Southern Weddings

Like Anca and Jordan, our favorite part about this wedding celebration from Kristin Marie Photography is the antique flags decorating the Tolt-Mcdonald Park barn.  Could there be a better design scheme – or venue – for a summer shindig?  We love the laidback feel of this reception and especially like how the couple honored their respective heritages by swapping their “I-Do’s” in Anca’s native Romania and celebrating with friends and family in Jordan’s hometown in the U.S.  The bold sunflower arrangements (designed by Aly and Ashley Redding), classic glass Coca-Cola bottles and red-and-white gingham tablecloths (covered in freshly-grilled hotdogs and a spread of homemade pies and cakes) make for a wonderfully picnic-inspired affair.

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Jordan and I were students at a small Christian school in Yakima, WA.  I’m Romanian, and I wanted to attend the school a few years prior, but was denied a visa.  I didn’t give up on the idea, and was eventually blessed with a visa and meeting my Jordan!  During the four months we were at school together, we became best friends and even fell in love on a month-long trip to Mexico.  Though I was supposed to return to Romania after school, unexpected circumstances (snow!) kept us together a bit longer.  We were together just long enough to go ahead and set a date for our wedding!
Describe the proposal:  While riding on the train to my home in Romania (with a ring in his pocket!), Jordan decided he couldn’t wait and proposed to me right there!  Imagine the scene for the clueless woman sitting right in front of us!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Stormy, intimate and romantic
What was the design inspiration for your wedding invitation?  We wanted our invitations to be reminiscent of an old baseball ticket.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? The giant antique American flags.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our favorite part of the wedding was the Original Cracker Jack boxes.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: For my wedding dress, I borrowed a vintage ivory housedress from a friend.
Describe your wedding flowers: We used sunflowers in all of the bouquets and centerpieces, as they are an important Romanian accent and reminded us of our train rides through the country.
Describe your wedding cake: In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, we served a selection of homemade pies and baseball-themed cupcakes.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Two events (a wedding in Romania and a reception in the US), two countries, two families, two languages… it was truly a fun, if sometimes crazy, ride!  We were almost unable to get through all of the paperwork for our wedding in Romania, but Jordan’s Grandma went to great lengths to get a new birth certificate and save the day!
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding?  A baseball game.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The storm and the flash flood!  The unexpected weather only served to make our wedding reception (in the barn!) more intimate and romantic!
Did you write your own vows?  If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote our own vows.  I said mine in Romanian, and I gave mine in English.  Our favorite line was: “As we dwell together, enduring and suffering and enjoying each other, our faithfulness, our oneness and our joy will grow to heights we never imagined.”
What’s next for you as a couple?  What are you looking forward to in the future? We don’t know, but we’re excited!  We thought we’d settle here in Washington for a while, but Romania misses us.  Who knows, we’re young!

Congratulations, Anca + Jordan!  We’re looking forward to hearing more about your exciting life as newlyweds!

Written with love by Lara Casey