Don’t tell the other venues, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Church Street and Orchid Garden. I had a dream once over the summer where I was standing on the Orchid Garden steps, and looking into the love of my life’s eyes (Leonardo DiCaprio, duh).
It was late spring when we found out that the last event for Church Street and Orchid Garden would be November 3rd. I begged Brandee to let me have it. Knowing that I would likely pester her for weeks if I didn’t get it, she let me be their coordinator.
All weddings after November 3rd got moved to different venues, different dates. When I first met Natalie and Bryant, I asked them how they had ended up with the last date. They responded, “We were just lucky”.
It’s hard not to get sentimental over the end of an era. When our couple said I do, you couldn’t help but think about the thousands of first kisses that came before.
The Puff N Stuff OG/CS team (Who I’ve come to know and love) were downstairs memorializing their last few years with a Fujifilm camera, while we were partying away upstairs. Our wedding ended at 9:30 PM, and I got a few moments of reflection in the Atrium alone with a cup of coffee.
It’s hard not to get sentimental over the end of an era. When our couple said I do, you couldn’t help but think about the thousands of first kisses that came before.
For me, personally, that meant thinking about the hundreds of times I’ve had to trek up and down the stairs. The time I ran into the ghost tour meeting at the restrooms behind Orchid Garden. When my Publix cake arrived 2 times the size we planned. The time I stayed all night with my coworker, and we had to hike back to our cars with our wedding wagons in tow. It’s the couples I’ve helped Tie the knot, and the personal friends I’ve had who have started their marriages there. And it especially meant thinking about Hurricane Dorian making us move a wedding from Sunday to Saturday.
Alas, Leo and I will have to tie the knot somewhere else, but at least I got to witness some incredible journey’s beginning.
Love,
Jess Clark
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