The Story Behind This At-Home Wedding Will Tug on Your Heartstrings

Samantha Melei

Sun, June 30, 2019 at 1:00 PM UTC

Today, on my two year wedding anniversary, I get to share this couple's heartfelt wedding, coincidentally on their one year anniversary! For Virginia and Chris a chance meeting on a cruise ship turned into a wedding day at the bride's childhood home. In the middle of their wedding planning, Virginia's parents got an offer they couldn't refuse and sold their house (under the condition that everything took place after the wedding) giving Shi Shi Events the most meaningful venue to build upon. With intimate moments at every turn, Lauren Gabrielle had no shortage of photo opp's including the bride's former students singing the surprise recessional song after the 'I Do's', a donut wall and greenery filled chandeliers by Molly Taylor and Co. So as the saying goes, as one door closes, another one certainly opened for these two....

From Shi Shi Events...We fell in love with Virginia and Chris and their cute 'how they met' story the instant we met them. It was only made better by them wanting to have the wedding ceremony and reception at Virginia’s parents’ home. We adore at home weddings for their sentimentality and ultra-personal vibe; building a wedding from the ground up in a place that has so much meaning for the couple is truly a special event. A wedding’s design for us goes so far beyond just the visual elements of the day. We encourage our couples to put emotion and meaning behind all of their choices creating a day that extends past the pretty into true personal and universal meaning for them and their guests. Virginia and Chris’ wedding had meaning behind every turn. It began with an invitation featuring a sketch of the bride’s parents’ home by Momental Designs. With the house going under contract during the process of planning, the keepsake of the sketch became a treasure. On the day of the wedding the couple’s beloved dog, Heidi, made an appearance both sketched on their wedding program and as the “ring bearer” during the ceremony.

Post ceremony, our MOB arranged for some of Virginia’s former students (she’s a school teacher) to sing “You Are My Sunshine” as a surprise recessional. Their little voices were so sweet and it was such a touching moment for our bride! We wanted to play up the message in a bottle piece of their time on the cruise ship since it was the moment Chris sneaked Virginia’s phone number. We took the literal approach with guests’ escort cards being mini-messages in a bottle and a more abstract one with the wave-inspired hand-lettered flourish on their menu board, table numbers and place cards. We also centered their cocktail hour around the home’s stunning pool, adding a water element to their day. For the couple’s first dance Virginia performed and recorded “Can’t Help Falling In Love” as a surprise for Chris. It was perfect; truly beautiful.

Here is the 'how we met' story from the groom’s perspective...As the youngest of four in a very active family, it can be rare for us to all get together on the same schedule. However, when my parents told us they were taking us on a cruise in the eastern Caribbean, we all found a way to clear our schedules. 'McClure party of 10' set sail in March 2015 on a Holland America ship bound for fun and sun. Being the only single member of the group, I wasn't expecting to meet someone while with my family, let alone on a cruise ship. On the evening of the 3rd day at sea, I happened to see a strikingly beautiful girl. As she walked through a central gathering area, she had a very confident way about her, yet she seemed very approachable. The next evening, I happened to see the same girl in the piano lounge. I decided I had to talk to her. I pulled up a seat nearby and before I knew it, I had struck up a conversation with a girl named Virginia from Ohio. I soon realized that not only was she beautiful - she was intelligent, driven, and loved to laugh.For the rest of the trip, I found myself trying to run into her as much as possible. My family "coincidentally" showed up on the same catamaran snorkeling excursion that Virginia and her family were on. By day 5 at sea, our families had merged dining tables and we were one big happy group. By the time we had to say goodbye on the last night of the cruise, I knew for certain this wouldn't be the last time I saw Virginia from Ohio. Three years later, we are preparing for our wedding and I couldn't be happier to be spending the rest of my life with my best friend and love of my life.

From the Bride...My favorite part of the day was in between our ceremony and the cocktail hour. Chris and I went to a separate area of my parents home and relaxed just the two of us for 10 minutes. We tried our appetizers, had a glass of champagne, reflected on our day so far and enjoyed each other’s company before the busy-ness of the day/evening continued. These 10 minutes were more indicative of our daily life together - involving relaxation, food, and drinks - than anything else.

It was an absolute dream of mine to get married in my childhood backyard. When we got engaged, we looked at other venues just in case, but deep down I hoped it was a possibility. Thanks to Gina (Shi Shi Events) - my dream became a reality! It wasn’t until after we had officially chosen our home for the venue when my parents were approached by another family that wanted to buy it. With an offer they couldn’t turn down, they accepted (of course under the condition that it had to be after June 30). This moving element added an entirely new layer to the sentiment and meaning of our venue. The last time sleeping in my childhood bedroom was the night before our wedding. Our final memories as a family in the home were from our wedding, and while it was extremely bittersweet, it was the perfect celebration and way to open a new chapter for everyone.

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