Marriage First - Jordan & Cole

Marriage First, Wedding Later
Jordan Cole of Southern Hospitality
 
Growing up I was the girl who dreamed of the big wedding, the white dress, and whole shebang. After my husband and I got engaged, reality set in, and I knew things weren’t going to be as traditional as I had envisioned over the years. With the military, we knew we would need to be flexible and placing all of our eggs into one basket with a date may not have worked out in our favor. Our biggest concern when setting this date was my husband’s potential permanent change of station (PCS) and we were a little unsure about timing. Ultimately, we decided to set a date and not book any additional deposits besides the venue until we had a better idea we could have a celebration on that day.

Together we made the ultimate decision to be married by the justice of the peace beforehand. I wasn’t too keen on the idea; by too keen I mean out of the question. Somehow I had talked myself into believing that if I wasn’t having a twenty thousand dollar, David Tutera type of affair, I wasn’t really married. Finally a light bulb went off in my head that I was marrying the love of my life, a wonderful man who takes care of me, and we are going to have a beautiful marriage. If the other ceremony worked out, great, but my obsession of the perfect wedding ended when I met my perfect match. We rounded up both of our parents, said our vows at a garden located in one of our favorite cities, and made it special for us.

Since then we have been able to make concrete plans for this second ceremony and reception. Already having been married, planning the second ceremony has been less stressful for the both of us. Thankfully we also have Reina, our coordinator, who has been there to help us find deals, answer and questions, and be our expert. Choosing a justice of the peace ceremony beforehand is not taking away from our larger celebration, it’s just an addition. I am grateful to have had the experience to extend our wedding celebration throughout the year and excited to celebrate with more of our family and friends in the coming months.

Congrats, Jordan and Cole!!! We wish you a lifetime of love and laughter. We can't wait wait wait to coordinate your lovely holiday wedding!