There’s a moment I love best in weddings. It has nothing to do with the schedule, or any event or one activity; in fact, it loves very much to surprise you, to creep into your being and hold your heart awhile, and make you just feel it. Its the moment… whether in first look or first dance or ceremony or introduction… where you look over at these two souls, these two perfectly human things, and they’re looking at each other, and you just know. It’s as if the world just quiets. Like it knows something truly wonderful is happening. Like the whole universe is whispering, humming… They’ve found each other. In all this mad, mad living, they’ve found each other.
Magic.
A word from photographer and White Wren Collaborative member, Kandi Daniel:
“This wedding was as sentimental as it was beautiful. I don’t know that I have ever cried as much at a wedding other than that of my own children. From the moment I saw this sweet bride, tears welled up and I couldn’t stop them from flowing! It was such an honor to be there not only as a photographer but as Lisa’s friend, to watch all her hard work come together so perfectly. To see the pure joy and excitement on her face the entire day was something I will never forget.”
Love notes from the couple, Clay & Lisa:
How did you two meet? What were your first impressions of one another?
Lisa: “Clay and I met on the third day of school at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in Tifton, Georgia. He was a golfer and went to ABAC on a golf scholarship. I noticed him playing cards with a group of new friends in the lobby of the freshman residence hall, ABAC Lakeside. He was talking about a pizza place in his home town and it sounded so familiar, so I asked him where he was from. We quickly realized that we were talking about the same place and had grown up only twenty minutes apart. Although we didn’t meet until we moved three hours away from home, it didn’t take long until we felt as though we had been friends forever.”
Tell us a funny story relating to your relationship!
Lisa: “We are the epitome of opposites attract. He is the quiet until you get to know him kind of guy, and I am the outgoing type. He is patient and so observant. I am detail oriented, but often miss the obvious. He is the accountant and I am the communications major. There is no doubt that two opposite halves make the perfect whole, and we love that we are not just alike. We make a good team because of our differences, but it is important that our values and morals completely match up.”
Any special ways you incorporated your family into your wedding day?
Lisa: “Our grandparents mean the world to us. Unfortunately, my grandmother and his grandfather passed away prior to our wedding. My other grandmother is in poor health and could not attend the wedding. We know that they were all with us in spirit, but we chose to have the oldest grandchildren on each side escort our grandparents into the ceremony while carrying a white rose in honor of our grandparents who could not attend. This was an extremely special moment during our wedding ceremony.”
What part of your wedding day was most important to you?
Lisa: “My brother, Logan, officiated our wedding ceremony. We had rehearsed our vows, but Logan didn’t share much of what he planned to say before the actual ceremony. I don’t think there was a dry eye there. His words were so thoughtful and sincere. It was incredible to have my brother marry us. Such a special memory.”
What is your favorite thing about each other?
Lisa: “Clay and I dated for over six years before we got married. We made a promise to each other very early on in our relationship and we continue to honor that promise to one another. We promised not to go to bed angry. Ever. We read a verse in the Bible (Ephesians 4:26) that says, ‘In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.’ If we have an argument or disagreement, we work it out and make sure that we do not go to bed without forgiving each other. This is not the easiest thing to do, but we are committed to this. This is one of my favorite things about our relationship. We are a team and we always work it out and forgive each other.”
What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another?
“The best thing we have learned from one another is that we are stronger together. If we keep God at the center of our relationship, then there is nothing that we cannot get through together.”
If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be?
Lisa: “If you really want to know if you can spend the rest of your life with someone, go on a month long road trip with them and their parents. Clay’s parents took us on a month long road trip across the United States as our graduation gift from college. We tent camped and stayed in the same hotel room with his parents for a month. There were no arguments and we all grew closer than ever before. If you still love them after that, then it will likely work out. Our advice to other couples would be to go on adventures together and never forget Ephesians 4:26.”
What is the most honest thing you can say about love?
“Love is a choice. It’s so easy to let things get in the way, but it is so important to constantly choose each other. Our favorite parts of the day are laying down next to each other at night and waking up next to one another in the morning. Love is not found in ‘earthly things,’ and having more ‘stuff’ will only cause more distraction from what actually matters in this life. If you just choose to love each other and find joy in the fact that you are just doing life together, then you will always have everything that you need.”
photographer: Kandi Daniel Studios / venue: Dunaway Gardens / stylist, planner, designer: Planner Melissa Turner / floral designer: Southern Stems / dress boutique: J. Andrews / dress designer: Maggie Sottero / cake designer: Publix / hair and makeup artist: Jaime Marsau Beauty / men’s formalwear: An Affair to Remember / rentals: Dunaway Gardens / accessories and decor: Southern Stems / film lab: The Find Lab / bridesmaids: Azazie / invitation suite: Ashley Shugart / band:1st Generation Band / catering: Simply Catering / videography: Chasity Posey
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