Tennessee {Chris & Kelsey's Wedding}

The main reason for our trip to Tennessee was for the wedding of Kelsey and Chris.  They got married at The Lodge at Brother's Cove {where we all were staying in cabins for the weekend} on the most gorgeous, sunny, blue sky day overlooking the Smoky Mountains.  The ceremony was short and heartfelt, and after some pictures with the absolutely gorgeous bride and my new cousin we convened in the lodge which had insane views, yummy wine, and air conditioning :)  We spent the evening eating, drinking, dancing, and toasting the bride and groom, and it was so fun to be together with family celebrating these two lovebirds.  It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to and I keep wishing I could go back to that magical place!  Congrats, Kelsey and Chris - we love you guys and are so glad we could be a part of your big day!

kate & grant

with mom & kate

with auntie gretchen

cousins!

the most beautiful bride

sister & brothers

views from the lodge

they had an artist painting a scene of them getting married during the reception - such a fun idea!

i love a good ice cream bar

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Tennessee {Bears, Family, & Gatlinburg}

Back at the cabin, we played some pool and got ready for the rehearsal/welcome dinner that evening for guests of the wedding.  On our drive to the dinner, while ironically talking about a bear, we drove right up to.......BEARS!  There were at least 3 or 4 of them at the cabin directly across from where we were having dinner and we sat in the car taking pictures and videos of them {see the one above peering out at us} until they quickly scampered away into the woods.  Definitely a highlight of the trip that I couldn't stop talking about!  After the bear encounter, we had a delicious fajita dinner thanks to Chris's parents and chatted outside with other family and guests of the wedding before heading back to our cabin for more pool and wine with the Eliason's.  The next morning we had some time to waste before the wedding so we decided to do a quick drive to Gatlinburg, which was a gorgeous drive up through the mountains and trees.  The tiny condensed town was packed with tourists so we never got out of the car, but the scenery alone was worth this little detour along the highway.

{a bear in the distance to the right of the car}

{walking back to our cabin on a gorgeous evening}

{the sunset turning the trees yellow}

{with emma and erik}

{jill, leonard, and the folks}

{in honor of our bear sightings}

{breakfast with a view}

{the trees surrounding gatlinburg}

{got time to waste?  play pool!}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to the greatest, goofiest, sweetest, most fun dad in the world!  Dad, I'm so lucky to be your daughter and I couldn't ask for a greater role model, helper, confidante, advice giver, joke-teller, roadtrip driver Pops in the world.  You're the best - cheers to you!  I love you!

And Happy Anniversary to G&G!!  I love you!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Tennessee {Opryland & Pigeon Forge}

We arrived in Nashville after a long but thankfully on-time flight on Friday afternoon and immediately headed out to the Grand Ole Opry and the Opryland Hotel to look around and grab dinner.  The resort is gigantic, resembling something out of Disneyland or Vegas, and we spent awhile perusing the grounds before stuffing ourselves with our first {of many} fried foods at the Jack Daniels restaurant.  After properly fueling up we got ready for the 3+ hour drive out to East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains, the site of Kelsey & Chris's weekend wedding.  We arrived after a long, curvy, dark drive {thanks Dad & navigator C} to a gorgeous cabin in the woods.  After instantly falling asleep we awoke to the most insane views {C and I had the 3rd floor bedroom with it's own patio, perfect for coffee drinking in the morning} and after a quick breakfast we all got ready and headed into Pigeon Forge for the day.  Pigeon Forge is hard to explain - it's like a country, southern Vegas with attractions and spectacles for miles and miles of highway.  Luckily, Christian found us the Old Mill area where we could walk in some decent shops, have a yummy lunch, and sample some local moonshine.  After deciding Dollywood would probably be a little too much for the short time we had, we headed downtown to at least see the statue of hometown hero Dolly before heading back to the cabins to get ready for the evening's festivities.

still masking on planes

perks of knowing a flight attendant!

the view from our bedroom

selfie with dolly

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Tennessee

We're back from Tennessee!  We had the most amazing week celebrating with family, being touristy, and seeing some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever laid eyes on - seriously, who knew Tennessee was so green??  We woke up to the above view 3 mornings in a row and I couldn't get over how absolutely stunning it was every single time.  I can't wait to share the rest of the trip with you, but until then, consider yourself jealous :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie