Early fall
around here means the weather is just right for a family gathering in the Smoky
Mountains. The leaves may not have
changed yet, but our flowers are still blooming and you’ll even catch a few
butterflies sipping end of season nectar.
Our horses are at their happiest, too, with daily events taking place
bringing them company to impress.
Shane’s love
for Natasha meant booking a wedding venue that coincided with her love for
horses. A man in love will do whatever
it takes to make his bride smile! So, on
September 29th they loaded up with their family to our quaint little
red barn for some barbecue, socializing, dancing & “horsing around.”
Speaking of
family, we’re talking about those with a history of marital longevity, one in
which has been married for 55 years and still going strong! I watched these older couples and noticed
that they still hold hands, pray together, dance together… heck they just plain
did everything TOGETHER.
I also
watched Natasha and Shane as they danced their first dance to “Tangled up in
You” by Staind. Shane sang the entire
song to her, looking deeply into her eyes and caressing her softly as they
swayed to the music. Viewing a site like
this evokes powerful emotions in me… it gives meaning to my life.
If you’re wondering
about their choice of wedding package, it was our “Country Style” with mouth-watering barbecue by the local
Corky’s restaurant in Pigeon Forge.
Flowers were provided by From the Heart Florist, the cake by Smoky Mountain Cakes, and their first dance
song (among many, many other dance songs) was played by DJ “Jack Russell” of
KnoxVegas DJ’s. Chocolate brown table
cloths, burlap table runners, and fall décor were provided by our very own
Honeysuckle Hills wedding venue.
And what
about the horses, you ask? Well, of
course Natasha got to spend a long time in our horse field with Sugar and
Ben! Her gentle, animal-loving soul was
felt by our white horse, Sugar, and many beautiful wedding images were
captured. Many times Sugar seemed to bow
to pour out her love, and she even gave Natasha a sweet kiss!
My favorite
photograph, however, was taken at the end of the evening. I took a lower camera angle and asked my
assistant to use the off-camera lighting behind them. It made me think of those old western movies
where the cowboy and cowgirl ride off into the sunset together…
So, Natasha
and Shane… here’s to your happily ever after and the enjoyment of 100 years of
sunsets, dances, and staying “tangled up” together!
