Grace Episcopal Church
Wedding Photography Galveston
Bethany and Peter are incredibly interesting individuals who make a fascinating couple! SGI Photography was honored to be a part of their wedding celebration! The actual story of how they met is best told in their own words (as posted on their wedding website).
Bethany and Peter found each other from half the country away thanks to the magic of the internet. She was all the way down south in Galveston, Texas, handling demanding experiments on a deadly bacterium; he was up north in Minnesota, studying diligently for a medical licensing exam while enjoying his parents’ company. After his return, they met up in Houston and hit it off. It was striking how fluently they spoke each other’s language, how well they could problem-solve, and how much they enjoyed spending time together with their families. The next six months were a wonderful whirlwind. After a Greek festival, two Oktoberfests, carving pumpkins, Thanksgiving with her family, some excellent photography lessons, an original Christmas song, and a lovely Valentine’s day with miracle berries that made even sour lemons sweet, Peter knew he had found the one. He asked Bethany’s parents for their permission to marry her and proposed on a Galveston beach on their six-month anniversary. He put a ring and miracle berry in a lemon, got down on a knee, and told her, “Bethany, life will undoubtedly give me lemons, but if you marry me, you’ll be the miracle that will make even those sweet as can be.” She answered a resounding Yes!
They chose to exchange wedding vows in Grace Episcopal Church. One of the reasons was for its historic feel. Not only is it a beautiful church dating back to 1895, but Reverend Meredith has history with Bethany’s family. The atmosphere of Grace Episcopal was always welcoming and friendly whenever they attended on Sundays. From their first visit, Bethany and Peter knew it was the place where they wanted to become husband and wife!
As for their reception venue, Ashton Villa had always been one of their favorite places on Galveston Island for its architecture. “We love its historical value, and we felt like we were supporting the history of the island by having our reception in such a wonderful venue. Ashton Villa also fit into the romantic and Victorian vibe of our wedding.”
The Details:
Number of guests: 125
Gown: “Garland” by Sottero and Midgley
Cake: The bride’s cake was a four layered white almond cake with raspberry filling decorated to look like the night sky. The groom’s cake was a circular chocolate cake with strawberry filling, and it was decorated with the symbol of the Republic from the Star Wars universe topped with R2D2 and BB-8 robots to symbolize the bride and the groom. Cakes were created from the Cake Lady Bakery.
Flowers: The bridal bouquet was from Knapp Flower shop.
When the big day finally arrived, Bethany said she felt very anxious as they were not going to see each other until the wedding ceremony.
“Peter is my best friend, and it did not feel right to not be spending the morning together. When I first saw him, I was joyous and filled with excitement. I was about to marry my best friend, and we were going to declare our love in front of God and all of our love ones!” As they joined each other together at the altar, there was a wave of emotions. “I could tell Peter was very nervous up there waiting for me at the altar. When we reached the altar, I made a funny face at him in order to cut through the tension. I could see relief wash over him, and his face filled with happiness and love. We were then able to focus on the beautiful message given by Reverend Meredith and our joyous vows of marriage.”
During their beautiful wedding reception at Ashton Villa, Bethany and Peter especially enjoyed their first dance together as husband and wife! “Neither of us are very good dancers, but we spent a few months practicing. Peter picked a song near to his heart – “No Other Love” by Jo Stafford. It was the most romantic part of the evening for the both of us.”
The happy newlyweds had to return to their jobs and education right after the wedding, however, they are planning a grand adventure for this late summer or fall. We hope they have a lovely time!
Take their advice if you are about to become engaged, engaged already or in the trenches of wedding planning! “Give more time than we did to plan your wedding. We got engaged in February 2015, and then Bethany interned in Europe between May and August 2015. It was hard to plan a wedding while overseas and in the short time after she came back from Europe. Also, enjoy the wedding ceremony and reception. Everyone says it goes by really fast, but if you calm your mind and be mentally aware of every detail, the celebration of your new marriage becomes more memorable.”
