Hannah and Kay were both raised in the church, and parts of their wedding represented belief that LGBTQIA+ marriage and relationships can coexist with faith.
Tell us about the proposal.
OH MAN, WHAT A STORY. Here’s the breakdown.
We went to a college in Northern Georgia, which is known for being very close to the start of the Appalachian Trail and for its many gorgeous mountainous hiking views (remember the mountains part in a minute). There is a local fire tower nearby that we would visit on our few days off when we needed to get away and watch the sunset. It is hands down one of the most beautiful and highest points in that area. So why not have a proposal there? The photos would be awesome with an epic sunset…. Sweet Kay, you had the best of intentions.
The plan was that Kay had convinced Hannah to go hiking with a group of our friends and that she would meet up with them to get tacos and margaritas after because she was “at work .” On the day of the proposal, the weather was incredibly unpredictable. First a 50% chance of rain…. 60%….70%. It continued to be cloudy and overcast. While this wasn’t what Kay had imagined initially, we could deal with a bit of rain. However, then rolled in the thunderstorms. Remember, a fire tower is a very high and METAL object. Not to mention, this tower was on one of the tallest mountains in the area. She also failed to remember how steep of a hike it was. It’s only one mile from the base to the peak, but it is straight-up girl.
Our photographer and Kay finally get to the top. It’s lightly raining, there are dark thunderstorms surrounding us at 360 degrees, and we are drenched in sweat because it’s July in Georgia. All there is left to do is to wait for Hannah and her entourage to arrive. By the grace of somebody, the weather held off enough for us not to get electrocuted, and Hannah was so surprised and said, “yes!”.
Unfortunately, Hannah also promptly gave Kay the wrong hand to put the ring on… oh well. Something had to go wrong, I guess!
What was the inspiration behind the vibe of your wedding?
Kay wanted a summer wedding, while Hannah pushed for a date in October. Hannah got her way thanks to Georgia’s miserably humid and hot summers. We both had similar visions for the day.
Most importantly to us, we wanted to have a fun, unforgettable day with our friends and family. We also wanted to make things as easy as possible for ourselves and our bride’s people.
Hannah gave her bride’s people a color and let them choose any style dress they wanted. Kay’s brothers actually wore suits from their sister’s wedding a few years back!
We are fortunate because the process was pretty smooth overall. But taking the laid-back approach was absolutely the way to go!
Tell us about your DIY wedding flowers.
This was all Hannah. Hannah made the floral arrangements for the altar and killed it! There was a bit of a learning curve, but nothing a little YouTube, Pinterest, and some super glue can’t do! Having professionally done bouquets and boutonnieres wasn’t really a priority for us. We had a flower kit shipped to us, and with the two of us and Hannah’s maid of honor, we put together all of the boutonnieres, bouquets, and extra decorations the day before the wedding! Our house looked like a jungle, but it was so worth it, and we feel like we saved a good amount of money doing the flowers ourselves.
Tell us about your wedding day.
By the time October 2nd rolled around, we were more than ready. Neither of us would take a second back from that day, but wow, was it a lot of work! But, we were excited to see it pay off. All of the vendors took such great care of us, and we didn’t have to stress at all. Kay’s twin brother Cam prepared and officiated the ceremony, and he killed it. We knew he would do a good job, but wow. He really blew us away.
Of course, our dads made us tear up with their toasts, and Hannah’s dad got carried away with his spins and almost threw Kay across the room during the father-daughter dance. Thankfully she held on tight, and there is photo evidence to prove it!
Dancing with our family and friends was definitely a highlight for Kay. We both like dancing, but Kay loves it, and she’s the more talented of the two of us! So I knew that part of the night was important for her. It made me happy to see her having so much fun.
What are your favorite moments?
We decided to do a private, intimate first look. We both knew we would be too nervous to read personalized vows in front of our 100 guests, so we read them out loud to each other. Out of all the ideas we had for the wedding, that one was the best. The first look itself was amazing. Hannah couldn’t get over how good Kay looked in her custom suit! Reading those vows to each other really took away the nerves and jitters. It was also really helpful to get a few happy tears out in private!
It was also just crazy to see worlds collide. We had relatives and friends from all over the country. Some of them knew each other, and some didn’t. Hannah has friends from Wisconsin that she has known since grade school, and they were sitting next to our friends from college. Realizing that this group of people will never all be in the same place again helped us take it all in and enjoy every second.
Lastly, Hannah doesn’t think she’ll ever forget watching Kay do a full split in the middle of the dance floor. She hasn’t done one in forever, but it was flawless!
Did you incorporate any religious traditions into the day?
We were both raised in the church but had very different relationships and thoughts about religion. When we started dating, we decided that we would respect each other’s beliefs or lack thereof.
It was important to Kay that the ceremony pointed out the obvious: this is a gay wedding. It really was a powerful thing to hear it said out loud.
Kay’s father did say a blessing before dinner, and Hannah chose to wear her grandmother’s cross around her neck. It was important to her to do so. She wanted to represent her belief that LGBTQIA+ marriage and relationships can coexist with faith.
Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We honestly can’t believe how much love and support we received from our friends and families. We had multiple individuals who are Christ-loving followers that stood beside us at the altar or in the congregation. To see that they love us truly and earnestly enough to be at our wedding meant everything to us.
I think it’s fair to say that the church has burned the LGBTQIA+ community, but there is definitely a new wave of progressive Christians out there who are open and willing to try.
Photography by Bryson Eller
Catering, Photo Booth, Planner & Venue The Cotton Gin at Mill Creek
Cinematographer Anchor Heart Films
Dress Boutique A Formal Affair
Engagement & Wedding Rings DaVinci Diamonds
Entertainment Premier Entertainment Atlanta
Florist Kukka DIY Wedding Flowers
H&MU William Holland Hair Studio, Renee Locher Makeup and Hair
Officiant Cameron Mallett (Kay’s twin brother)
Shoes The Office of Angela Scott, Kailee P.
Stationery The Knot
Suit Designer Q Clothier – Atlanta
Wedding Party Outfits Birdy Grey
