“It was really the first time we worked so hard on something together.”
Names:
Jeff and Jamie Guynes
City of Residence:
Columbus, Ohio
How long have you been married?
Just over 3 months
What did you enjoy most about being engaged?
Though it was stressful at times and a lot of work, planning the wedding was such a great experience. We were able to use teamwork to tackle different tasks that we decided each person would be better at. Jeff worked a lot on DJ and music, working with the photo and video team, alcohol and food selections; Jamie worked with the florist, worked with our moms on decoration and theme).
We were able to collaborate on ideas that we both wanted to work on together. It was really the first time we worked so hard on something together and I think it was a great experience and another step to building our relationship.
On our wedding day, and seeing the photos and video after, put all of our hard work into perspective and made us appreciate how well everything turned out!
What event do you remember best from your engagement? Any particular moments or events that stick in your memory?
Our engagement photo shoots stand out as probably the most memorable experiences. It was a little awkward and uncomfortable at first but became such a fun experience as we settled into it. Tessa of Starling Studio did a great job of cueing us and having fun with the shoot, which kept us relaxed and having fun. The pictures turned out great!
Tasting different caterers also sticks out as one of the more fun events. It was really fun to get to try different dishes and decide what to serve at the wedding. All of the food was so good and we had a great experience with our caterer, Milo’s Catering.
When you were engaged, what were you most looking forward to on the wedding day/weekend?
We definitely looked forward to sharing the wedding day with our family and friends. We had a big wedding (about 200 guests) but both of us have close families and large groups of close friends from different periods in our lives. It was so much fun to have everyone there to celebrate with us on the big day!
What traditions did you carry through to your wedding, or what traditions did you start yourselves?
We were able to use two really neat things from our families for our wedding. Jamie’s grandfather is a retired minister, and he was able to help officiate our wedding, which was very special. We were also able to use a cake knife and server that my grandparents had used for their 50th anniversary party. Since they had both passed away, that was really special for me to be able to incorporate into our wedding.
Describe one or two memories or individual moments that you remember most from your wedding celebration.
Our first look was a very special moment for us. I waited for Jamie with my back turned so I couldn’t see her walking up. We had both written short letters to each other, and read them back to back before the first look. Once we both finished reading, we turned around to see each other for the first time that day. It was such a neat way for us to do the first look and exchange our private thoughts and feelings toward each other and built even more anticipation for seeing each other for the first time that day.
What is one way you made your wedding “your own”? We had a family friend as our wedding planner/coordinator. We knew we wanted to make all of our planning decisions ourselves, but also needed a lot of advice on what things to think about, how to stay on track, and the best way to do things. Having someone we trust and are already close with gave us the flexibility to plan everything ourselves without feeling lost.
What is one thing you learned about one other during your marriage thus far?
Good communication is key! Now that we are married and own a home together, almost every decision we make is a team effort. Although we don’t always agree at first, we can always talk through a decision and find a way that we both are happy.
Anything else you’d like to share about your story?
Working together through our engagement (on the wedding and buying a home together) was challenging at times, but helped us build even further on our relationship. We had some challenges along the way, which we were able to overcome together, but also so many things to celebrate throughout our engagement, culminating with an amazing wedding that we will never forget!
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