They say rain is good luck on your wedding day and for this couple, it certainly is the case! After losing both her parents, it was especially important to our bride to honor them at such a momentous event. As the rabbi officiating their ceremony began talking about Allie’s parents, rain started to fall from the sky making our bride feel as if her parents were truly watching over her on her wedding day. Donovan-Groves Events planned the heartfelt day, and Blue Ridge Floral filled it with beautiful blooms. You’ll love every image elegantly captured by Mina Von Feilitzsch Photography, see every sweet moment inside the full gallery.
From the bride… Beyond the typical challenges of being a COVID wedding (we were originally going to wed on Nov 1, 2020), I knew our wedding would be extra special. Unfortunately, I lost my father at the age of 18 and then lost my mother 6 years later, in 2017. I was an only child and extremely close with both of them. It was extremely important to me to commemorate them on my big day. There are so many ways people have commemorated loved ones no longer living and there is no one way that is meaningful to everyone.
After a lot of hard thinking, I came up with a few ways. I included two empty chairs in the front row of the ceremony – one with my mother’s scarf and one with my father-in-law’s jacket, with my favorite picture of my father and me in the pocket. I found it most appropriate to walk down the aisle alone – there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd. I also chose to walk down to “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” a nod to my parents and grandmother. When I reached the middle of the aisle, my husband Lee came to meet me and we walked the rest of the way together – symbolic of our future together. When I reached my parents’ seats, a piece of my bouquet was made to break away and I placed a piece of it on my mother’s seat. The radar was watched closely and showed no sign of rain. Just as I started walking down the aisle, however, a rain cloud approached.
Every single person in attendance will confirm that just as our rabbi started talking about my parents, the clouds separated and the rain fell down. All of our vendors and guests told us they have never seen anything like it and how supernatural and surreal it was to experience. We did a quick change of plans and re-situated the ceremony under the winery’s covered patio. After the ceremony, the quick rain shower left us the most beautiful rainbow and sunset for incredible cocktail hour photos. Aside from being an incredibly planned party by our wedding planner, Adam of Donovan-Groves Events, at an INCREDIBLE venue (Jennifer Aniston married Justin Theroux there!), the miracle that happened during our ceremony was once-in-a-lifetime and a story that deserves to be shared!
Photography: Mina Von Feilitzsch Photography | Event Planning: Donovan-Groves Events | Floral Design: Blue Ridge Floral | Wedding Dress: The White Magnolia | Cake: Mariebette Cafe | Invitations: Design Inklings | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | DJ: Big Ray and the Kool Kats | DJ: The Bloom Trio | Groom's Attire: Suit Supply | Groomsmen's Attire: The Black Tux | Wedding Venue: Pippin Hill Farm | Beauty: Carolyn Thombs | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Random Row Brewery