A Hunter Valley Wedding for the Books
On Saturday night, I made an Instagram post with a sneak peek from Eliza and Chase’s Hunter Valley wedding. I alluded to several things and have had people tell me how intrigued they are to read this blog post. So, here we are. The wait is over!
- First off, Eliza and Chase’s officiant did such a wonderful job. With over 300 weddings under my belt, I rarely hear a new message during a ceremony. So, when I do, it really impacts me. The message this officiant made discussed the original Hebrew word that described the Holy Trinity. I have absolutely no idea how to spell it, but the same Hebrew word is used to describe the covenant of marriage. That word emphasizes the importance of the three figures in the Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When describing marriage, the word specifies the Lord is as important as the husband and wife. The importance of keeping the Lord at the center of your marriage and how the Bible specifically addresses that. If this doesn’t spark your interest, however, he went on to talk about some marriage statistics. When he initially brought up the fact that the divorce rate in the US is 50%, I could feel the question marks arise throughout the guests. Why is he talking about divorce in a wedding ceremony? Then, he went on to say the marriage success rate jumps up to 75% for couples who attend church regularly together. Then, you know the SHOCKING stat he gave next? The success of a marriage jumps up to 99% for couples who pray together. Wow. 99%. Praying with your spouse basically wipes out your chances of ever having a divorce. If that’s not a thousand times worth it, I don’t know what is!
- The mother son dance Eliza and Chase chose was Drew Baldridge’s Can She Have This Dance. They started with Chase and Eliza dancing, and when the first chorus hit where it says, “Can she have this dance,” Eliza walked off so Chase’s mother could step in. It was really precious and sweet, and I loved how they did this transition. You can see a few photos in the blog where Eliza and Chase are dancing, and you can see Connie looking beautiful in her blue dress in the background watching them.
- Going a little out of order on this one because gotta save the best for last. Chase sliced open not one but TWO champagne bottles with a Vietnam War sword. The same sword they used to cut their cake with as well. In these photos and even in the video, Chase makes it look really easy. Effortless even. But I’ve seen this go VERY wrong. I’ve also seen it not work at all. In all the other times I’ve seen it done actually, only one other has been successful, and it was after 3 failed attempts. So, I’m not quite sure what the magic trick was here, but he figured it out. It was pretty cool for both myself and all the guests to witness!
- Have you ever heard of a 6 year old maid of honor? Probably not. But for Eliza, it was the most important role for her daughter to have despite what tradition says. Little Annie was her maid of honor, and while I don’t think this was planned, she even gave her own speech. After the welcome speech and prayer, delivered by Chase’s dad, Chase and Eliza also said a few words. They thought they were done and were about to hand the mic back over to the band when little Annie ran up reaching for it. We could all see the hesitation of handing it over, but after a little insistence, they did and maybe even held their breath at what she was about to say. They could have NEVER guessed what was about to come out of Annie’s mouth. She literally had the whole room tearing up. Maybe not verbatim with what she said but something along the lines of,” I’m so glad my mommy found a husband. I’ve been praying for our little family to be a complete family of three. Our family is complete now, and I’m so happy I have a stepdad. My mommy is so happy and I am so happy and we have the best family.” Then, she handed the mic over, did three of the biggest twirls ever, and ran over to Chase’s mom, her new Nonnie. It was the most precious MOH speech I’ve ever heard. Sorry to admit to all the other MOH speeches I’ve seen in my day, but if you were there, I’d say you would agree with me. There’s nothing topping that one.
I hope my cliff hanger on Instagram last Saturday did not disappoint with the moments shared above from this Hunter Valley wedding. I just loved how special these moments were and how uniquely the day was tailored to Eliza and Chase. I’m so thrilled for them to have their complete little family of three now!
I’m a Knoxville Wedding Photographer that loves to travel. I shoot anywhere! Click here to contact me with any questions you have about pricing or booking! If you liked what you saw above, go ahead and follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see my daily updates of the latest sessions!
Vendors used by Eliza & Chase:
Assistant Photographers: SkyLights Photography & Ami Owens Photo
Venue: Hunter Valley Farm
Videographer: Marble City Films
Florist: Swank Floral
Band: The Breakfast Club
Hair & Makeup: Styled Darling
Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses: Vow’d
Men’s Attire: Regal Tuxedo
Rentals: All Occasions Party Rentals
See more from Amanda May Photos:
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