Jacob + Sarah | Married

This past October, one of my dearest friends, Sarah married the love of her life. If her face looks familiar, it’s because she has played many rolls in helping my business thrive over the years. Sarah is a trusted second-shooter, helps run most of my marketing events, and she conducts interviews with every bride I work with in order to curate the most beautiful and genuine blogs for my website. Along with all of that, we have been friends since High School and have grown through so many ups and downs together. This full-circle moment is one that my sweet wedding-blogger friend has always dreamed of – the chance to write about her own special day.

I’ve handed over the floor to Sarah, so she can reflect on all of her favorite wedding photos and moments, as well as details on how she met her dreamy husband, how they got engaged, and how they chose all of their amazing vendors. Let’s get into it!

[In Sarah’s Words:]
I’ve been dreaming of my wedding day since I was a little girl. I remember back in elementary school, there was a big, twisty tree located just to the side of our playground, and to us kids, it was referred to as “The Wedding Tree”. My classmates would whisper all day long about who would be “getting married”, and once the wedding bell… errr recess bell rang, it was GO-TIME. I’ll never know how the election process actually worked, but I do know that I was never chosen to be the bride. Instead, I was sent off to pick bouquet flowers in the field with the other “unchosen ones”.

Granted, we were only second-graders at the time, and “getting married” consisted of some poor, unsuspecting boy being dragged away from the basketball hoops to be informed of his betrothal. We would stand in lines on either side of the long, grassy isle and we’d blow the fluffs of dandelions into the air as the bride glided towards her groom. In those moments, I distinctly remember closing my eyes and pretending that I was actually the bride – picturing my long, lace veil, a beautiful dress, and a groom who was much happier to be there. This would be a vision i’d hold tightly to for many, many years to come.

Thinking back on those childhood memories, I wish I could go back and assure my younger self that she will stand under her own Wedding Tree, too, one day. I’d tell her that her long, lace veil will match a wedding dress she’ll feel like a princess in. I’d confirm that her handsome groom will be the happiest man alive on their wedding day. And more than anything, I would tell her that she may not have known it back then, but her actual wedding will make all those years of dreaming well-worth the wait.

In this wedding interview, I’ll provide more insight into my love story. Let’s dive into all the juicy details my younger-self would be dying to know!

Question: First thing’s first, how did you and Jacob meet?
Sarah’s Answer:

In my twenties, I tried my hand at running a wedding photography business of my own for several years. During that time, I created friendships with lots of other wedding vendors through styled shoots and other collaborative events, and we all kept in touch as our careers evolved and took on new identities. Fast forward to the end of COVID’s peak, when I arrived home from a movie night out with friends. I noticed that my facebook inbox had an unread message notification from an old industry friend, Kaitlin, who’s shop provided the bridal gown for my first-ever styled shoot. She asked if I happened to be single, because she had a friend who she thought I should meet. “I’ve never reached out to anyone like this, but I just couldn’t help it. Jacob is such a nice guy and he just wants to find his person,” she said. With that one sentence, my skepticism was put to ease, and I agreed to exchange numbers with him. We messaged each other that evening and then every single day after that for 3 months, until we were finally able to meet in person. At the end of our first weekend together, Jacob officially asked me to be his girlfriend. I knew in my heart, from the moment we first locked eyes, that he would be my husband.

Question: Tell us a story that describes you and Jacob as a couple?
Sarah’s Answer:

This story comes from our first weekend away together, and it will never not make me laugh. On a spontaneous whim, I scheduled a 3-day trip to the mountains and convinced Jacob to join me. Anyone who knows Jacob is aware that he doesn’t do anything on a whim, and he’s often one to plan things out meticulously, leaving no stone left unturned. With no time to prepare his vehicle for such a trip (lol) I told Jacob not to worry, because I was sure my car could handle it. On the day of our departure, the drive was breathtaking. We enjoyed sharing all of our favorite music and memories with one another as my mini-convertible ascended up the mountain, and to our delight, little snow flakes began to fall. As the flurries intensified, Jacob’s demeanor began to change. “What’s wrong?” I asked, only halfway listening due to my favorite John Mayer song playing in the background. “When was the last time you checked out your tires, Sarah?” he nervously asked. My brain said “not since I bought this car“, but my mouth admitted to no such thing. “Not that long ago, I don’t think… Why?”, I fibbed. “Well, because we’re sliding all over this icy road, and I’m starting to think your tire tread is dangerously low.” I laughed and said he was probably worrying for nothing. Jacob must have gone 10-miles per hour up the rest of that mountain, hands white-knuckled to the steering wheel. When we finally arrived to our lodge, Jacob confirmed that my tires were, in fact, completely bald. The next day, he helped me locate a mechanic shop, and we dropped my car off for all four tires to be replaced. We both had to dig into our tax returns in order to pay for those repairs, and Jacob was a total gentleman about the entire thing. We still had an incredible trip and laugh about that chain of events to this day, which speaks to how brightly our friendship (and differences) shine through. The moral of this story is: We make a good team -even if the trip is poorly planned out by yours truly- I know we can make it to the top of any mountain we face together. Especially with four new tires.

