Her Grandfather Made Her a Collection of Wedding Day Jewelry Before He Passed When She Was Only 17
Don't get us wrong, this wedding is incredibly beautiful from start to finish, but it's the personal stories from the bride that have us trying (and failing) to hold back the happy tears. From the groom getting choked up as he recites his handwritten vows to the collection of bridal jewelry her grandfather made for her before he passed away when she was only 17 and far from her wedding day - we're getting emotional just talking about it! Head on over to the full gallery from Shannon Moffit Photography to see all the pretty from the day, planned by Simply Chic Events.
From the Bride.. My maternal grandfather, who was a well-known jeweler in France, became really sick when I was about 17-years-old. He realized he was nearing the end of his life and that he would never attend my wedding. Before he passed, he made a collection of jewelry including a handmade pearl bracelet, diamond earrings, and a diamond necklace, specifically for me to wear on my wedding day. I had no idea about these gifts until the Thursday before my wedding, when my aunt gifted them to me in the original boxes with my grandfather’s company emblem. This was the first wildly emotional moment surrounding our wedding day, and there were plenty more of these types of moments over the course of the weekend!
Like many other brides, I've dreamed of my wedding day since before I can remember–formal dress code, live string music, and over-the-top floral arrangements. When it was time to plan my wedding, I wanted to bring this fairytale vision to life. We chose our venue, Airlie, because of its natural beauty–it has perfectly maintained gardens and lots of natural stone walls everywhere. We wanted our event to feel timeless, yet colorful at the same time, so our color scheme was mainly blush and a few hot oranges, peaches, and pinks to compliment the dark greenery of the garden.
My favorite part of our wedding day was watching Alex get emotional in front of all of our guests as he began reading his handwritten vows to me. Alex does not like to show his emotions publicly (even his sister noted that it was the first time she saw him cry since they were kids), but watching him choke back tears, then eventually let himself cry, made his heartfelt promises that much sweeter. There was not a dry eye in the crowd as we exchanged words during the ceremony and I feel so grateful that we were able to share that intimate side of our relationship with our guests. It was truly magical, and the outpouring of love Alex and I felt from everyone made it all so surreal. Alex and I have two amazing fur babies that were the center of attention when it came to planning the final details. Drawings of our two Samoyeds, Oliver and Oshie, were displayed on the escort banner, guest book sign, and our wedding menus. Almost all of our guests have met our dogs, so we knew those details would capture everyone's hearts. We were laughing all night because people kept asking, "Why aren't the dogs here?!"
