Bainbridge Living Spring 2022

Spring 2022

DESIGNER LUCY REYNOLDS• AUTHOR SAM DUNN• DUPREE HOME RENOVATION• ARTIST RHONDA GRIFFIN

2022

WEDDINGS THE PLANTATION WEDDING THE DESTINATION WEDDING THE FARM WEDDING & THE QUESTION

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Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 3

DEPARTMENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

Crafting this issue together

W

elcome to Spring 2022 edition of Bainbridge Living. This issue really focuses on the arts, which means something different to everyone.

Art can mean fashion design, if you’re Bainbridge native, Lucille Reynolds, or it can mean writing a memoir, if you’re local author, Sam Dunn.

Art can also be designing your dream wedding, and noticing every detail from the flowers to the final touch of blush.

For me, art really began in high school. I took it first as an elective and when I decided I wanted to work in magazines and focus on work that was graphically appealing; I took AP Art. When not working on a watercolor painting or mixed media collage, I spent my spare time scrapbooking. I made a scrapbook for every year of high school, along with 7th and 8th grade. I still have them to this day, and I fully believe they are a work of art. They are similar to magazines. I would go to Michael’s and get the perfect paper and stickers and tape dots to make sure everything looked just so. It was a much more put together version of my life than what was actually happening.

However, crafting Bainbridge Living has been one of my favorite works of art to date. I hope this edition proves no different.

4 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Spring 2022

Spring 2022

EDITORIAL JOHN WELLS General Manager JILL HOLLOWAY Managing Editor

news@thepostsearchlight.com

ETHAN REDDISH Contributing Editors

ADVERTISING MEGHAN LASHLEY RALPH DOBSON Advertising Sales Staff

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MARK POPE General Manager Bainbridge Living is published four times per year by Bainbridge Media, LLC. P.O. Box 277 Bainbridge, GA 39818 www.bainbridgeliving.com (229) 246-2827 Advertising rates and information available upon request.

Spring 2022

DESIGNER LUCY REYNOLDS• AUTHOR SAM DUNN• DUPREE HOME RENOVATION• ARTIST RHONDA GRIFFIN

2022

WEDDINGS THE PLANTATION WEDDING THE DESTINATION WEDDING THE FARM WEDDING & THE QUESTION

COLUMNS 4 Editor’s Letter FEATURES 6 Designer Lucille Reynolds Born in Bainbridge, Lucille Reynolds has always had an eye for fashion. Inspired by girl hood in the South, she is now designing her own line.

12

Author Sam Dunn Sam Dunn reminisces on his youth in his memoir,

Back in the Day, Life and Memories of Miss Mattie & Her Son Sam. 18

Renovators Carol & Randy Dupree Originally from Florida, the Duprees took on the ultimate task of renovating a warehouse into a home.

24

Seamstress Ginger Johnson Ginger Johnson trav els around the United States, furthering her

education in the art of heirloom sewing and garment making.

30

Artist Rhonda Griffin What started as a hob by, is now a full-time for Rhonda Griffin, who sells her art at The Farmer’s Wife Boutique.

Weddings 36 The Coe Wedding 38 The Harrell Wedding 42 The Rentz Wedding 44 The Holden Wedding

Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 5

FASHION&DESIGN

L

INSPIRED BY GIRLHOOD Southern childhood beauty pageants led designer Lucie Reynolds to this collection.

BY JILL HOLLOWAY

6 BA BAINBRIDGE B AIN INB BR RID IDGE GE L LIVING IVIIN IV NG / Fall lll 2021 20221

ucille Reynolds knows the hard work and determination it takes to make it in the fashion world.

A native of Bainbridge, Reynolds currently lives in New York City and is working with The BlondsNY brand, where she has helped dress the likes of Billy Porter and Paris Hilton.

However, Reynolds came from humble beginnings, saying her grandmother first taught her to sew.

“My grandma Oline Reynolds taught me how to sew a bumble bee skirt, and then I began sewing clothes for myself,” she said.

While Reynolds loved sewing and fashion growing up, she said she fought the urge to fully pursue it as a career, until college.

Reynolds attended University of Georgia, where she began as a studio art major.

“I felt unfulfilled with art as a major,” she said. “It wasn’t as dimensional as I wanted it to be.”

This lack of fulfillment led Reynolds back to her first love of fashion.

She changed majors and began pursuing a degree in fashion merchandising.

Once entering the fashion merchandising program, Reynolds fully immersed herself into the world of fashion, becoming President of the Fashion Design Club.

“I loved sewing and putting on fashion shows and just getting a taste of what it was like to really work in the fashion world,” she said.

As graduation grew closer, Reynolds knew she wasn’t ready to go into the fashion business just yet.

She also wasn’t quite ready to use her other degree in psychology, so she began checking into other options to further her education.

“I visited New York City and started visiting schools there,” she explained. “The classrooms were filled with 25 sewing machines each.”

It only took one trip for Reynolds to decide what her next move would be.

Upon graduating from UGA with degrees in fashion merchandising and psychology, Reynolds moved Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 7

was very fun and exciting at the beginning of her fashion career, but now it is strictly business, and said she has to remain professional.

She has also learned that not everyone is going to like her designs, but that should not prevent you from putting yourself out there.

“You have to trust your taste and do what you like,” she said. “Put yourself out there on Instagram or Tik Tok; people have to see your work.”

