Lodging for Out of Town Guests

Brad and I have blocked off some hotel rooms here in Lynchburg for out of town guests. Check in starts on June 21st and the rooms are booked through June 23rd. Your choices are the Holiday Inn Express and Spring Hill Suites. The price at Holiday Inn is $104/night and the price at Spring Hill Suites is $119/night. Both sets of rooms are reserved under Garbee Coles Wedding and must be booked no later than 5/21. Contact information is below: 

Holiday Inn: 434-237-7771

Spring Hill Suites: 434-237-5848

Introducing Team Bride Vs. Team Groom

The next few posts will be primarily dedicated to introducing the bridal party, or as we like to call them, Team Bride and Team Groom. On the bride side, there will be Maid of Honor, Ally Garbee, and Bridesmaids April Cannon, Annie Edwards, Debbie Houchins and Shannon Swank. On the groom side there will be Best Man, Troy Coles and Groomspeople, Jessi Dill, Signe Andersson, Melissa Johnson and Christopher Coles. These people are so incredible that there's no doubt both of them will make the finals.

The Theme

The theme for this wedding is country with a touch of class. We are having our attendants wear cowboy boots, using haybales as part of the seating, and incorporating various horse related items into part of the decor. We are also having my horse carry me down the aisle. We even asked for a few farm related items as part of our wedding registry. While I would never go so far as to be the bridezilla that dictated her guests attire, we are encouraging comfortable shoes and cowboy boots definitely fall into that category. 

The Date and Time...

Brad and I have decided to get married on June 22, 2013. Which is the longest day of the year. This choice was actually a happy accident, but it seems like a good omen for a love that will last a lifetime. Brad only wanted a few things for our wedding, and one of them was that it take place at a weird time, which is a tradition in my family since most of us tend to be perpetually late. We decided on 5:22 pm, when the sun will be just starting to set, but not too bright behind us as we say our vows.

The Venue

Brad and I are getting married on June 22, 2013.  Our venue is my parents farm, with our "alter" being the front porch. The reception will be in the back yard, with the band using the back porch as their stage. We're going to set up a tent, put in a temporary dance floor, and have some haybales to sit on during the ceremony. Since this is an outdoor wedding and it's on the longest day of the year, we're asking they come dressed in an outfit that will keep them cool and shoes that will be okay in the grass. We can't wait to see everyone there.

Marry Me?

Some proposals involve wine and roses. Others take place on the beach at sunset. For all the things Brad and I happen to be as a couple, cliche is not one of them. Our proposal involved mud, rain, blood and barbed wire. He called me on my cell phone from the barn one day while he was out fixing the fence. It was cold and yucky, and he had just sliced his hand open, but he got down on one knee right then and there and asked me to marry him. How could I possibly refuse?

Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?

No, no he was not. Brad loved me from the time we were fifteen years old. It took him until we were nineteen and twenty, and me saying I liked him for him to do anything about it. Well, that's not entirely true, he had talked to my mother about it...in depth. It was just never the right time to say anything to me. Finally, one night in my barn, I confessed that I was falling for him. I also kissed him first. What can I say, he's a real gentleman. He's also incredibly supportive of my dreams, honest to a fault, and one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I can't wait to marry him!