I met Daniel earlier this year when I drove out to Townsend, TN to do a consultation with him while we had Jennifer on his phone, who was not able to attend from Florida due to her job. After they booked with me, I got to know more about them and how they met on the Appalachian Trail in 2008. After spending 6 months together on the trail with the Infamous 8, their group of fellow hikers, they returned home to their respective states and decided to wait 2 weeks before talking to one another again to see if their feelings on the trail were strong enough for a long distance relationship. Daniel didn’t have to wait that long…as soon as he returned home, he started selling anything and everything he didn’t need in order to purchase a one-way plane ticket to see Jen.
The Ceremony and Reception were held at the Lily Barn in Townsend. Thursday evening we had the rehearsal and I got to meet everyone in the wedding party, including Daniel’s 3 older brothers. Friday was a long day as I left my house around 11:30a to setup everything, and arrived back at home at 12:30a…13 hours later.
The weather was supportive, as we thought it was going to rain. The sun remained out and the only thing that was a bit bothersome was the high humidity. The ceremony, under the gazebo, was set to start at 4:00p, but we were running a bit late (as weddings sometimes do) and the wedding party started down the aisle at 4:15p. After the vows, instead of a Unity Candle or Sand Ceremony, Daniel & Jennifer tied 2 hiking sticks together, symbolizing what they learned on the Appalachian Trail…as 2 become one.
Following the ceremony, everyone proceeded to the barn for the reception. Thankfully it was a bit cooler there with the multitude of ceiling fans. Daniel & Jennifer’s wedding party had their grand entrance with some special information about their wedding party as they entered the room. When Daniel & Jennifer entered, the crowd was in an uproar. Jen’s selection of Celtic, Bluegrass, and Jazz was played as people worked their way through the buffet line.
Daniel & Jennifer had setup their tables with names of the main points they encountered on the Appalachian Trail. Each table was given the task of creating their hiking shout out. As each table was called to the buffet, by their name, they would stand up and shout out their hiking call.
After dinner, Daniel & Jennifer cut their wedding cake and Jen was presented a special message, as her 98 year old grandfather called in to say a few words during their toasts. Before their first dance, their guests were presented with their Love Story, detailing the journey of how they met, fell in love, and their proposal. Next, Jen danced with her Dad, and Daniel danced with his Mom. The rest of the evening, the dance floor was full of friends and family dancing and having fun.
Because the Lily Barn has restrictions on how late you can stay and some of the things you can use on the property, the send off at the end of the night was somewhat different and cut the party short at 10p. No birdseed was allowed, and sparklers were not permitted on the property, but Daniel & Jennifer wanted a to leave with something unique to their previous fire & rescue jobs, so guests had glow necklaces, waving in the air, to send them off for their honeymoon.
When I was cleaning up at the end of the night, I still had to go back and take down my canopy from the ceremony site, in pitch dark. I lined up my truck to point my headlights out into the gazebo field, but trees didn’t let a lot of light through. As I was gathering up my cables and cords (which, because they are black, were almost impossible to see), I discovered that Daniel & Jennifer had forgotten their walking sticks from the ceremony. I collected them and made sure they got back to them Sunday before they departed on their honeymoon.
Although it turned out to be such a long day, it was a fun wedding day for me. Daniel and Jennifer commented on how much they appreciated all the people who were their to celebrate their wedding day. Hardly anyone was from the local area, and nearly everyone traveled from out of state, including their families, and all their hiking friends from the AT. Although it was a diverse crowd, the closeness of everyone made this celebration extremely fun and memorable. I loved the comments Daniel and Jennifer shared at the end of the evening…
