Wedding Date: June 2, 2007
Ceremony and Reception: Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing
Florist: Dixie Florist
Cakes: Mary Cakes and More
Catering: Mark’s Feed Store
Videographer: New Direction Video
Tent, tables, and linens: Bluegrass Rentals
Melissa and Michael have known each other since age 17, and dated off and on throughout high school. After dating exclusively for three years, Michael finally proposed. “I had lost the stone to my favorite turquoise ring. A few days later, Michael told me he found the stone. When I asked him where he found it, he said ‘right here’ and pulled out a beautiful, emerald-cut diamond engagement ring and popped the question!” Needless to say, Melissa liked her new ring much better.
Melissa got her dress from Paula’s Formal Affairs. “I would recommend them to anyone. They were great!” The tuxedos came from Sam Meyers. “The guys looked sharp -even the ring bearer, which happened to be our dog!”
Michael and Melissa both admitted to being especially emotional while saying their vows — they wrote their own. “As we read our vows to each other, we realized that we would truly be spending the rest of our lives together, and our friends and family were all there to share that moment with us.”
In fact, the whole day was emotional for Melissa. Both her father and grandfather could not be there to walk her down the aisle. “I always said I would have them both walk me down the aisle (one on each arm). Since they couldn’t be there with me, I carried a framed picture of both of them down the aisle, and set them down in the front row.”
Melissa and Michael celebrated their marriage by taking a Carnival cruise to the Caribbean Islands. “We had a blast!”
Now that the couple has experienced the wedding planning process, Melissa offers some simple advice: Don’t sweat the small stuff. “Put a smile on your face and enjoy “your” day — because that’s exactly what it is!” As for Michael, he recommends hiring a wedding planner. “Although a wedding planner wasn’t in our budget, they can take a lot of stress out of the planning process, and help ensure that your big day will go as planned.”