FARMHOUSE WEDDING

More happy stuff to take our minds off hurricanes, fires, massacres and other bad things happening in our country.

A relative got married last weekend in North Georgia. Not at a resort or event location, but at the place she'd chosen as a child.

For years, her grandparents have looked after an old farmhouse for the absent owners, who allow her grandfather to grow hay and cows on the fields. The bride, helping with chores around the farm from her childhood, always said she wanted to be married there one day.

Last Saturday, that day came. Other than a few occasional raindrops, remnants of Hurricane Nate skirted the hilltop house where a crowd of friends and relatives gathered, while the pleasant autumn afternoon was not too warm and not too cold.

Some pix my guy took beginning with the lovely bride escorted down the farmhouse steps...

...to meet her dashing groom and say vows overlooking fields below:

The wedded couple retreating back into the house:

Inside, gathering for photos:

Outside, playing with some of the children. I believe the two older girls are nieces of the groom while the baby is the niece of the bride: (The baby has two older brothers and their hair is red, too. We are taking bets that any children from the newlyweds will have red hair!)

The horse trailer was cleaned up so we could put purses and coats and camera cases inside. Canned drinks are in the low container on the left while a table holds iced tea, lemonade and water.

The dining tent was set up by the barn. To the right is the corner of a smaller tent where the buffet is spread out. You can't see the cows behind the big tent until...

...this picture from inside:

We left at dusk, before the cake was cut and toasts drunk. The younger crowd intended to party into the night, and we were tired. Many of them stayed in the house with its six or eight bedrooms, but we went to a motel to get some sleep before heading up to Mercier's Apple House early the next morning.

Such a picture-perfect wedding and such nice people make things almost seem normal.

Almost.

SWEET MEADOW FARM

Last week was busy. Relatives came to visit Monday and stayed till Friday. Then we had to travel up to North Georgia for another relative's wedding Saturday which meant a six hour drive.

Sweet Meadow Farm, in Tallapoosa, caters to weddings and is a beautiful place for nuptials. It was outside...luckily it didn't rain...and had sweeping lawns, fenced pastures, and a meadow across the pond where benches were set up under a tree for the ceremony.

Here's a view of the farmhouse up above  as we headed toward the pond.

Turning around, you can see the pond below. If you have good eyes, start at the top's middle and look down about a fourth of the picture. Those little white specks between the trees are the benches for the ceremony. We walked down and across a little bridge to get to them.

Here's part of the crowd sitting on those benches, waiting for the ceremony to begin. You can see the farmhouse in the background by the tree, and to the right behind another small tree is the stable where the reception was held.

Coming back over the bridge and up to the stable, this is the side we saw in the photo above.

And here is the other side, where tables were set up and a dance floor was laid out. By this time it was dusk. A bar and hors d'oeuvre tables were placed inside, as later were the cakes. There was also a photo 'booth' so guests could paste pix into a book and sign for the happy couple to enjoy later.

These next two photos of the tables were taken earlier in the day as we headed down to the meadow beyond the pond for the ceremony.

And this one was taken after dinner, waiting for the toasts to begin.

We left after the toasts and cake cutting. Evidently we missed out on some really good dancing and other revelries but alas, we were exhausted from our six hour drive that morning.
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If you're planning a wedding anywhere around Tallapoosa GA, this is a wonderful setting. Everything from the catering (great food) to the golf carts taking us to our cars went smoothly. The people were friendly and helpful. And the views were spectacular.

Here's their website: http://sweetmeadowevents.com/ in case you want to find out more.

And no, I don't know them and don't get a commission from referrals!

WEDDING

I was fortunate enough to be present when a young couple exchanged vows in front of the old courthouse on the mainland. They fell in love on our island and wanted to marry down here so they eloped -- kind of. Relatives and friends knew they were going to do it but since they've thought about it for years, no one was really sure what would happen.

It was a gorgeous day, not too hot but sunny. When the probate judge came out of her office, the bride chose the patio surrounding the stone-walled planter for the ceremony. There, under the magnificent oaks dripping spanish moss, the bride and groom said their vows as their daughter watched.

The bride was beautiful, the groom handsome and the little girl an absolute doll.

Oh, and before the ceremony, we had to have an obligatory whale picture of little Miss Julia!

A shame they couldn't stay with us longer, but pre-K awaits the little one and a cruise awaits the honeymooners.

All good wishes go with them. May the rest of their life go as smoothly as the ceremony.

MOUNTAIN WEDDING

Yesterday my guy and I drove up into the N GA mountains for a wedding. Since we were so close, we stopped by Mercier's Apple House in Blue Ridge and had one of their mouth-watering fried pies.

Then we went on to the business at hand. Gorgeous weather, glowing bride, beaming groom, and a beautiful backdrop. What more can you ask for a wedding?

Some cute attendants, of course! And in case you didn't notice them in the first picture, let's look at them again.

And don't forget the reception. Ah, that fabulous food! Some of us -- forgetting waistlines -- pigged out. The wedding cake was a work of art, but the groom's cake was a trout. And it was either hated or loved, depending on the person viewing. Bet you can guess what the groom does in his spare time.

 

So. Congenial people, happy couple, and good food in beautiful surroundings. A day well spent.