The venue was beautiful, the bride was beyond stunning and the whole day simply felt like Cherayne and Matt.
Guests boarded buses to the venue at 5 p.m. and a little before 6 p.m., the music started playing and everyone watched as the mothers of the bride and groom took their seats.
(Instagram pic!)
Cherayne and Matt are big-time animal lovers and incorporated their sweet dog, Cole, into the ceremony which I obviously thought was fantastic!
Cole looked awfully snazzy in a light blue bowtie and did a great job behaving as he sat with Cherayne’s mom. Ryan and I would’ve loved to have Sadie involved in our wedding, but she’s a giant liability and would’ve surely sprinted toward Ryan and then toward me and probably peed herself from all the excitement. Not exactly what you want on your wedding day. Cole was a pro!
When the music changed, we all stood and turned to watch Cherayne walk down the aisle to an instrumental version of “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles which I thought was such a perfect song choice because Cherayne really does light up every room she walks into.
She smiled as she walked down the aisle, but the closer she got to her groom, the more her chin started to quiver and it was obvious she was fighting back tears. When I glanced at Matt, I felt my eyes water because I have truly never seen him smile so big. I also happened to catch a glimpse of his mom who was staring at him with so much pride and love that it made me feel even more emotional.
I loved the readings and scriptures they selected, as they all felt real and grounded and not fluffy and idealistic. There was a quote their pastor read about love that a bunch of us agreed was a great choice:
“Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being ‘in love,’ which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.” ― Louis de Bernières
Cherayne was also totally herself during the ceremony, blurting out a loud and excited, “Hi!!” when she reached Matt which made everyone laugh and set the tone for an upbeat and fun wedding.
Before we knew it, the pastor announced Cherayne and Matt as husband and wife and Matt leaned into kiss his bride!
They walked back down the aisle, hand-in-hand, so very clearly giddy with excitement and love!
While the bridal party took pictures, the rest of the guests headed out onto the beautiful terrace for cocktail hour where we sipped drinks and nibbled on passed hors d’oeuvres, such as mini grilled cheeses and tiny cups of tomato soup.
(Me + Minda!)
After cocktail hour, we were ushered inside for dinner and lots and lots of dancing. The reception kicked off with the bride and groom’s first dance as husband and wife.
Their dance made me cry. The song they chose (Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up”) had a lot of meaning to them and they looked so happy and in love. It was one of the sweetest first dances I’ve ever seen because they clearly took lessons and put time and effort into learning a beautiful dance to do together. They also encouraged everyone else to join them on the dance floor at the end of the song which I thought was such a neat idea!
Following their dance, we took our seats and dug into a delicious meal that included a salad with fried goat cheese and grilled mahi mahi. Perfect dancing fuel!
Ryan and I spent the vast majority of the evening on the dance floor breaking it down with our friends.
We took a couple breaks for some fun in the photo booth where a crown prop got caught in my hair.
Not my best look… but I do love the ridiculous look on Ryan’s face! Ha!
A packed dance floor made Cherayne and Matt’s reception pass by in a flash. I felt like one minute I was dancing up a storm and the next minute I was boarding the bus back to the hotel when everything was over. I guess that’s the sign of a good time, right!?
We had such a wonderful time celebrating the wedding of two fantastic people. Cherayne and Matt, we wish you a lifetime of happiness and hope you have the best time on your honeymoon!!! Thank you for including us in your special day!
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I love her name! It’s so unique, I’ve never seen it before. How do you pronounce it? Like Sher-rain?
Shhh-rain 🙂
The venue looks absolutely beautiful!
Beautiful wedding! I love weddings that are also college reunions! SO much fun!
Julie, you are such a terrific friend and awesome blog writer. Saying “Cherayne really does light up every room she walks into” is so sweet, but also evocative. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you, Melissa!! It was such a special day and I’m just honored they let me be a part of it and share it! 🙂
What a beautiful setting! Awesome pics as always missus! Capturing the fun and pure joy of the day! Love your dress!
Awwwe I won’t give up was my husband and i’s song :). I still tear up when I hear it!
oh my gosh I cannot look at the bride or groom’s faces (or moms’!) during weddings– I TOTALLY tear up every time!!
I pretty much love all weddings, even recaps and pictures from wedding of two people that I don’t know. Gorgeous. Lover her dress. Love it all.
Looks like an absolutely beautiful celebration! 🙂
So gorgeous!!! Sometimes I think if I could go back I’d choose a “sexier” wedding gown. Is that weird??
What a beautiful wedding. You can feel the emotions through your pictures and recap. What a special day!
