As told by Jessica herself:
July 1st, 2011, a day Bret and I will never forget. The sun was shining; a slight breeze in the air, and a quick sprinkle of rain for good luck made it a beautiful day in Charleston for a wedding. The day started very early with the preparation of the bride. First thing was the hair appointment; and while sitting in the chair getting my hair done, I thought back to how Bret and I first met. Thanks to our mutual friend Beth and Bret's previous roommate, Richard, we would not be where we are today....happy, in love, and married!!! Bret and Richard were “babysitting” Beth's jet skis one summer and this is where the story begins. July 1st, 2009. Exactly 2 years ago. Bret called Richard after a long day and asked him to get in touch with Beth to see if an afternoon Jet Ski ride would be possible. Of course, Beth said yes, and told Richard that she was going to invite one of her friends (Me) to come along. Bret thought it would be nice if he went ahead and took the jet skis to the gas station to fill them up and to get us ice. He went to the BP and accidentally put diesel fuel in the jet skis. He and Richard met Beth and I at our friend's house where we were putting the jet skis in. When I drove up, I saw all of them standing around the skis. I got out of my car and went up to Beth and asked her what was going on. She said that Richard's roommate (Bret) put diesel fuel in the skis and they were siphoning the gas out of them so they could take them to another gas station and fill them up with regular gas. It was already past 5 o’clock and I had to wake up the next morning at 5:30 for work. Needless to say, I wasn’t too “impressed” with this “roommate” making us wait even longer to take a ride on the skis. To my surprise, Beth told me that I was going to be riding with Bret. So I got on the ski and we started to chit-chat. He immediately apologized for making us wait and handed me a beverage wrapped in a koozie with a beautiful smile. The conversation was easy flowing and we both learned a lot about each other. Bret and I exchanged numbers and we then had our first date July 5th…. the rest is history filled with many memories, laughs and great times together!! Now back to the “day”; my hair was finally complete. It looked beautiful and made me even more excited about saying “I do” to my best friend. I made my way back to the hotel to meet my girls and to finish
getting ready. Some girl time was just what the doctor ordered. I sat back and thought about all the people who have loved us and have been there for Bret and I throughout our relationship. And then, I look down at my beautiful engagement ring and thought about another memorable day between us… the day he proposed. Bret & I had plans to attend the “Beach Bash” at Boone Hall Plantation on a Saturday afternoon with his parents. Beach Bash is a series of bands playing beach music throughout the day while couples "Shag". Shagging is South Carolina's State dance....and is very popular here in Charleston and along the Carolina coast. Bret woke up that morning and said he was going downstairs to make us breakfast. So, I of course stayed in bed and caught some more zzz's. The next thing I know, Bret comes up with breakfast on a tray...hmmm....breakfast in bed, but I still didn't think much of it. Bret's pretty darn sweet, so I figured it was just Bret being Bret. So I start working on my yummy breakfast; "Nest Eggs" that his grandmother taught him how to make, homemade guacamole, and fresh fruit. Then he goes back downstairs and comes back up with 2 glasses of Mimosas....yet again I didn't think much about it. We both love Mimosas, so I just thought it was part of the breakfast. Then the next thing I know, he puts his drink down, gets down on one knee, and asks me to marry him!!! I hate to admit that I don't exactly remember the words exchanged, but know tears were flowing and I SAID YES!!! He gave me the MOST BEAUTIFUL ring I had ever seen....very sentimental....ALL the diamonds we his great-grandmother’s from Italy that he had placed in a new setting. He did an AWESOME job!! Now the time has come to head to the Chapel to meet with our awesome photographer, Tomme Hilton and her assistant Erica Billingsly for picture time!! The only must of my wedding day was who the photographer was going to be. Before Bret and I met, I was very certain that I wanted Tomme Hilton Gallery to take my wedding photos. Several of my friends have used Tomme for their wedding photography and I knew she was the one for me. I absolutely fell in love with her style and creativity. So, once Bret and I were engaged, I knew the first item of business to take care of was to book Tomme as our
photographer. We used Tomme Hilton Gallery for our Engagement session, my Bridal portraits, and ultimately our Wedding Day. The pictures will last us a lifetime and we’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to work and to become friends with Tomme. Down the road, when little kids come into the story, we will definitely use Tomme Hilton Gallery to capture those moments that will too, last us a lifetime.
It was a pleasure for Erica and I to have worked with you and wish you both eternal happiness.
by Tomme
25 comments