Last week, a young man from our church got married in an outdoor, by-the-water ceremony. The bride’s pastor did the ceremony so were able to relax and enjoy the beauty of the day without any responsibilities.
And what a beautiful day it was.
The ceremony was held at a private home in Manteo called Meekins Anchorage. It is over 200 years old.
We enjoyed walking from the street to the house on this anchor-festooned driveway.
As we came around the corner of the house . . .
we saw the Croatan Sound spread out before us.
I loved the seating sign.
Here are the parents of the groom. Jeff is a church Board Member and works for the sheriff’s department; Crystal is on part-time staff at church, working with the children.
Photo by Carrie Fiedorczyk Houseknecht
The groom sharing a smile with his dad. (Ben is in the Coast Guard.)
Photo by Carrie Fiedorczyk Houseknecht
Here are a few more photos of the surroundings. (Click on any photo to see it full size.)
Ben and Savanah are moving to Groton, Connecticut almost immediately so there will be many adjustments for them to make as newlyweds in a new state and a new culture. We appreciate Ben’s service to our country and we appreciate the sacrifices Savanah will make, as well.
Photo by Roy Ambrose
Our very best to them both.
our family took advantage of the surroundings to nab a few of our own photos.
This is my “standing and pondering” pose.
Sarah eventually rescued me from it.
I love hanging out with this wonderful man o’ mine.
A classic pose with Steve and Sarah.
As we were leaving, we spotted this cool butterfly chair and Sarah couldn’t resist some dramatic poses.
This butterfly girl of ours is getting ready to fly away again as she heads back to Regent University this Sunday. She will turn twenty-two on August 23 which just reminds me all over again that my little girl is no longer a little girl!
In my next post, I will let you know about an out-of-town adventure she is having this week so be sure to check back in.
What about you? When you got married, did you live in the area where you married, or did you move somewhere else within the first few months?
Sarah is a beautiful butterfly girl! God only knows how far she will fly. I was married in Washington state on a Saturday and flew to North Carolina on Monday. From north to south, west to east, city to country– any culture shock? You better believe it! Lol ?
Cheryl,
That wedding story of yours just about boggles my brain!
I can’t begin to imagine the adjustments you had to make in those first months of marriage. The first year of being married is already like living in a foreign country so to ALSO add a cross-country, cross-cultural move two days later, well, my hat is OFF to you, dear friend!
The wedding was beautiful! Hard to believe summer is ending. Hope Sarah has a great year at school. I only moved to the next town when we got married. Our kids graduated from the same high school we did. Do hope to spend the winters in Fla soon. Hate the snowy Central NY winters,
Michele,
How cool to have your kids graduate from the same High School as you did! I love to read about a family’s roots planted so deeply in a town. I imagine even getting groceries is a challenge though, because you know so many people to stop and talk to. 🙂
And yes, winters in FL are much more appealing than winters in NY!
Oh my! The grounds are just stunning! Sarah made the butterfly look beautiful!
I can’t believe you said Groton, CT! Yay! Would love to welcome them to the area and Seaport Community Church has a heart for our military. I have a special heart for the Coast Guard as my cousin was the Commandant – now retired 🙂 Let me know if SCC or I can be of assistance when they reach the area and feel free to share contact information.
Guerrina,
I didn’t know what a Commandant was so I had to look it up. Wow! Pretty impressive that your cousin functioned in that role.
Thanks so much for the information about the church; I will pass that along. I looked at the church’s website and it looks like a great place!
Beautiful pictures! Sarah reminds me of Tinkerbell in the photo with her arms stretched out 🙂
Wendy,
Steve tells her ALL the time that she looks like Tinkerbell. It’s funny you would say that! 🙂
Most beautiful butterfly I have ever seen! Lovely wedding. Beach setting is amazing. We moved about 20 miles away when we got married. We both kept our jobs and drove about 20-40 minutes to and from work. Some days we left Jim’s truck at my parents and only drove one vehicle home. We enjoyed living at the lake for almost a year but were not on the water. It was quiet and I do enjoyed my Saturday there. Moved back to RR after 11 months.
Ann,
I agree-that is one beautiful butterfly!
Sounds like you and Jim put some miles on your vehicles that first year of marriage; living near a lake was certainly a lovely perk!
