Before you dive into this post, you may want to check out Part 1 and Part 2 first!

Fast forward 6 short months after we got engaged, and it was October 28, 2012.  The day that I would say “I Do” to my very best friend.  We chose this date for a couple of reasons.  One, we didn’t want to wait too long but still wanted time to plan our dream day.  Two, I had hoped to get married on my Grandma’s birthday (October 27), but sadly our venue was booked that date so we chose the day after.  Side note: My Grandma was a huge part of my life growing up and sadly she was no longer with us when our wedding day came.  So it was special for me to include her in some small way!

The Planning

Those 6 months leading to our wedding day were some of the absolute best days!  We racked up our frequent flyer miles and made plenty of trips back and forth between WV and GA during this time.  We also did a lot of the planning over Skype.  I remember we chose our song over a Skype date one night!  It wasn’t easy doing things this way, there were many days of tears and wishing Derek could be my side through the entire planning process.  Thankfully, I had my mom beside me all the way and we had so much fun from choosing flowers to tasting cake.  I would give anything to plan our wedding day all over again!  I mean it when I tell my brides to enjoy every. Single. Moment!  It goes by way too quickly and it is such a sweet time!

The Big Day

As most brides do, I stalked the Weather Channel leading up to our wedding day.  Low and behold, what was in the forecast?

A hurricane.

You read that right, a hurricane!

A hurricane no where near the ocean, in the middle of farm country in Pennsylvania!  Hurricane Sandy was ready to join us and celebrate the day away, but we weren’t so ready for her.

I was so upset, but then decided it was all okay, I was marrying my best friend and it was going to be the best day ever!

Side note:  Something you may be wondering, how in the world did we come up with getting married in Pennsylvania when I’m from West Virginia and Derek is from Georgia?!  It was a beautiful, renovated dairy barn – Green Grove Gardens – that I had fallen in love with several years before even meeting Derek.  I said I would get married there one day and so it became reality!

Our wedding day fast approached and sure enough, it was a cloudy, windy, rainy day, but filled with SO much love and excitement!

I will never forget walking down the aisle and seeing the look on my Derek’s face.  The love in his eyes and the tears on his cheeks made my heart skip a beat.  It was happening.  The day that I had dreamed of was coming true.  I was marrying my very own prince charming!

This excerpt from our vows will forever hold a special place in my heart : You are an answer to my prayers and I will spend the rest of my life thanking God for loving me enough to send me His very best.

I was officially Mrs. Derek Dotson.  His wife.  His forever friend.  Life partners together forever.

Venue : Green Grove Gardens

Photographer : Turner Photography