Atlanta lakeside morning wedding at Piedmont Park

Elizabeth and I met three years ago on a dating site. After a few weeks of conversation we agreed to meet up for pizza and wine and ended up talking for hours.

Our wedding took place on October 15, 2016, by the lake in Piedmont Park. We chose this spot because BreAnna, being an Atlanta native, grew up in and around the city. The dock in Piedmont Park and the park itself is the little piece of nature in the city, and a natural element was very important to us both on our wedding day.

Elizabeth proposed to BreAnna. BreAnna is an elementary art teacher and on the first day of school, which is all rush and adjustment, every teacher heads home exhausted. I came home to dinner and flowers prepared by Elizabeth. Just thinking it was a sweet way to ease a rough day, I said, “You are so amazing! How could I ever repay you?’ Liz then pulled her mother’s engagement ring out of her pocket and said, “ You could repay me by marrying me and being my wife.”

Our wedding’s theme was woodland and sparkles, because who doesn’t love to glitter? We couldn’t agree on a favorite moment collectively BreAnna’s favorite was the first look because it was so personal. Elizabeth’s favorite moment was our first dance on the dock because dancing isn’t something we do ever, and although we had our fair amount of drinks up to this point we nailed it!There were a few DIY elements throughout our wedding day. BreAnna created the window pane photo collage, and we had photos from Elizabeth’s parents wedding enlarged to be placed at the send-off table, and photos of them enlarged to have sitting in their seats among the guests. All of the signage around the event was hand-drawn by BreAnna.

Our wedding day had its share of disasters! But the funniest one was when the Uber left me and all my bridesmaids. Perhaps it was fate because I glanced over and saw my dad sipping a cocktail at the bar. He grabbed his SUV from the valet and drove all of us to the park with the train of my wedding dress sitting across his lap.

Overall the best advice I could give brides and grooms to be is to go with your instinct. I over thought many aspects and details, but always came back to what I knew I liked first.