Claire Condon & Hunter Jessen 09.17.11 Love story: The first time Hunter and I met was at my surprise 18th birthday party that my cousin threw for me. We didn’t meet again until five years later. At the time I was living in San Francisco and I was visiting my parents in Memphis. The same cousin invited me to her lake house for the weekend where Hunter and I knew we had discovered something special. A week later I returned to San Francisco. Less than 12 hours after I arrived Hunter called me to tell me he was going to catch a flight to California and drive me back to Memphis to be with him. I immediately packed up my car and put in my notice. Our cross country trip lead us to visiting friends in Colorado and Dallas where we attended a wedding. A year and a half later, on Christmas morning Hunter told me he had a surprise for me and we headed downtown. As we took the elevator to the roof top of the Peabody I realized what was about to happen and started to cry. When we got to the roof, I don’t even remember what he said but I know I said “of course!”.
Claire Condon & Hunter Jessen
Wedding planning: I definitely learned that the first thing you need to do is pick a date and set a budget. Once you have those, decide what your priorities are. Hunter and I both decided that we wanted our guests to enjoy themselves so we kept the evening very casual and fun. I am a chef instructor, so naturally quality food was a priority for me. Chef Jimmy Gentry of Paradox Catering and Consulting is a talented chef with a real eye for artful presentation and event production. My guests still mention how friendly and efficient the staff was. “The Dress” was something I had thought about since I was a little girl. I didn’t want to look like I was going to prom or trying to be Cinderella(this was a big challenge), so I ended up with three different dresses. Thank goodness for Barefoot Bride a local bridal consignment shop. The wedding was at the home of Charles and Jean Tuggle. We really wanted to capture every memory with candid and artful photographs so we used Maggie McLendon who is amazing at utilizing natural light. Her pictures truly reflect the mood of the event. My friends and family also contributed a lot during the process using their individual talents. My Aunt, Mia Condon, coordinated the day of the event keeping us organized. Andrew Clark, a family friend, played beautiful classical music for the ceremony. Our huge wedding party hung all of the lanterns before the event. My really good friend from high school, Lucy Hadskey, did an amazing job taming my curls. I also could of asked for someone better to marry us, my dear cousin, Charlie Davis.
Behind the Story Caterer Paradox Catering & Consulting, Photographer Maggie Mclendon, Day Of Coordinator Mia Condon, Florist Lynn Doyle, Cake Paradox , Invitations & Calligraphy Vista Print, Jewelry Diamond Brokers of Memphis & www.etsy.com, Bridal Gown Anthropologie, Bridal Party Attire Bari Jay Dresses, Music/ Entertainment Andrew Clark, Rentals and Decor Classic Party Rentals, Officiant/ Minister Charlie Davis