Holly and Kendra – June 29, 2020
Rustic Weddings
Holly and Kendra are locals whose love story started in the woods so rustic weddings were the idea of choice. Holly said she knew that when she got married that she wanted to say their vows surrounded by nature, and we are excited that they chose us for their big day!! We had to pull out some fans to try to stay cool because it was such a muggy day, but that didn’t get these two down! Congratulations, Holly and Kendra!!
From the Brides:
We met on POF (plenty of fish). She (Holly) actually liked me for my hair at first. We started talking and I drove from Cookeville to Knoxville to see her on her lunch one night because I had nothing better to do. I got to the hospital where she works. Told her I was there and the first thing she messaged me was “This isn’t gonna be a cat-phish thing where I walk out and you aren’t really here is it?” I laughed and told her no. When she finally came out on her lunch, I rambled on like a complete nervous idiot. And for some reason, she still wanted to see me 2 days later. And we have been inseparable since. And that was 4 years ago.
On our first date, Holly took me to downtown Knoxville because they had just put a bunch of sculptures on display in one of the little parts down there near market square. She did that because she knew I was an artist and she thought I would love to see them. It was amazing. We spent a while looking at the shops there and spent sometime in the outdoor store there looking at things we could use for future adventures. after that we went back to her house and went swimming. Just soaking up the summer sun, enjoying one another’s company and talking endlessly.
I (Kendra) proposed to her. It took me months to do it because she (Holly) had a feeling it might be coming. I kept trying to make plans to go to our favorite hiking spot to do it, but she always found some excuse not to go. So finally, when were down in Florida visiting my dad and stepmom, I enlisted the help of one of my old friends from high school who I hadn’t seen in years. Only my friend didn’t know she was helping me till partway thru the day. We spent the first part of the day at a science center, and when Holly went to the bathroom, I let my friend in on the plan. That way we could come up with a signal for when I wanted my friend to go off on her own for a little bit. We went to Harry P Leu Gardens after that, and it ended up being perfect because they had huge Lego sculptures everywhere. Holly absolutely loves her Legos. Eventually as we were going thru the garden we came across an area filled with beautiful flowers that a gorgeous water fountain and some little pavilions in it where we could get away from everyone. I discretely gave my friend the signal and she went off, pretending to take photos of some of the flowers. We walked to one of the pavilions and sat down. As soon as I started to reach for my pocket to get out the ring, Holly’s eyes got really wide and she got up and bolted. But came back a few moments later and I finally proposed to her. Unbeknownst to me, the reason she bolted was because she had gotten me a ring as well so she could turn around and pull out a ring for me at the same time I proposed to her. But I managed to catch her so off guard that day, that she had left the ring at my parents house thinking I wouldn’t propose with my friend there. So, when we got home, she went upstairs and grabbed the ring for me while I sat on my parents patio in the garden and surprised me with a ring as well and told me why she had ran away for a moment at the gardens.
We chose East Tennessee when we were looking at places that hosted rustic weddings because we really wanted something in the mountains because our love of hiking and the outdoors is one of the first and main things we bonded over. What I am most looking forward to is seeing Holly walking down the aisle towards me, knowing that after that day she will be my wife. And it will be the start of a wonderful new journey together. And that I will always have her by my side as long as we live.
June 28th was the day that I asked if Holly would be my girlfriend. So it being the 29th is like the next day we are starting our new life together. Taking that step towards forever together.
For fun we like to hike and go kayaking. I have even taken Holly caving, which is a pastime that I have never shared with another person that I have dated because that was my thing, my time to myself and my friends. But I wanted to share every part of my life with her. Show her why I loved it so much. And as far as collecting things, we always get magnets and little medals to stick to my hiking pole from every place and trail we go together. We plan on filling up my hiking staff with all the adventures that we go on together. It is a goal of ours. And it is a large redwood hiking stick. So we have room for a lot of adventures together.
Chapel Florals: Chapel in the Hollow
Bouquet: Kendra
Officiant: Ian Parrott
Photography: Star Noir Studio
Venue: Chapel in the Hollow
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