I met Pamela and Brian for the first time on a beautiful but very warm day at the end of June. They came to town to elope with some of their closest family and friends, and they designed their wedding around an adorable rustic bicycle theme–which will all be explained by Pamela later in the post. It was such a pleasure getting to see this family come together, and I wish them all the very best!
How did the two of you meet? We had a wonderful chance meeting while both of us were living and working in Singapore. Since we both work for different industries it was unlikely that we would have meet outside of our mutual interest in SCUBA diving. Pam contacted the diving club that I was a member of in hopes of filling a last minute cancellation for a dive trip. When I saw the email request something told me I should answer the email. I am glad I did, because what started out as a mutual interest in diving turned into a wonderful friendship with my beautiful wife.
What was your first date like? We took a week long SCUBA diving trip to Anilao and Batangas, Philippines. The diving was phenomenal, and we had plenty of time to talk and get to know each other.
How did he propose? On a bike ride on the Loveland trail in Ohio. Brian was so sweet and a little nervous, but he made me cry as I told him that he just made me the happiest girl in the world.
Do you have a song? Sweet Pea by Amos Lee
Why did you choose your wedding date? We chose summer so the children would be out of school
Any particular reason for the theme/venue/etc.? Our loose “theme” for the wedding was cycling. We love to cycle and mountain bike and have enjoyed many afternoons together cycling around town, riding through a forest or exploring a new destination. We love the time together – whether it be a peaceful and relaxing ride on a paved trail or a heart pounding, grueling climb to the top of a hill.
For the location, our families are spread out over the country and we currently live in Houston. We wanted a venue which could accommodate both of our families and was a central location as well. We love the mountains and wanted to have our wedding in a beautiful location that was close to family activities and outdoor recreation so we choose Sevierville, Tennessee. We rented a cabin that was large enough for the entire wedding party to make it a great vacation and a few days of fun since everyone had to travel to get there. This was the first time that our families were together, so we wanted to focus the whole event on being together with a focus on family, conversation and fun!
What do the two of you like to do together for fun? We met SCUBA diving in Asia and have a mutual love for anything outdoors. We like to cycle, hike and explore. Our mutual passion is travelling and finding something new – whether it be right around the corner or halfway across the globe. Meeting new people and experiencing new cultures is definitely on the top of our list. We love to cook together – Brian is an excellent grill master and can make the final presentation fit for a picture, where I am more inclined to create a masterful macaroni and cheese. We make a great team in the kitchen.
We absolutely adore music and you can almost guarantee that there will be a song playing or a guitar being strummed every day in our house. Forget the TV – we just need a sound system. 🙂
What is the thing you love most about the other person? Pam is the most kind and generous person I have ever met.
Brian has a way of reminding me to stop and smell the roses and to appreciate this wonderful world that we live in. He is kind, tender and a wonderful father to his two beautiful girls. Most of all, he treats me with respect and love.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding day? When we got back to the cabin after the photo shoot there was an intense thunderstorm. But, when the storm cleared, there was a rainbow and the view of the mountains from our cabin was stunning. It was so clear and you could see the depth of the beauty of the mountains.
Did you do anything special for your honeymoon? We are planning a trip for early next year. Some of our top ideas include New Zealand, Iceland, Croatia or Tanzania… it will definitely be epic whatever we choose!
Venue: The Chapel at The Preserve Resort
Dress: For Her and For Him
Hair and Makeup: Hair ‘N Makeup by Rachel Dee
Shoes: Hers – Tamaris, His – Johnston & Murphy
Groom’s Outfit: Joseph A. Banks
Decorations: Handmade
Flowers: Kroger
Cake: We decided to have an ice cream bar in place of the traditional wedding cake. Living in Texas, we have come to appreciate Blue Bell ice cream and thought it would be a great reminder of our (current) home state. Not to mention it’s yummy too! Pam’s parents gave us an engraved ice cream scoop with our names and the date of the wedding as a Christmas gift. We were so excited to share our love of ice cream with our guests.
Food: Chef’s Catering
Rings: Bride: Joseph Faigle & Sons Jewelers, Cincinnati OH and Groom: Spexton Oklahoma City, OK (spexton.com)
Pastor: Rev. Dr. Alden Marshall
Photography: Knoxville Wedding Photographer – Star Noir Studio