Question: What’s your favorite thing about Jacob and why? Ask Jacob to tell us his favorite thing about you and why?
Sarah’s Answer:

I think of Jacob as the embodiment of the husband I always wanted, but never knew I could have. He is honest, kind, loyal, genuine, dedicated, hilarious, and gut-wrenchingly handsome. But extending beyond all of those things, he is deeply loving. The way he cares for me, even on my darkest days, and how he cherishes our fur babies is a love that I look forward to sharing with our future children one day. Being loved and understood by him makes me feel like the safest, happiest, luckiest person in the world. He’s truly my best friend.

Jacob says, “Simply, my life has become better since you entered my life. In every way, with you, everything is better.” Right back at you, babe 🙂

Question: How did you get engaged? We want details!
Sarah’s Answer:

On “Twosday”, February 22, 2022, Jacob came home from work, got down on one knee, and asked me to make him the happiest man in the world by becoming his wife. He had even asked my father for his blessing several days prior, which was so meaningful and special to us all. This was the easiest “yes” I’ve ever said, and I loved that our fur babies were there to witness it too. Our engagement may seem sweet and simple to most, which is really more our style, but Jacob put careful thought into this proposal, and knew WHY it was what I wanted.

I’m a very spiritual person, who finds great symbolism in all aspects of life. Dreams, synchronicities, and numerology are all the things that fascinate me, and Jacob connects and engages with me over these things. We’d had many discussions about the power and symbolism behind the special date of 2/22/22, and he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime palindrome that was truly meant for us. Numerology says Twosday was symbolic for duality, deep union, co-operation, balance, and equitable relationships. His proposal on that special date was perfect, because it was a promise to work together as a team and sense each other’s needs forever more. All I could ever ask for.

Question: Tell us a short story about a core memory you took away from your wedding day. 
Sarah’s Answer:

From early on in our engagement, Jacob and I knew we wanted an intimate, outdoor wedding with tons of candles, and a very small guest count. Looking back, I’ll always get the feeling there were a few additional honorary attendees there with us that night, and I’ll tell you why. Our ceremony setup included two small tables on either side of our Wedding Tree. The table on the left was filled with photos of our loved ones who have passed- allowing them the best seat in the house, and the table on the right was where our unity candle wet set up- something we were both deeply looking forward to. During our ceremony, as we both joined our individual flames to light our unity candle together, a firetruck siren began to wail from a Halloween parade a few blocks over. My dad still jokes to this day that he paid extra for them to do that, but I have a deep knowing that it was a celebration from our guides and angels. I lifted my hands in the air and let out a big “WOHOO!!!!” and everybody laughed and cheered until the sirens faded. Our officiant made a comment on what an electric moment that was for us all, and it will forever stand out to me as the moment our angels celebrated our union.

Question: Do you have a favorite memory from working with Ashley Dorton?
Sarah’s Answer:

Leading up to the wedding, my planning process was not linear. There were several times that I called Ashley with either tears in my eyes or steam blowing from my ears, convinced that we may just have to elope. One thing about Ashley is that she does not accept defeat, and she certainly doesn’t allow her friend’s dreams to fizzle either. “This is figureoutable” became her slogan throughout the entire 9-month planning process, and I’ll be forever grateful for her being that constant reminder.

One thing that I don’t see many brides talking about is the fact that weddings are expensive AF. Even with the gracious help of both of our families and friend groups, prices for everything climbed STEEP as soon as we mentioned the word “wedding”. Countless times, we thought we were barking up the right tree with certain vendors until we were hit with some shocking price tag that left us feeling defeated. Eventually, we got to the point where we had to scrap everything we had planned and start back from square one, and in that moment, Ashley did what she does best and she helped us figure it out. Budgeting, venue floor plans, late-night therapy sessions, decorating, photography, dress alterations, setup, breakdown, and even stringing the dang lights on our Wedding Tree the day before were all things Ashley literally made happen with her own two hands; to say she saved our wedding day more than once is an understatement.

