Kelly & Caleb's Biltmore Wedding
Caleb and I met through mutual friends during sophomore year at Wake Forest University. I had spent so much time studying for exams with friends in Caleb’s suite and he was never even there. As Caleb was preparing for medical school, his time was dedicated to the library. As fate took its own course, a few semesters later, I had finally met the mystery man.
After sophomore year, Caleb explained he was going abroad to Vienna. I imagined the friendship we had built together would simply diminish, he wasn’t even taking a cell phone! Once Caleb arrived, he discovered Europe had technological advances after all and we kept in contact almost daily. We realized that our families, Christina religion, and passion for pre-medicine were all aspects we loved to talk about.
January of 2016, I was incredibly stressed and beyond ready to graduate. Caleb had come into town and we planned to meet after an excruciating three hour microbiology lecture. Thru persuasion and deal making, Caleb and I decided to go for a glass of wine at a winery close by. One glass in, Caleb kept pushing that we go upstairs to enjoy the deck overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. It was a perfect Thursday! The sun was setting, the winery décor was gorgeous, candles were lit and dispersed, and I thought how odd for a Thursday! As the décor wasn’t odd enough for a random day out of the week, Caleb kept being so weird! Then it finally clicked, I knew what he was doing and I was shocked! He proposed! Then I immediately had to make sure he asked for my father’s blessing and it turned into a weekend full of graduation and engagement celebrations with friends and family.
Wedding Date: April 2017
5 Favorite Moments
1 During my dad’s toast he couldn’t help but point out that Caleb and I are both graduates of Wake Forest. As undergrad tradition calls, large trees lining our main quad are always TP’d after big sports success. My dad decided to have Caleb and I TP’d by some of our guests at the wedding and we thought it was so creative and funny!
2 Singing Braun German Songs! My extended family knows a set of German songs by heart that we sing at every family function. At the end of the wedding, everyone gathered together and we all sang versions that were printed out for guests to join in on. Puts a smile on my face just thinking about it!
3 Caleb and I both love kids and we couldn’t imagine our wedding without them all together! Caleb has a little brother who is fourteen years younger and our nephew which was under a year old also attended. Some of my fondest memories were all the kids’ sitting together. Their faces were priceless as they were observing all the different dance moves!
4 My siblings and I have this tradition that we started many years ago, where the four of us gather for a picture as we are tightly hugging. We have now been practicing it over and over throughout all life achievements and events. My siblings play the role of my best friends so being able to create another picture on my special day was unforgettable.
5 Our first dance. Before Caleb and I were even engaged we already had our song picked out! As we are both huge country music fans- dancing to “Mean to Me,” by Brett Eldridge was everything we both had dreamed of.
Planner: Mary Bell Events | Ceremony Venue: Basilica of St. Lawrence | Reception Venue: Biltmore Estate | Make-up: Pop of Color | Bagpiper: Steve Agan | Cocktail Hour Music: Braidstream Music | Reception Music: We Got The Beat (Band) | Photographer: Rachael McIntosh Photography | Videographer: Light Canon Films | Florist: Flower Gallery of Asheville | Baker: Lioncrest on Biltmore Estate | Transportation/Trolleys: Elite Limousine | Hair: Elizabeth Eaves-Roberts w/Bella Chic Salon