Beautiful waterside wedding! My husband and I were married, went on a 3 day honeymoon, headed back to my parents house in MN, where I lived up until the wedding, and left for Wisconsin to start our life together. I think it was the best thing for us as we needed to rely on each other and we grew together as a couple, as we had no family close by. We eventually did move back to our home town to raise our children and that is where we live today. Now our children have moved away and are starting their lives as adults. I doubt they will move back to the home town but they know where their roots are and do visit often. At least they don’t live across the country from us! 🙂
Kathy,
That is so true. Often the best thing for any young couple is to move away from their families, at least for a while. It really makes the couple depend on each other instead of everyone else around them and is the best way to bond as a new family unit.
I’m glad your kids are fairly close by and you get to see them often–a huge blessing!
I’ve never been married so don’t have a response to that. Pictures are beautiful though. A wedding by the ocean is so pretty.
Phyllis,
Yes, any water-wedding is so very lovely. I guess there’s a reason why the OBX is one of the most popular wedding destination in the U.S!
Beautiful wedding venue and pictures! Sarah’s butterfly pictures are adorable. You and Steve are looking mighty fine too! 🙂
I married in Denver where I grew up, but had already moved to Nebraska about 8 months prior to the wedding. I moved here first because I wanted a change (my best friend had moved here after she married) and thought ‘hey, if I don’t like it, I can always go home’. THEN I met my guy, got engaged and there was no turning back! It was quite an adjustment, especially to the weather (humidity, storms, tornadoes, snow that stayed around ALL winter) but it’s a great life and fortunately it’s only 400 miles, so I can go home easily, at any time. 🙂 And the winters have really changed over the years….not near as much snow and it actually does melt in between storms. Lol
LeeAnne,
Met my guy. Got engaged. No turning back.
That just pretty well sums it all up, doesn’t it? 🙂
That picture of Sarah is adorable….my husband and I got married in NJ and stayed there for many years before moving to Kansas, but the bride and groom remind me of my sister in law and brother in law, he graduated from the Coast Guard Academy up in New London Conn….at 21 years old, she graduated from Connecticut College for Women at 21 also, they got married the day after graduation and he was then stationed in Hawaii, how’s that for a newly wed couple, she said it was the most magical time of their lives!!! They were married for 47 years until he passed away last year, they had many wonderful Coast Guard adventures……I can’t believe Sarah is going back for her senior year!!! Good luck to her.
Dale,
Getting married and moving immediately to Hawaii would be quite an experience–so far away and so beautiful and so different!
Sounds like your brother-in-law and sister-in-law had quite the adventure during their 47 years. I love hearing about such happy marriages.
Those photos are fabulous! Love the Sarah-butterfly pose. 🙂
When the notification of this blogpost landed in my inbox, I read it “WatersLide Wedding” and was curious to see how THAT would work!! Haha
My first marriage was in June and by September of that year, we had moved to a permanent duty station with the US Army. It was a huge adjustment, especially when the second duty station was overseas… But the military “family” – which we’ve “discussed” before – makes it so much more tolerable, even enjoyable!
Best wishes to the happy couple, even if they didn’t get married on a watersLide.
Stefanie,
Um. I can very quickly imagine quite a few complexities involved with a waterslide wedding. Too funny!
I have heard Steve say so many times how much of a family the military was. That makes all the difference when its members are so farflung.
Wow! What an area you live in, Becky!! Butterfly Sarah is stunning! She reminds me of Audrey Hepburn, one of the most beautiful actresses of all time!
My husband and I both grew up in same area, in rural Ohio. High school sweethearts! I’m a tad older, and graduated high school a year ahead of him. I went to college locally, living at home. He headed to Chicago, after getting a great scholarship there. We married, and I moved there at the start of his junior year. What a switch that was for me! But, I don’t remember it being a big deal. We had been dating for 5 years, so it seemed comfortable being together, and fun to explore a new place, even though we were poor newlyweds!
I had a degree in elementary education, and worked in a day care with quite a variety of kids, many who didn’t speak English. It was a great experience. It made me realize more than ever that people are people, no matter their color, language, nationality. After my husband was done with college, we headed back to our roots, as we soon had a daughter, and wanted to live near family.
Ann,
Moving from rural Ohio to Chicago must have been quite an experience and somewhat of a culture shock! You did well to make that transition and see the adventurous side of it, even as newlyweds. And being poor newlyweds is one of the greatest adventures of them all because you learn to have fun with so little and to appreciate very small blessings that come your way.
And what a great reminder that “people are people” regardless of language or color. Children are the best examples of that!