We will be forever thankful to Ashley (and her amazing boyfriend, Garrett) for embracing us as family and truly going the extra mile. Our wedding day was everything we could have dreamed of, and it’s in large part because of all those times you assured me we’d figure it out together.

Question: When planning the wedding, how did you pick each vendor? What stood out about each one?
Sarah’s Answer:

We got married at a private residence in the JMU district of Harrisonburg, Virginia. After being quoted almost $7k for a measly six hours at our original venue choice, my Mother-In-Law had the most brilliant idea to inquire with her dear friend, Laurinda about booking her air b&b for the weekend instead. Laurinda graciously made a group exception for our small event, and for three whole days at this gorgeous home, we spent around $1,500.

We chose Crossroads Catering, which turned out to be one of our most favorite decisions. We had a late wedding, so our vision was to provide a large table of heavy hors-d’œuvres to our guests, and Nicole totally knocked it out of the park. Their food was delectable, their service was delightful, and our guests raved about everything (especially the bacon-wrapped dates!)

We chose Buttercream Dreams, LLC for our wedding cake and cookie bar, and we would 10/10 recommend them as well. Carrie worked together with our flower vendors to ensure our cake was everything we were envisioning. My husband LOVED the pink raspberry champagne layer of our cake, and I loved the lemon cake layer with cherry jam filling. The cookie bar was raved about all night long- especially the thumbprint cookies with the same cherry jam from our cake.

My wedding dress came from David’s Bridal in Short Pump. I chose them because of their reasonable price point, and I’ve also gotten other dresses from there before. The original dress I chose didn’t work out due to a miscommunication over sleeves, which turned out to be a blessing, because the second dress I ended up with was absolutely perfect in every way. I loved the long, satin ballgown bottom and the elegant lace detailing on the top- it was a home run.

Our tuxes came from Men’s Warehouse in Midlothian, VA, and we were very happy with their service. A few mix ups could have really thrown a wrench in our plans, but their staff was quick on their feet and were sure to deliver everything they promised. We were also extremely thankful to the Charlottesville location, who helped us with a last-minute mixup. In our books, all is well that ends well, and our guys looks fabulous!!

We are deeply thankful to our talented friend, acoustic musician and singer, Jonathan Brown for providing our evening entertainment. I met Jonathan several years ago at NN Burger in Tappahannock, Virginia. From the moment I heard his voice, I knew I wanted him to sing at my future wedding. It was a dream-come-true to have him sing for us that night, and our guests were in disbelief when they heard his angelic voice. He customized our song choices and learned them all in time for our big day, and he even defied all odds in order to get to our event when transportation was iffy. He was such a blessing.

Our beautiful arch and the majority of our decor was provided by Ashley’s aunt, Halona of Happy Fortune, LLC. Her daughter had been recently married prior to my engagement, and when she found out we were tight on funds and low on decor, she opened up her big heart and her big garage full of wedding decorations and told me to use whatever I needed. Tears of joy roll down my cheeks when I think of her kindness and generosity, and her only request was that I pay the favor forward one day to someone else. I fully intend to hold up on our end of that bargain.

The wedding flowers came from Flowers by Rose. Rose was so responsive and easy to work with. She had wonderful suggestions as to which flowers would be in season and go along with our vision, and she worked seamlessly with Carrie, our cake vendor. We loved our flowers so much, and they photographed beautifully!!

We found our officiant, Jennifer of Faith in Marriage, on the Knot. She was the perfect combination of religious and spiritual for us, and she helped us fully customize our entire ceremony, word for word. With TONS of helpful suggestions and templates for us to mull over, there was truly no stone left unturned. Her flexibility and joyful spirit were like a breath of fresh air, and her delivery of the ceremony was 100% perfection. We are so thankful for the relationship we have formed with Jennifer, and we are certain we will remain friends for a lifetime.

Thankfully, Ashley of Ashley Dorton Photography stepped up to the plate when we found ourselves without a photographer 2 months before the wedding. She graduated from our guest to our photographer without even blinking twice, and offered her elopement package to us as a last-minute lifeline. We were so thankful for her willingness to work our event even though she had planned for it to be her fun night off. She went above and beyond for us in every way possible, and we absolutely LOVE our gorgeous photos. The walls of our home will be filled with them forever more.

*Friends and family, please be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this blog for several more special thank you shoutouts

To Sarah,

Thank you for sharing this special blog from your own perspective, and for including Garrett and I in your special day! I’ve watched you do the hard work, I’ve watched you slay your dragons, and I’ve watched you bloom into the woman (and WIFE!) you were always meant to be. You deserve every bit of happiness I saw on your face as you two stood in front of your wedding tree hand-in-hand.

