Memory Lane (Jekyll Island Pt 2)

As I was scrolling through the pictures I took while Chris and I were in Jekyll Island for our belated Anniversary trip, I kept thinking about all the wonderful memories we've made before, during, and after our wedding. I thought I'd post some pictures, old and new, to share those memories! (Y'all know I love any reason to reminisce and celebrate!)

Taken during our last trip. The turret is where my girls and I got ready for the wedding

~ On our first night in Jekyll we walked down to the wharf and had dinner at Latitude 31. My Mom, sister, and I, discovered Latitude during one of our first trips to the JICH and now I always have to go back for their delicious Shrimp and Grits! One of my favorite memories is having dinner with our parents there on Friday night of our wedding weekend. 

My shrimp and grits on our last visit

A sunny day on the water in 2011 during our first visit

Dinner in between filming our engagement video 2 days before the wedding

My sweet parents at dinner

~ I took the next photo on the last day of our trip. It was hot as Hades but it was a beautiful day to walk around and enjoy the beautiful grounds. When I saw this picture I immediately thought of the one I took and ended up using on our Save the Dates. The photo used was taken on our first trip to Jekyll Island in February of 2011. We drove down to tour the hotel and I took hundreds of pictures so I would never forget that feeling. Turns out I get the same feeling every time I drive up and see this:

Butterflies 

Our Save the Dates

~ Whenever I visit I always say that I'll be perfectly content never leaving the hotel. This means a lot of pool time, meals at Solterra, and especially time relaxing on the veranda overlooking the water. There's nothing in the world I love more than sitting on this veranda with a drink, a book, and of course my favorite people. It holds so many memories. My favorite being the time we spent with everyone there after our rehearsal dinner.

Taken during Chris's first visit to the JICH in 2011

Taken during our last trip - note the same shirt!  Hilarious!

With my bridesmaids after the rehearsal dinner 

My sweet family

And my fiance at the time!

~ During our tour of the historic district (something I've always wanted to do) I snapped this picture of the Crane Cottage and it's by far my favorite one. It's impossible to capture how beautiful this place is in a photo because it's not something you see, it's something you feel. Before we even met with our planner for the first time I knew this garden is where we would be married 16 seemingly short months later. There are obviously hundreds of photos I could share for this spot, but instead I want to share the first picture I ever took in the garden. I snapped the second picture just as we were walking into the garden for the very first time. It was all over but the crying!

At the very bottom is my favorite wedding picture from our fabulous photographer, Sarah DeShaw. It describes our day perfectly. Above it are the photos Chris and I took of each other during our last trip.

Crane Cottage - where our ceremony took place

My first time seeing the garden

~ Whenever I see the front of the hotel I always think about my Mom and my sister, Haley. We made countless trips down to the JICH during the year and a half before the wedding. More often than not we stayed in one of the rooms on the front of the hotel because we loved being able to sit on the porch and feel the breeze coming in off the wharf. We always talked about how much my Meme would have loved sitting and watching the people playing croquet and riding bicycles.

Taken on our tour during our last visit

Photo of the front of the hotel - the porches are the small, windowed, rooms

The best wedding entourage you'll ever meet - and Mom and Sister too

So thankful for everything she did because of, with, and for me.

My best friend. I couldn't live without her.

~ As I was writing this post I found an old picture that I didn't realize I had taken. When Chris and I visited for his first time, I took a photo of a beautiful old tree that overlooks the water. On our wedding day we had a few moments to unwind and relax there before the reception. It was so nice to regroup and share our excitement together. Some of my favorite pictures were taken there. I want to take pictures there for years to come!

2011

2012

2013

I've always said I'm a sentimental sap, and this post takes the cake! Nothing makes me happier than looking back at old memories and making new ones to add to the archives. Thanks for tagging along, y'all. Happy happy happy.

Love,