Beautiful wedding!!
A tip I got from my photographer is to carry the bouquet low (like hold your hand just below your belly button). Her flowers are beautiful, but she is holding it so high that you can’t see the front of her gorgeous dress at all!
Oh my goodness just reading that first part made me emotional! That quote is the best love quote- it’s so true! The event looks absolutely stunning and it looks like you had a blast- which is really what it’s all about.
We had a wedding this weekend, too, and also tore that dance floor UP! I swear there is something about weddings that makes me feel like I absolutely must dance to every song, no matter what, start to finish. I don’t hate it!
What a gorgeous wedding! Looks like an incredible day and what a party too!
I love the comment you made about the way the bride lit up the room. What a lovely thing to say about a friend.
Your dress is so cute! Where is it from?
That venue! Holy cow – STUNNING. Seriously, looks like such a fun wedding!
haha photobooths are SO FUN!
Oh my gosh that venue was so beautiful, I also really loved the full bloom flowers she had. You always do the best receps of weddings that make me feel like I was there.
I thought the flowers she picked were absolutely gorgeous, too!!
Where did your friend Minda get her dress? So cute and perfect for a late summer wedding.
I’ll text her and report back!! 🙂
A dog in the wedding! That is one of the most adorable things ever! Love it!
Great recap. Looks like such a blast!
Plus, it is really nice that you keep getting to see your parents so often after the move. What a blessing. 🙂
does anyone else think the officiant could be a doppelganger for tiger woods?
Great recap! I love her dress! !!
Loved the dress you wore! Beautiful pictures! By the way, I think you meant hors d’oeuvres 🙂 It’s a commonly misspelled French term, but looks great when you spell it right!!
Edited! Thanks! 🙂
I love that venue!! I was considering it for my wedding earlier this year but ultimately decided on a spot in Apopka that was closer for my family. And because of the ginormous oak tree that I fell in love with.
Everything was so beautiful and I love that they including their dog in the ceremony. So precious!
What a beautiful wedding! It seems like every aspect of it was perfect! I would love to have my dog be in my wedding one day!
Did the groom do a double take as he saw her??!! That is so romantic and so beautiful. I like how she got a mermaid style dress.
what a beautiful wedding!! Your friend looked stunning! My husband and I danced to the same song when we got married three weeks ago!!! It;s weird to call him my husband lol
She is absolutely GORGEOUS! I love her dress and just how happy she looks. You and Ryan win (again) for cutest couple! 😉
I love photobooths! We had one at my high school reunion and the picture was so cute that my (now) husband and I ended up using them on our save the dates!
I love that they incorporated their dog!! We would love to do that in our wedding, but he would just make a mess and probably knock everything over. 🙂
I feel ya! We wish Sadie could’ve been a part of our day, but that would’ve bee mayhem! 🙂
Looks like a fun wedding!!!
All the weddings you go to look super beautiful. I absolutely love her dress!
I love how excited you get for your friends weddings! By reading your posts, it’s clear that you are a supportive, loving and super enthusiastic friend. Thanks for sharing!
Weddings are the BEST! 🙂 Thanks for the sweet compliment, Lauren!
What a gorgeous venue! I love that Cole made it into the wedding! I’ve been seeing lots of wedding recap posts on blogs lately (guess it’s that time of year) — this one’s great and your photos are lovely 🙂
My dog I’ve had since I was 17 was in my wedding. She nailed it! My sister walked her to the end of the aisle, put her in a sit-stay, and then walked down herself. Once at the end of the aisle, she and my mom called Hannah and she walked down by herself so regal. She walked right down the center of the aisle and right to my mom, like a pro! When looking at our wedding pics I found one where my dog must have wanted in on the action and she was standing on the train of my dress looking up at me, it is so cute! I’d upload a pic to share but it won’t let me add in a picture 🙂 #crazydoglady
This is one of the most beautiful wedding venues I have ever seen. And i loved the bride’s song selection for walking down the aisle. What a beautiful couple!
wow! the location is absolutely beautiful! it looks like such a wonderful time!
What a fun time! Your faces are htsterical!!!
That is the best wedding quote/advice I’ve ever heard. Too many think that love is a feeling that is fleeting, rather than a decision or an action, when really, it’s both. Wonderful quote and beautiful wedding!
Totally agree!
What a beautiful wedding! And I love the dress you wore!
Thanks, Erin!
That venue is amazing. My cousin actually got married there this past May, and loved it!
Beautiful wedding! Where did you get your dress? I’m a sucker for pink dresses 🙂