A Long Expected Wedding

Some weddings are just more special than others. You hate to say that – it’s like a parent saying they have a favorite kid, but in this case it’s just true. Sam and Kenny are an amazing couple that we have gotten to know better than some of our other brides and grooms due to the fact that I (Shannon) was also doing their flowers and decor. Their story is a fairytale…and not just the happily ever after part. When we say that word, we all think of prince charming kissing Sleeping Beauty and breaking the spell or the price slipping the glass slipper on Cinderella’s foot – we tend to forget or gloss over the years of servitude or the dragons to be slayed along the way. But like any good fairy tale our hero and heroine have had to overcome tragedy and have come out stronger on the other side.

Sam and Kenny started dating in high school. They’ve been together for 10 or 11 years ALREADY. How adorable is that? It’s like our grandparents who were high school sweethearts. They both have the sweetest dispositions and are just wonderfully fun to be with. Both of them have hugely giving hearts; Sam teaches elementary school and Kenny is a fireman. Oh, and have I mentioned how cute they are together? Truly a beautiful couple.

They had a traditional ceremony at the church they attend. It started with Kenny walking out to see his beautiful bride escorted down the aisle by her mom. About a year and a half ago Sam’s dad passed away suddenly – and although he wasn’t physically present that day, there were traces of him everywhere. During the ceremony, when Sam and Kenny presented their mother’s with pink roses, a white rose was left on an empty seat in memory of her father. I can tell you that it was such an emotional moment I was tearing up looking through the camera.

He was also remembered during the reception where a large photo of he and Sam was displayed on the dance floor as she danced the “Father-Daughter Dance” with her uncle, and her cousin gave a very moving speech in his honor. It was a fun night of celebration as two beautiful lives became one, and you can’t help but think that they really will live happily ever after, after all.

Congratulations Sam & Kenny!