this? What is this?” He stopped me and replied, “What do you think it is?” He was the one that took the ring out of the box. He got down on his knee and asked, “Will you marry me?” I still couldn’t collect my thoughts completely. So I shouted, “We’re getting married?!” He laughed, and said, “I don’t really know because you still haven’t answered me.” So I shouted, “Of course!”
Wedding Photography: Amalie Orrange / Wedding Venue: First Presbyterian Church in Dade City, Florida / Reception Venue: Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club in San Antonio, Florida / Wedding Planner: Stephanie Crona at Clover & Company Weddings and Events / Floral Design: Bonita Flower Shop / Wedding Cake: Betty Cakes / Wedding Dress: CC’s Boutique / Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bella Bridesmaid / Hair + Makeup: Michele Renee Hair and Makeup