Real Weddings
Hannah & Kevin
Hannah & Kevin tied the knot on September 23, 2017. These newlyweds said their “I do”s under the Crabapples and danced the night away in The Barn!
How did you and your partner meet?
Hannah and I met when we were both students at Emory University. We met on the Fourth of July while setting off grocery store “fireworks” on the roof of a parking deck with some mutual friends. At the time, I had only heard rumors that she was kickass at organic chemistry, but over the next two years, I learned that she was also an intensely kind, driven, and strong woman. We realized we shared similar values and became best friends. I quickly fell for Hannah, but for Hannah, being incredibly focused, it took completing the MCAT to realize that she had feelings for me, too. We started dating shortly after.
Tell us about the engagement?
We had a few weeks of vacation during medical school after taking our board exam and were planning to visit Hannah’s family in South Carolina and Ohio. I was anxious to propose to Hannah, and decided that Atlanta would be the perfect place to do so. As we left South Carolina for Ohio, I proposed that we take a “detour” down to Atlanta. Because I’m not usually much of a planner, Hannah was suspicious something was up, but went along with it anyway. We spent the entire day doing (eating) all the things we loved to do while at Emory, as well as some new adventures. After collectively gaining 20 pounds, we waddled into Brickstore, the location of our first date, for a beer. Afterwards, I proposed to Hannah in a quiet Decatur Square (it was a Wednesday night). She said yes!
made Fearrington the place for you to say “I do?’
Our first introduction to Fearrington was to see the Village Voices and Harmony Grits perform in the Barn. We were there to support our “senior mentors” performing in the show, and with whom we were paired through UNC School of Medicine. The Barn was beautifully decorated, and after the performance, Hannah remarked that The Barn would be a beautiful wedding venue.
As we continued to visit Fearrington Village for peaceful afternoons studying at The Goat or more special occasions at The Granary, we began to fall in love with Fearrington’s warm hospitality and elegance. The gardens were unbelievably gorgeous, and as food lovers, we were particularly drawn to Fearrington’s world class restaurant. Gilda took care of every little detail and we were able to rely on Paola and Mary to make things taste and look great with little direction from us. As busy medical students, we knew we could trust the staff at Fearrington Village to throw us the perfect wedding and let us enjoy every moment without worry. They did not disappoint!
Describe the highlight moment of your wedding day.
The whole day went incredibly smoothly thanks to the staff at Fearrington! Walking into the gardens with my groomsmen for the ceremony during such picture perfect weather and seeing all my friends in the audience was a highlight of my day! Our first dance was also a big highlight. When Hannah dipped me on the dance floor, I got the most incredible view of the barn ceiling. The food was delicious!
What was the biggest surprise of the day?
Kevin decided to do a spur of the moment bouquet toss! Otherwise, there were no surprises!
Anything you want to add about your wedding story?
Although we weren’t there to see it, our wedding party recounts a story of a stray dog (from one of the guests staying at the Inn) getting loose during our cocktail hour. We heard Gilda immediately took off her belt and made it into a makeshift leash with which she used to lead the dog away. Truly prepared for anything!!
This wedding was designed and coordinated by Fearrington’s own Gilda McDaniel. Photography by Blueberry Creative.