Having unsupportive family in the process of planning your wedding can be challenging, and it was something that Emily & Georgia had to overcome.
THE PROPOSAL
Emily- The proposal was like a dream. Georgia was the one to get down on one knee and propose to me. She did it in the sweetest, most thoughtful, most romantic way that I could have ever dreamed up. It all took place on a Saturday when Georgia’s best friend, Laura, came up for a visit. We three had planned to go get our nails done, get dressed up, and go out to eat.
Everything was going swimmingly until the dreaded phone call came in. Georgia got called into work. I was very frustrated as this would be a special time for her because it was the first time she would ever get her nails done. After a bit of convincing, I finally decided that I’d go with Laura to get my nails done. Little did I know, it was all going according to Georgia’s plan. Georgia and her friends set up the proposal area while I went with Laura to get our nails done.
Later on that day, Georgia, Laura and I all came back together to get ready and set out for the dinner reservations. After driving for a while, I realized that Georgia was taking a different route to the restaurant than usual. Georgia then turned into a little parking lot, looked at me and asked me to get out of the car and follow her. That was when I saw it. It was a beautiful, antiquated, rustic-covered bridge that I and Georgia had visited many times before. But this time it looked different.
The sides of the road leading up to the entrance of this covered bridge were lined with tea lights placed in mason jars. In addition, rose petals had been placed on the ground, and curtain lights hung in the entrance. It was then that I looked at Georgia and quietly whispered with delight, “no way!” And to that, in a most steady and reassuring tone of voice, Georgia responded with a smile, “come on.” Georgia then took my hand, led me to the entrance, got down on one knee, and asked me to be her wife.
What was the importance behind the theme of your wedding and why did you go with that?
The theme of our wedding was just very much us—classic elegance with a country twist. We are not the type of couple that purposely draws attention to ourselves, but we enjoy classy-looking things. We wanted the fairy lights because we like the soft, whimsical glow that they give off. Also, we loved the barn and the tables because Emily appreciates the look of natural beauty and bringing that to the foreground.
All in all, we just wanted our wedding to be like who we are as a couple. Not complicated but a thing of effortless simplicity and beauty.
Did you undertake any DIY projects for the big day?
Many things were DIY projects, and Georgia was the true talent and creator behind every one of them. They ranged from the centerpieces to the seating chart to all our bouquets and everything in between. The centerpieces were special because the wood for them came from an old willow tree that had been on Georgia’s family property for as long as they all could remember. It had unfortunately fallen down, but we used this to our advantage and were able to use it for our big day.
The seating chart was done the night before. Nothing like procrastination! But it ended up being beautiful! We had found the old window in Woodstock, NY, and knew it had to be part of our big day. I think the best DIY was our flowers. They were wooden! We dyed them ourselves, and they came out absolutely beautiful. It was beautiful because we had the elegance we wanted for a fraction of the price of real flowers!
Tell us about your wedding dresses.
Finding our dresses was a bittersweet experience. Emily had a hard time with a lot of the marital process as her mother and father decided not to be a part of her wedding due to their view that LGBTQ+ marriage is wrong. Due to this, Emily’s entire wedding day and what she thought it would look like changed drastically.
No longer did she have her mother there to help her say yes to the dress. No longer would she have her mom there for support. To share in her times of happiness and tears of joy. Yes, Emily had other people to step in and step up, like her Aunt Marge, her mother-in-law, Cheryl and her sister, Rachael. However, no person or people can replace the feeling of having a mother there to share in these times together.
There were definitely parts of the journey that were rockier and more difficult than others. Many nights of tears and days of heartache. But thankfully we knew that Emily’s parents were not going to be a part of the once-in-a-lifetime process and experience that is getting ready for the wedding. Due to this knowledge, there was not a single tear of sadness shed for her parent’s absence on the day of. Instead an overwhelming appreciation for those who do love and support us as a couple.
Talk to us about your big day!
I would have to describe the day itself as “effortlessly meant to be” in one phrase. The day was crisp yet warm fall day with just enough sun to keep us warm outside but not enough to make it unbearable. And if it did get a little warm, the breeze came just at the right time to cool us off. It was beautiful to see everyone having a great time and spending time talking to each of the guests. All of who held a special place in our lives.
Did you incorporate any family or religious traditions into the day?
We had a reading of a passage out of the Bible that defines what love is. As for family, we had Georgia’s best friend’s mother perform the ceremony. Michelle was the absolute perfect person for the role. She made the day with her short and sweet ceremony that made us speechless. And knew exactly what to say to capture both of us and bring us together. Michelle will always be a part of our special day, and we are forever grateful that she took the time to become ordained just for us. She was a massive part of making our day as special as it was.
What does marriage mean to you?
To Emily, marriage means having someone to love, care for, argue with and yet know that nothing will come between. To yell to the world that we are forever together and nothing will break this bond and commitment. Someone to hold for the rest of eternity without any other reason other than loving one another. Georgia is her one love.
To Georgia, marriage means having someone to go through life with. To celebrate the big things with, work on the hard stuff, and love with everything she has. Marriage is about becoming a better you while becoming a better couple. Knowing that taking on the world with your partner is far better than having to face anything that this life throws at you alone. Emily has been her saving grace.
Advice for other couples planning a wedding.
Emily- Give yourselves time to deal with whatever unfortunate things may transpire due to your decisions. It was extremely helpful that I had time to come to terms with the fact that my parents chose not to be a part of our big day. I had to learn to be okay with not having my dad walk me down the aisle. This was something I had dreamed about since I was a little girl. I had to wrap my head around the fact that my dad would not be there to share in the father-daughter dance that I so desired. Thankful that I had time to work through each of these obstacles. It gave me time to grieve and become stronger in my love for Georgia and the strength in whom I am as a person.
No longer would I allow my emotions and opinions to rule over my decisions as a person. No longer would I excuse away the looks or the snide remarks directed toward me because of who I love. I am in love with a beautiful, thoughtful, kind, hardworking, honest soul who I will never again hide away from the world or apologize for. I am in love, happy, alive, and I am not sorry.
Georgia says not to stress the little things. While planning your big day, it seems like a huge detail, but do not kill yourself over the little details because everything comes together beautifully.
Photography by Yustiz Photography
