My dear friend, Rev. Judy McNichols, officiated this wedding for Caroline and Will in the mountains of NE Georgia at Sugarboo Farms on May 5, 2018 and I played the part of her photographer (for a change!). Judy and I have been friends since 1986 when we both lived in Tennessee. I officiated her wedding to her beloved Carl in my garden in August of 2010. Later I mentored her to begin her own wedding ministry in Georgia. This is a link to
her website. Since I had no weddings this weekend, Dave and I traveled down to visit Carl and Judy on their cattle farm outside Athens GA.
It was a 1.5 hour drive from Carl and Judy's home to Sugarboo which is nestled in the mountains of North GA just a few miles south of Murphy NC. When we arrived, the set up was almost done.
Sit-down dinner at the lodge for the reception.
There is indoor space and outdoor space. The weather was beautiful so they could use both!
This lovely cake made it all the way through the winding roads intact!
A little chalkboard art welcomes everyone.
What a nice plaque for events at this venue!
This is the winding path down to the ceremony site in the woods. Most guests walked. Some got a ride on the golf cart.
Judy is doing a sound check. Fortunately the guitarist brought an amplifier and furnished Judy with a lapel mic. She brought her sound system just in case but did not need it.
I don't have this musician's card but he came all the way from Oklahoma to play for this wedding. His music was beautiful and very fitting for this natural setting. He managed to find an outlet and string an extension cord to the site.
The guests have arrived and are filling up the seats. Funny how the back rows fill first!!
Meanwhile the wedding party and families are sequestered down near the path where the wedding director will get them lined up in order than lead them to the ceremony site.
Judy is leading the pack!
Waiting for the cue to start walking in.
Caroline and her father wait for the music change and for Judy to invite the guests to stand in honor of the bride.
And down the aisle they go!
Everyone is seated now and the ceremony begins. The sound was perfect!
I am so proud of Judy! She is a natural and did such a good job officiating this lovely wedding.
She asked the parents of the bride for their blessings for this marriage.
Then the groom's family......
It was time to tell the story of how Caroline and Will met and fell in love and all their adventures. They are outdoor people so it is fitting that they met at a caving meeting at Georgia Tech where they were students. Their relationship progressed from friendship to being a couple from there and they shared many fun adventures including travels around the world, camping, scuba diving, hiking, graduation and settling down in Oregon where they now live and planned this wedding from.
After they exchanged their vows to each other, it was time to seal them with their rings.
The next thing in the ceremony was the tying of the Fisherman's Knot--so appropriate for these nature lovers.
Judy explains the symbolism of the Fisherman's Knot while the couple began tying the cord together. Obviously they had practiced this ahead of time and knew how to do it.
Once tied, they each pull on the knot tightening it and making it strong, symbolic of their unity in marriage.
As part of the final blessing, Judy invited to couple to look around at their guests and feel the love.
Then she pronounced them married and invited them to kiss!
Here are the newlyweds!
Congratulations to Will and Caroline on a wonderful wedding! And congratulations to Judy for doing a superb job joining them in marriage.
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