Winston & Donna | A Hot Springs, AR Destination Wedding

On June 26th, 2014 we received an email that quietly rocked our worlds. We read excitedly read through the first paragraph where a bride-to-be explained to us that she and her fiancé were having their destination wedding at the Anthony Chapel at Garvan Gardens the following summer. She told us how she was a freelance costume designer and her fiancé was a piano player, and requested our pricing. Cool, right? But as we read on to the second paragraph, we started to feel that annoying little lump in the throat that tells you to break down in a waterfall of tears right then and there. You see, Donna didn’t just email us and ask for our pricing. She introduced us to one of the most beautiful love stories we have ever heard. Nicholas Sparks ain’t got nothing on Winston and Donna.

Donna proceeded to tell us how lucky she felt to be marrying the man that she was marrying, because there was a significant difference in their age and she thought that they would never get married. But a 1,000 mile horseback ride (yes, you read that right… 1k miles) changed everything for Winston. The unimaginable happened and Winston’s best friend, more like brother, was taken from this world at the far too young age of 31 by cancer. Winston is a man of integrity, a man of his word, so to fulfill his promise to Jonathan he saddled up and rode his horse from central Texas all the way to northern Colorado. Donna, the faithful woman that she is, drove a support vehicle along with Winston on his journey. Throughout the 71-day journey, they were humbled daily by the kindness of strangers. With every day that passed by, Donna and Winston became increasingly sensitive to the frailty of human life. They realized that life is too precious not to cherish your loved ones to the fullest extent. So when they returned from this life-altering journey, Winston asked Donna to be his forever.

We wrote back and forth with Donna for a couple of weeks, but then she grew silent. She stopped returning emails and texts and we were worried. It was December when her name popped up in our email again and we never expected to hear what she had to say. She apologized profusely for not getting back with us, and that her little sister had been diagnosed with cancer. The “C” word is a sucker punch to the gut and havoc on the heart as it is, but then Donna told us that she had lost her little brother when he was only 24. To lose one sibling, then a best friend, and then your only sister to be overtaken by cancer… it’s too much. She told us how the doctors thought they caught it early enough to be able to treat it, and that she would resume with the wedding planning.

The next 6 months were trying, as you can only imagine, with planning a wedding from another state, working, and caring for her sister. We are SO thrilled to say that Donna’s sister watched her walk down the aisle CANCER FREE! Jonathan, Winston’s best friend, was the best man in spirit. Winston wore a small medallion inside his coat, and socks with fish (because Jonathan was a heck of a fisherman) to honor his friend. Jonathan would have been so very proud. Donna also carried a medallion of her brother on her bouquet, and a 1920s headpiece which was worn by her aunt, her sister, and her niece on their wedding days.

There were dozens of incredible moments and details orchestrated throughout, so many that this blog post would be several pages long to list them all, but our favorite is their first look. As if this day wasn’t incredible enough, Winston’s reaction to seeing his bride for the first time left us speechless. Some grooms cry, some seem to melt into a puddle of love, but Winston… this guy could NOT be more ecstatic about marrying the woman of his dreams! If there were a prize for the most expressive first look reaction (that really should be a thing), Winston would no doubt take the gold!

Winston and Donna love like no one we’ve ever met. No age difference, no tragedy, nothing can or will stop them from loving with all of their hearts, and then some. Because of the distance between us, we weren’t able to meet in person until the wedding. After an entire year doing life together through email and Skype, when we finally got to see them face-to-face, it was like the prodigal son returning home. Their welcoming arms and cheek kisses made us feel like their most favorite family members. We assure you that by time you finish reading this and see their story unfold through these photos, you will feel like family too.

 

Ceremony Venue- Garvan Woodland Gardens- http://www.garvangardens.org/

Reception Venue- Hot Springs Country Club- http://www.hotspringscc.com/jclub/website.home

Dress Shop- Linda Lee Bridal & Boutique- http://lindaleebridal.net/

Ceremony Flowers- Hot Springs Florist & Gifts- http://www.hotsprings-florist.com/html/index.php

Reception Flowers, Bouquets, Boutonnieres- Kroger Floral Department- http://www.ftdfloristsonline.com/kroger/

Bakery- Ambrosia Bakery- http://ambrosiabakeryco.com/

DJ- Doc Bryce Productions- http://docbryce.com/

Caterings- Hot Springs Country Club

Bridesmaid Dresses- Vera Wang- http://www.verawang.com/

Groom & Groomsmen Attire- Dillards Men’s Store- http://www.dillards.com/shop/en/dillards/men

Invitations- Invitations By Dawn