I love the story of how Valerie and Gerhard met. When Valerie and her mom and brothers moved to Hendersonville 4 years ago, they moved into a house two doors down from Gerhard. He welcomed them to the neighborhood the night they moved in and the rest, as they say, is history.

During the ceremony, on the sunny deck at Crest Center, a swarm of bees rose up behind the wedding party and swirled around before floating off into the sky. It felt like a little blessing from nature for the couple. Gerhard and his family are from South Africa, and I found it especially touching when Gerhard's mom gave a blessing before the meal in Afrikaans. I didn't understand any of the words, except for "family", which seemed so appropriate at a celebration bringing these two families together. At the end of the night, guests circled around the newlyweds on the dance floor, and they all danced together in celebration.

Congratulations, Valerie and Gerhard, and thank you for sharing your beautiful day with me!