Sara & Gavin have a pretty epic relationship story. They met while Gavin lived in Chattanooga and Sara was still in Athens studying at UGA. All it took was one evening at a mutual friend’s apartment in Athens for them to notice each other. They both asked the mutual friend if the other was single, and then they talked for hours, hitting it off instantly. Gavin’s version of their story gets me every time, so I’m going to share it below. But I should preface this with: He is a pilot (view their engagement photos here at the airport where they started many of their first dates).
Gavin’s words:
“I could tell by how busy Sara was in school that I had a lot to prove to be worth her time, and it took about 6 months of me either driving the 3 hours or flying an hour from Chattanooga to UGA before she was willing to date me. In that time we flew over Lake Lanier, Lake Hartwell, and her hometown of Toccoa, GA, but what really showed Sara that I was serious about her was insisting on taking care of her after she had wisdom teeth surgery. When Sara had recovered I asked her on what she considers our first “official” date. We had an amazing night flying from Athens to Atlanta for dinner reservations and a showing of the Nutcracker at the Fox Theatre. I remember three main things about that night: how beautiful Sara was, how perfect the plan went, and that she said yes to being my girlfriend.”
DOESN’T THAT JUST GET YOU? … And make you want to date a pilot? Or just me?
After years of dating long distance, moving to multiple different states, pursuing their careers, and flying to spend time with each other, Gavin finally popped the question at the most magical place on Earth: Walt Disney World. Which is fitting because Sara looked like an ACTUAL Disney princess on their wedding day.
They tied the knot at 2425 Warehouse, and the day was SO personalized and sentimental. They incorporated details special to Gavin, such as his airplane cufflinks that Sara gifted him on their first Valentine’s together, their “pilot” & “copilot” sweetheart chair signs, & their guestbook: a pilot’s flight log book. Sara’s passions were also represented in details, such as the antlers and turkey feathers in the bouquets/florals, because her senior thesis was focused on whitetail deer and wild turkeys. And they had a lot of nods to their shared interests, with details paying tribute to LotR, Star Trek, & Marvel movies. They even recreated Darth Vader’s movie entrance in Star Wars when entering their reception… with darkness, fog, & lightsabers!
I could honestly write another couple paragraphs about every personalized detail of the day, but my FAVORITE thing about the day was just how Sara & Gavin beamed every time they looked at each other. This truly was a fairytale day, and I couldn’t be happier for them.
Venue: 2425 Warehouse at 9 Oaks Farm
Hair & Makeup: MaeRooks Beauty (Mary Rooks)
Bride’s Dress, Earrings, & Veil: Bel Fiore Bridal
Bridal Party Dresses: Birdy Grey
Rings: D. Geller & Sons
Caterer: Classic City Chef
Cake: The Posh Cakery
DJ: Athens DJ Service
Flowers: Flowers by On / 9 Oaks Farm
Bridal Hair Vine: Dareth Colburn
Dance Lessons: Geoff & Maddie Dance
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