I grew up on a lake in a small town. Breckenridge, Texas... Ever heard of it?
We had this wonderful little house that sat right on the lake, and some of my earliest memories were of running down our neighbor's dock and flying into the lake, waterskiing before I ever even went to Kindergarten, and picking peaches from the trees in our backyard. I don't know that I'll ever stop hoping that my own children will get to live on a lake at some point as well.
Anyway, fast forward years later. As the director of a fabulous camp for children with cancer, I receive the honor each summer of being up at Lake Lure, NC. The kids have the chance of a lifetime, swimming, fishing, sliding into and tubing on such an amazing lake. One of the first times that I ever took a boat ride on Lake Lure, I felt like I was back home in Breckenridge. Of course, the mountains and the incredible view were much more amazing than the lake I grew up on. But the amazing feeling that you get when you are flying across the water on a boat was the same.
So the first time that Dan and I ever discussed getting married (Which was a very random conversation that remains one of the most defining in our 17 years together), I mentioned that I would love to get married at Lake Lure. The truth is.... I had been up there the year before on a staff retreat for camp and 2 friends and I went to the driving range on Lake Lure. I was having a pretty bad day with my golf clubs, so I threw in the towel early and went walking away. That's when I found the "wedding spot" at the Beach and Golf resort and I knew....
This was it. This was where my wedding would be. SOMEDAY..
So when Dan and I had our monumental conversation about getting married, I casually suggested that maybe we could go THE VERY NEXT WEEKEND and stay at Lake Lure for a couple of days. You know...Just to check things out. The plan was just to get away for a much needed break. I wanted Dan to love Lake Lure as much as I did, so we planned to eat at my favorite pizza place, hike Chimney Rock and just explore the area. Part of the weekend would include stopping by to look at this place I "had in mind!"
Thank goodness Dan was so excited about the fact that I hadnt YET AGAIN freaked out at the idea of getting married that he quickly agreed.
It gets better. I decided just to CASUALLY call the lady up at the resort and request some information about the wedding site. She said she would not be available to meet with us that weekend (thank goodness, since I was only "inquiring" after all) but she said could leave some information for me at the front dest. She also "just happened" to mention that the only day in the next 9 months that she had available for us to get married was October 1st.
Now this was in March, just 5 months after our "reconciliation" in Nashville and just 6 months until October. When Dan and I first discussed marriage, I was thinking in the spring-a year later. But for some reason, when she mentioned October 1st, I knew that was our date. (I now know that was God prodding me along. Had we waited until the next spring, my mom would have been too sick to attend.)
So we headed up to the lake that weekend. My plan was to go in ahead of time to check us in and then go back later to get the wedding information. But OF COURSE, Dan decided to come in with me and then the very sweet lady behind the desk decided to say "OH, yes, Miss Warren-I have all of the wedding information that you requested RIGHT HERE. And the wedding coordinator said to tell you that the October 1st date is still open!" I was mortified. Certain that Dan would think me highly presumptious, I quickly thanked her and shoved the information in my bag.
But Dan is a trooper, and as soon as we walked out the door, he looked at me and said, "Well, if we've already got the information, why don't we go ahead and look at this site!"
And so we did. We walked around, checking out the beautiful gazebo, the lake, the ugly mint green building that sat to the side of the wedding site, the outdoor pavilion...It was just as perfect as I had imagined the year before. (Back when I had no clue who I would be marrying).
Within 20 minutes, Dan looked at me and said, "Yep-This is it!"
Now, there is a part of me that thinks he was so worried I would change my mind about getting married that he was willing to agree to any site I picked. However, in my heart I knew he loved it as much as I did. Before we knew it, we had planned many of the details and almost, just almost went ahead and put down the deposit for October 1st. (We did wind up coming home, chatting with our parents and friends and "making sure." However, we had that check sent in by Wednesday of the next week).
All of this occurred a good 6 weeks before I had my ring. This was all the week before Traci and I even started LOOKING at rings. Funny how those things work out. Neither Dan nor I have ever been big on "rules and etiquette." There's never been anything traditional about our relationship from day one. Why should we have started with planning our wedding?
So that's why we chose Lake Lure. It reminded me of my hometown, it had special meaning because of camp, and frankly, because we just loved it.
What's not to love?
These are all pictures from that first trip up to Lake Lure.
The Gazebo (and amazing view) where we were married.
The outdoor pavilion where every one sat with a vew of the reception site in the background.
The long walkway that the bridesmaids, flower girls and I walked down to reach the gazebo. (With a view of the ugly mint green boathouse in the background).
The view from the reception site.
Dan and I during that first visit. Yes, I know his eyes are closed, but it's the only picture I have of us together on that day.
This is us with our mothers-the day we took them up to look at the site.
It just occurred to me that you have all seen this before. It's the cover picture of this blog. The picture of Dan scoping out our wedding site for the first time. At least now you all know why I love that picture so much.....
And I could not resist slipping in 3 of my favorites from the actual wedding...
How I love these sweet girls!
Our wedding "Portrait!"
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