From the very beginning, distance and weather had never been on their side. The American girl from Northern Virginia and the Englishman from Newcastle whose lives collided one summer in New York. From those first wonderful months, the short times they were able to spend on the same continent seemed plagued with horrible weather. Even the day Chris proposed was clouded by sea mist.
But nothing could stop the sun from shining on their wedding day. It was a cool fall day with a steady breeze, but they just held each other tighter. Their journey had taken them from New York to Australia to California to Great Britain and everywhere in between. And on this day, all of the people they loved most were on the same continent, gathered in one place to see them wed. The Englishman and the American Girl who couldn’t have been more perfect for each other.
Naturally with a long distance relationship, traveling has played a big role in Kelley & Chris's lives over the past several years. On their 5th dating anniversary, Kelley gave Chris a wooden plaque to hang in their apartment with the exact coordinates of the spot at Camp Kennybrook where they first met. Their luggage tag wedding favors (which also doubled as place cards) were printed with the latitude and longitude of the Norfolk Botanical Garden where they said their vows.
As a little girl, Kelley had dressed up in a beautiful puffy dress for a special night at the Father-Daughter Dance in Girl Scouts. Arms stretched high above her head, she would squeeze his hand, their special signal for him to twirl her round and round in her puffy dress. And two decades later, wearing other puffy dress, Kelley squeezed her father’s hand again. Because you never stop being your daddy’s little girl.
Chris's best man put quite a lot of thought into his speech. He made jokes about Britains and Americans, properly roasted the groom, and even came prepared with illustrations of various people Chris reminded him of! I've never seen a crowd enjoy a best man speech more!
The Creative Team:
Coordination: Kristina and Katrina with Cherry Blossom Planning Factory
Venue: Norfolk Botanical Garden: Butterfly Garden and Baker Hall
Venue Coordination: Ashley
Bridal Gown: Ava Laurenne Bridal | Bride's Shoes: L.K. Bennett London | Bridesmaids: Monique Lhuiller | Catering: Chef by Design | Cake: DIY by the bride's sister | DJ: Taylor Haycox | Favor: Curry's Leather | Florals: DIY by the bride's sister | Groom’s Attire: Mens Wearhouse | Hair & Makeup: Best Face Artists | Lighting: Blue Steel Lighting Design | Photography: Caitlin Gerres Photography | Stationary: Minted | Transportation: Orange Peel Transportation