I have to start out by saying that this wedding was such a special one. Ok, wait, don't I say that about every wedding? Yes I do. I do! And I mean it every time! But this one was especially wonderful! I loved the location and I mean L.O.V.E.D. this place! I have dreamed of doing a wedding at Maple Lane Farm since I attended a wedding as a guest there three years ago (right when the wheels of my business were beginning to turn). It's my ideal wedding location. In addition to being a farm with a rugged barn and beautiful natural surroundings it's also dressed up with a quirky charm and elegance of a classy wedding venue.

As if that weren't enough ... let me just take a moment to say that the stars of the show, Rebekah and Darrell, were amazing to work with! Most importantly they are so obviously in love. I can't say how happy it makes me to work with people who are truly in love. It makes my job a dream job. Not only are they in love but they are beautiful and have warm loving families and friends surrounding them. I'm telling you I have a dream job!

The rest of the commentary you read here will be notes from the bride.




How we met:
As "cheesy-TV- movie" as it may be, Darrell was the boy next door. He is 6 years older than me so we didn't know each other growing up. In fact, the first time I met his mother as his girlfriend, she said "Isn't that the little girl from next door??" We officially met while working together at Schlotzsky's Deli. We soon became good friends... and then we became more than friends... and then we fell in love. Now six and a half years later, here we are!


How he popped the question:
Darrell has a very large glass jar that he puts spare pennies in. It was always a running joke between us, that when the penny jar was full he would buy me a ring. The night before my graduation, I had a hooding ceremony which included a slide show of all the important moments throughout physical therapy school... such as everyone's engagements and weddings. (He knew this was the perfect set-up.) As soon as we got home, he handed me some pennies and said, "Here, go put this in your penny jar." I, very gracefully, took the pennies from him, slammed them on the counter and said "That penny jar should have been full a long time ago!" As I turned around... I noticed the penny jar was overflowing, and I knew immediately. He dumped it out and inside was a box with his great grandmother's ring. In all the emotion, shock, and excitement, he said everything but those four words I had been waiting to hear! And it didn't matter, the moment was perfect. He did eventually say them... and we still joke about it. I couldn't have been more excited to know I would soon be marrying my best friend. Needless to say, I was glowing at graduation the next morning.




Venue: Maple Lane Farm, Johnson City, TN
I can not say enough about Bernie and David at Maple Lane! They did an incredible job taking all our different ideas and making them a reality. We had the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception there. Darrell and I came up with a custom menu for the reception and they did an amazing job with the food. Thanks to Bernie and David, all the wedding festivities could not have been more perfect!



Florist: Betty King, Food City
I love Betty!! I came to her with a mix of different ideas and she made sense of it all to create absolutely gorgeous flowers. My mom and I cried when we saw my Bridal bouquet, it so much more than I had ever imagined. We loved working with her!






Wedding day coordinator: Adrianne Brown: Andi is very organized and did a good job making sure everyone knew where they were supposed to be at the right time. She coordinated our rehearsal and ceremony and made sure that it all flowed smoothly.







Salon Bella Donna: Nikki, Lori, and Heather did such a great job with all the girls hair and my make up! They booked 9 hair appointments for us that day and every girl loved her hair! http://www.salonbelladona.net/









The Dress: Tricia's Bridal
Tricia is the best! She knows bridal gowns better than anyone! She gives her brides 100% one on one attention and was so much fun to work with!!












Bagpipes: John Shell
The bagpipes were a huge hit!! We had John hide out before the ceremony so none of the guests would know he was there... he went miles down the road to warm up the bagpipes before the ceremony. He led me and my dad in and it really added to the emotion of the moment!



Guitarists: Tom Intardonato & Josh Norman
Tom and Josh are good friends of ours. Darrell and I gave them a list of songs for the ceremony and each and every one of them sounded perfect!! We would recommend them to anyone!!






Officiant: Rev. Carolyn Claiborne: Rev. Carolyn is so sweet and gave Darrell and I lots of unique ideas to personalize our ceremony. She was so helpful and easy to work with!





















Cake: Susie's Specialty Wedding Cakes
Susie was so easy to work with and the cake tasted fabulous! Darrell had so much fun designing his groom's cake and she brought every detail to life!





Jazz Band: The Diamonds
Glen and the band did an incredible job!! We got TONS of compliments on the band! They play at Atlanta Bread Company every Thursday night if you want to stop in and listen!




Videographer: Steve Talbert, Abingdon Video
Abingdon Video was great to work with. They were with Darrell and I all day and were right there for every special moment. I can't wait to see the video!







Last but absolutely not least... Photography: Julie Roberts!! All I need to say is... if Julie is your photographer, you are a very lucky bride. Just having her there on your wedding day makes all the difference! Julie is the best at what she does because she goes so far beyond being your photographer, she is a true artist and her passion for her craft is evident in her pictures. Much love and many thanks Julie!!!!!