And finally, a huge ‘thank you’ to all of the amazing vendors mentioned in this blog, who played a special part in making this wedding such a success! You’re all true professionals, and I hope to work with you many more times in the future!

Here’s to finding a soulmate who makes every single day spent together well-worth the wait.
Xo,
Ashley

(Blog designed & Written by Sarah of Aligned Artists)

**A special note from the Bride:
In addition to our wonderful vendors, we’d like to thank the following loved ones:
My wonderful parents, Becky and Bill Kelly, for all they did to ensure our day was magical. My mother’s excitement to help with all the little things and my father’s tireless hours of blood, sweat, and tears meant the absolute world. We are so thankful for it all and love you always.
Jacob’s amazing parents, Lynn and Randy Lordi, for helping and loving us every step of the way. Their steadfast support and dedication carried us through many ups and downs, and we are forever thankful to them for always being our soft place to land. I also have to mention that Lynn has truly been my second mother since the day she entered my life, and her daily phone calls to help me plan meant the absolute world to me. My beautiful surprise bridal shower she threw also made me feel so special and accepted into the family. We love you both so much, always.
Jacob’s loving siblings, Ian Lordi and Megan Pellegreen and their incredible spouses, for stepping up and filling in wherever necessary. Ian and his husband, Jose joyfully accepted the roll of our Masters of Ceremonies and helped us manage all of our day-of logistics and ushering needs. Megan and her husband, Jerry provided us with several much-needed pep talks throughout the planning process, and they even provided us with a beautiful weekend honeymoon in the mountains. We are endlessly thankful for their kindness and generosity, and feel so blessed to call them family.
To the entire Blackwell Family for prioritizing our special day, and especially Jacob’s Aunt Ellen for always offering a helpful suggestion, a soothing pep talk, a warm hug, and cheerful spirit, despite a very rough year of health.
To my Uncle Jonathan Fielder, for making the big trip out to show your love and support for us as a couple, despite health problems of his own. We love you dearly and we’re so thankful you were there.
To our dear friends, Tiffany and Michael Bakun, for your dedicated friendship and loyalty over the years. You not only embraced Jacob as family from the beginning and always invite us to everything, but you also helped pay towards my dress and made sure I didn’t get ready without a strong mimosa in my hand and good friends by my side. You have experienced all my ups and downs over the years, and you continue to show us that you’ll always, always be there.
To Mikey Plante Jr, for transporting all of our guests to and from the hotel and keeping me sane and laughing all weekend long. Thank you also for befriending me at my lowest point, and for constantly pointing me towards my true North. You never fail to remind me of who I am and how far I’ve come.
To Christine Whitehead, for being an honorary guest speaker at our wedding and channeling the most beautiful message during our ceremony. Thank you for your friendship, guidance, and wisdom over the years, and for pointing me towards Jacob long before I had ever met him. Thank you also for taking such good care of our fur babies during our honeymoon.
To Cory Nickless, for also helping love on our animals before the wedding and for helping make sure our musician arrived on time.
To Ashley Dorton and Garrett Lewis, (yes, again) for going above and beyond the call of friendship in every single way possible. Thank you both for your genuine friendship, for pitching in without thinking twice, and for capturing the most incredible moments for Jacob and I to look back on for years to come.
To Tanya and Cameron Taylor, for being a constant in Jacob’s life and for always showing up for him during big life moments. The fact that you both were the first to RSVP says a lot about your friendship and dedication to supporting us no matter what. It means the world to me to call you both friends and family of my own, as well.
To Danielle Maxwell, for sharing her true excitement in my dress decision and for taking me out for the most relaxing pedicure before our wedding weekend. It truly meant the world to me to have you there in those moments as a supportive friend offering a listening ear.
To Lauren Chapin, for countless hours of listening, free friendship counseling, and for making sure our fur babies were taken care of during our wedding! We can’t thank you enough for all that you do to show up for us, and we’re so thankful you!!!
To my soul-tribe from the Awakening Beyond Clarity group, who sent so many well-wishes, donations, and loving energy towards our union. Your kindness gave us so much faith and reassurance in a time when we really needed it.
And finally, to Ashley Davis and Yodie Sky for pointing me towards my Jacob, and for helping me do the inner soul work that was needed in order to find my person. You both promised me a long time ago that the old life would be well-worth the new one, and 10x over, I couldn’t agree more.
We love you all SO MUCH.