Our wedding was a perfect representation of both of our personalities. I knew from one day that I wanted a rustic but classy barn wedding. I imagined shades of brown with burlap and lots of greenery with ivory flowers. I wanted the whole barn to have a very homey but fancy look to it. My favorite detail of the wedding was the music. I wanted all the music played to be songs that Stu and I love, and I think that a lot of the guests loved it as well. The whole ceremony was songs by Led Zeppelin and the reception was a mix of all of our favorite classic rock songs. 

Our wedding was amazing. The things that I remember most about our wedding were walking down the aisle and seeing Stu’s face and getting to have all of our friends and family together in one place. Overall my experience at Castleton Farms was great. I cold not have asked for a more beautiful place to get married or for our wedding day to have gone any smoother. I cannot tell you how many people have commented on how amazing Castleton Farms was, especially the carriage house where our ceremony and reception took place. 

My biggest tip on working with a photographer on the wedding day is to listen to their ideas and suggestions. Some of the poses and ideas that Terri had were things I would have never thought of, and seeing them in print was just incredible. They are the photographer for a reason and they know what translates well into pictures. My number one advice for future brides is to keep true to your personal style while planning your wedding and to choose vendors who want to help you represent your style!

-Erin Keene

Venue: Our very own Castleton Farms

Photography: Terri Swaggerty Portraiture

Flowers: Lisa Foster Floral Design

DJ: Ogle Entertainment

Paper & Decor: Designs in Paper

Decor and Rentals: All Occasions Party Rentals 

In 1996, Carolyn and her husband, Buddy, were looking for a builder for their house. The person most recommended was Craig Peak, Jane’s husband and my father. Carolyn and Buddy knew that it wasn’t just irony that led them to choose my dad as the builder. Ten years after my dad built Carolyn and Buddy’s house, and when I was 17, my mother, Jane, lost her battle with cancer. Carolyn met me for the first time at my mom’s funeral and was astonished by the strong resemblance I had to my mother.

At that point Carolyn felt a strong urge to take care of her childhood best friend’s daughter. However, it wasn’t until four years later that dream would come true. I was now 21, and my boss, Regina, secretly approached Carolyn at church and asked if Grayson was dating anyone. Regina proceeded to tell Carolyn that she had an employee at Rowena’s that she wanted to set up with a good guy. She continued to describe me to Carolyn. When Carolyn asked what my name was, much to her surprise, Regina responded, “Sarah Peak”. Carolyn was ecstatic and thus began her mutual scheming with Regina to introduce Grayson to me. Carolyn started coming in a lot to Rowena’s. Little did I know that it was all part of the plot to get us together.

One Friday, Carolyn brought newspaper clippings in to me that explained that the store I now work in used to be the store where my and Grayson’s grandfathers once worked. She proceeded to tell me that she wanted me to meet Grayson, but because he lives and works in Georgia it could take a while to do so. I worked the next day and while my back was turned from the front of the store, much to my surprise my friend’s eyes widened and said “Grayson’s here!” I quickly turned to see if it was the same Grayson that Regina and Carolyn wanted me to meet. Then I saw Carolyn walk in before him. It was at that moment that I asked my friend if she could see my heart beating through my shirt! Carolyn had convinced Grayson that the birthday gift she wanted from him could only be found at Rowena’s. He had been told very little of me, but enough to be very curious. I could be cliché and tell you that we both saw fireworks and knew from the moment we first met that we were meant to be. However, our relationship goes deeper. It was founded on a half century of close relationships of our families and a destiny that was started by our mothers’ friendship.

When Grayson proposed to me in the same spot that our late grandfathers once shared stories about us, and the place where we first met, he told me that there were a thousand reasons to propose other places that would be just as memorable. However, he only needed one. The spirits of our lost loved ones filled that room as he dropped to one knee. Without a doubt, we knew the rest of our lives should start at that store… at that moment…in that spot.

Here is a look at their wedding day:

All Occasion Catering has been committed to providing experienced and outstanding catering service to the Knoxville, Tennessee area for over fifteen years.

AOC is a full service catering company able to cater for any group up to 20,000 and virtually any site indoors or outdoors. They specialize in catering for weddings, corporate events, anniversaries, open houses, and more. They even offer complete event planning solutions!

With events for anywhere from 20 to 7,000 people and menus from elegant candlelit four course dinners to boxed lunches, AOC is able to accommodate any and all of their clients needs.

Check out the following video of the two in action.Congratulations on a job well done !

NovDec11Cover from Cityview Publishing, Inc. on Vimeo.

Photos courtesy of Bill Waldorf

The Details:

Photography- Bill Waldorf

Makeup- Bangs and Blush

Floral/Decor- Sam Franklin

Decor- All Occasions Party Rentals

Lighting- True Grip & Lighting

Paper/Decor- Designs in Paper(Nashville)

Cake- Cheryl McMillin-Perfect Ending

Aren’t these signs adorable ? A personal touch by the bride and groom.Turns out Jeremy is quite handy:)

Makeup was provided by the talented Jamie of Bangs & Blush