To love and be loved. There are no greater feelings to experience in a lifetime.
Arguably, the “be loved” piece is the more enjoyable part. Or, at least the easier one :) However, after almost 5 years of marriage, we have learned that there is much greater joy to be found in the “to love” piece. While it may sound counterintuitive, it is so satisfying to love our partner freely, lavishly, unconditionally, extraordinarily.
Imagine a marriage with two people who are determined to love each other lavishly from the beginning. A determination that would set the tone for the rest of their lives and begin this beautiful and unbreakable cycle of trust, understanding, forgiveness, peace, and joy. This would be one thing we pray for each and every one of our bride and groom.
Our latest bride and groom is Cristina and Chris. They chose to start their forever by exchanging vows at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception – the second oldest structure in downtown Atlanta. During the Civil War in 1864, most of the city of Atlanta was burned to the ground – with the exception of this church and a few other buildings. It was so special to stand in this church that holds so much history while witnessing the beginning of Chris and Cristina’s story.
Following the ceremony, historic Naylor Hall in Roswell provided a small and elegant space for their retro-themed reception. Frank Sinatra provided smooth classic sounds for a first dance and big bands permeated the room for dinner. Finally, a building that stood in the 1880s filled with music and sounds from the 1980s as the couple and their guests moonwalked and wang chung-ed the night away with Electric Avenue’s awesome tributes to everyone’s favorite 80’s songs.