The day of the wedding, August 4th, began with Jill and me attending church together, joined by a few friends and that was a perfect way to begin this joyful journey together. The venue for the wedding ceremony was Maple Grove Estate, a home built in 1799 and expanded several times that is now used as an event center in West Knoxville. Our host, Karen, did a wonderful job assisting us in both preparation and in many ways during the day. We used just an indoor portion of the property, two rooms in the original house and larger spaces for the reception. We met the photographer, Cyd, there about an hour before the service for some of the photos and what I have now learned is the “First Look.” I was set up outside looking away from the house and Jill approached me and invited me to turn around and see her in her dress the for first time. Wow. She was stunning. We were positioned a few places around the property for couple portraits and also did some group family shots. What a wonderful time to concentrate on each other and share this time with our families. Tomorrow the ceremony!
