Since the virus, all of our weddings with massive guest lists have been completely changed. But thankfully, the attitudes of our clients have not been affected. Caroline and Will were incredibly easy to work with and so kind and appreciative of us the entire day. My heart goes out to them for the sacrifices that they had to make for their dream wedding, but something tells me now that it’s all over that I don’t think they would change a single thing.

“Will and I have known each other since we were probably 8 or 9, but we never really spoke until we were 25 or 26! We went to the same elementary, middle, and high school, but Will was a grade above me. He was always way cooler than me (and a football player), so we never really crossed paths. I was more of a nerd who loved Harry Potter. Two of our best friends, Barry and Caroline, ended up getting married, and after I moved back from Nashville, all I heard about from them was how I had to meet Will Klinke and that we were ‘perfect for each other.’ So finally, in October of 2016, we finally ‘meet’ (even though we’d known of each other for almost 20 years) at a friend’s party. Will was his typical self: cool, calm, collected, and I was my typical self: outgoing and talking wayyy too much. It sounds creepy, but I knew I would marry him the second he walked in the door. I had never had that feeling before, and at the time it was entirely one-sided! I gave Will my number that night, and he never called me! Fast forward seven months later, and I’m at Pickwick Lake with friends. My friend tells me that Will Klinke is there with some of his friends and that they are coming over to ‘tie-up’ with our boat. I’m sure my eyes rolled into the back of my head, knowing he had never called/texted me after that party in the fall. After a weekend of him flirting with me and me trying to ignore him, we all headed back to Memphis. Two weeks later, I get that text I had been waiting seven months for, and the rest just kind of fell into place. We’ve been together ever since.” – Caroline

“The proposal was a complete surprise, which is exactly what Will had wanted it to be. After three years of dating, we had made a tradition to go out to a ‘Christmas Dinner’ just the two of us before the craziness of the Holidays set in. He had mentioned to me that he made a reservation at Folk’s Folly for our Christmas Date for December 23rd. I was excited to spend some one-on-one time with him before our families came into town but had no clue what he had up his sleeve! That night he picks me up from my apartment and seems off and fidgety. He asks me if I wanted to exchange gifts before we head out to dinner, and in my head, I think, ‘here we go, I’m getting broken up with.’ We head back to his house, and he asks me if he can open his gift first. He opens it and practically throws it aside and says, ‘okay your turn!’ He then hands me a letter only to take it back and ask if he can read it to me instead. It is still the kindest words that have ever been spoken to me, and I will remember them for the rest of my life. After he finished reading the letter, he tells me my present is on the Christmas tree. I’m thinking ‘that’s weird, why would he put my AirPods on the Christmas tree?’ To my surprise, they aren’t AirPods, but instead an ornament that had been hand-painted and said, ‘Caroline, Will You Marry Me?’ Cue the tears. It was the best day of my life.” – Caroline

“My nerves surprised me more than anything! I had no doubt in my mind about marrying Will, but having 150-200 eyes on you walking down the aisle was so much more nerve-wracking than I imagined!” – Caroline

“Oddly enough, changing our wedding plans due to COVID, ended up being a blessing in disguise. It challenged us and our relationship in new ways but proved to us that our relationship was strong and that we could survive even the darkest days. While we were sad about not having the reception we originally planned, what we ended up getting was even better- an intimate day with our 50 closest family and friends. It was a perfect day filled with special moments, speeches, and many, many happy tears. I wouldn’t trade that day for anything…even if you told me I could have gone back to Plan A.” – Caroline

“Our wedding design was natural and whimsical, with a touch of tradition and romance. Our florist, Kevin Griffin, was AMAZING. He perfectly executed my wedding day vision, and it was more than I could have ever imagined. He is so creative and even found a way to use branches to block off certain pews in the church to adhere with social distancing guidelines.” – Caroline

“Our pastor, who did our marriage counseling, told us to focus on our marriage, not our wedding. This sounds so simple, but it was such good advice for me to hear. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the details of a wedding, but at the end of the day, regardless of what your day looks like, you’re marrying the love of your life, and that should be the focus…not the flowers, not the dress, not the presents. All of those things are a bonus, but the greatest gift is your groom.” – Caroline

“My best advice to future brides would be to be flexible and know that nothing will be perfect. I promise you your day will be special even if it’s not the original one you planned. It might even turn out to be more meaningful than your original plan.” – Caroline

Lead Photographer: Ann-Marie Wyatt | Second Shooter: Alex Sage | Dress: Rivini / Maggie Lousie | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids | Tux: American Tuxedo | Cakes: The Flour Garden | Venue: Annesdale Mansion | Coordinator: Audrey Hurst | Ceremony Flowers: Kevin Griffin | Dinner Flowers: Garden District | Invitations: Menage Stationary | Videographer: Dan Frazier | Caterer: Erling Jensen | Hair: Annie Coates – Juve Salon | Makeup: Kasey Acuff