Instagram has played a major role in Reynolds’ line of work.

She said approximately 95 percent of her opportunities come from people sharing or seeing her posts on Instagram, and while most of the clothes posted on Instagram are more couture, Reynolds hopes to create more sellable pieces in the near

to New York City and attended Parsons School of Design, where she received a degree in fashion design.

Reynolds then completed her fashion education at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where she received her Masters in fashion design.

While working on her Masters at FIT, Reynolds began working on her “Babydoll collection.”

The pieces in the collection were primarily editorial, as Reynolds believes they are more impactful.

The Babydoll collection is inspired by childhood beauty pageants, 1950s doll clothes and Reynolds’ upbringing in the South.

“I really wanted to focus on my upbringing in Bainbridge,” she said. “A lot of the girls in my class participated in pageants, although I never did. However, my uncle was a pageant dress designer.”

Because of this, the collection has a strong emphasis on volume and exaggerated short skirts, along with other unique proportions.

Most of the pieces in the collection project a ro8 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Spring 2022

future.

“I’ve been working on more sellable stuff, and I hopefully will have it finished by the end of the year,” she said. “I’m always torn between slapping a ruffle on an outfit though or making it wearable,” she joked.

Between working on her wearable pieces and dressing celebrities, Reynolds is always on the move, shopping for fabric at mood and sewing 24/7.

“You never sleep,” she said.

However, she wouldn’t have it any other way, and strongly encourages those interested in fashion to go for it.

“Anyone can do it,” she concluded.

Reynolds work can be found on her website, www. lucillereynolds.com

mantic texture of ruffles with soft colors.

Reynolds explained she does not like designing things in black and is a huge fan of colors, dating back to the vibrancy of the Lisa Frank era and the colors used in that collection.

Some of Reynolds’ favorite pieces in her Babydoll collection feature ruffles and vintage lace.

“I really like the ruffle body suit with the ruffled sleeves,” she shared.

While it may seem impossible to finish all of the designs herself with the ruffling in particular, Reynolds said she does all of her own designs.

“I am constantly working,” she said. “I enjoy hands-on work, though.”

Her hands-on work, is what led her to helping design Billy Porter’s look for the MET Gala.

In 2019, Porter wore a “Sun God” look to the camp-themed event.

Reynolds was responsible for the bead work on his wings for the look, which then appeared in Vogue.

Reynolds admits that working with celebrity clients Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 9

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WRITING&HISTORY

T

REMEMBERING THE GOOD OLE DAYS Sam Dunn recounts the stories of he and his mother in his memoir.

BY ETHAN REDDISH

hose who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” “Who controls the past controls the future.” There have been plenty of ubiquitous sayings describing the importance of knowing one’s history, usually with some cautionary meaning to them. But for some, history is just knowledge and stories, old family tales and heritage to pass on to the next generation, lest they be forgotten.

Sam Dunn felt this call, the desire to pass knowledge on to the next generation, which led to him writing and publishing “Back in the Day: Life and Memories of Miss Mattie & Her Son Sam”, a collection of family stories and an account of his life growing up on farm during the early-to-mid 1900s.

Initially Dunn began writing short articles about his life, but it was his grandchildren that would inspire him to actually commit to writing a book. “My grandchildren, I got three schoolteachers, two teaching Decatur and one teaches in Seminole, and I got to telling them about homemade stuff back in our

day,” Dunn recollected. “They didn’t know anything about homemade, and it inspired me to write this book… I said if I don’t write this book, people in the next generation or two won’t know what kind of life we lived back in the day.”

Adorning the cover of the book is a picture of Howards’ Mill, a gristmill located in Early County, and a spot Dunn attended regularly during his earlier years. “We would have our corn mill ground, and on the other side of this porch over here, we used to dive off it into the creek when we was boys,” he recalled. The river just down from the mill was also a frequent site of baptisms back in the day. “It was just a popular place over in the edge of Early County.”

The book doesn’t just consist of Dunn’s writings and memories though, it also has some from his mother, referred to as Miss Mattie, who began writing about her life in 1939, and covers a variety of topics. Some chapters include old telephones, and how they once operated with a party line; how dating and courtship games used to work; and even Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 13

and even Dunn’s record of hunting adventures.

One main area of focus in the book is the kind of farming Dunn’s family engaged in.

“Nobody in this day and time knows anything about sharecropping,” Dunn said. It’s what we did back then, because during the Depression time, when I was born a lot of people lost their farms.” Dunn’s father was one such farmer, who had to sharecrop with several others. According to Dunn’s writing, their family moved from farm to farm frequently, with Dunn recalling moving seven times, farming five different farms, and attending four different schools.

One story Dunn tells in his book is that of how he met his wife while playing an old-school dating game referred to as “penny prom.” According to his description of the game, typically played at parties, the boys would line up on one side of the room, while the girls would take to the other.

Both groups had a penny each.

“The reason we had two pennies is because that’s all we could afford,” Dunn said. “The girls would get together and say ‘Give my penny to so-and-so,’ and the boys would get together, ‘Give my penny to so-and-so.’” Someone from each group would then go down the line with the penny in hand, and slide their closed hand through each of the other side’s.

They would do this for each member, but would discreetly drop the penny in whoever had been picked. The couple would then “promenade” down a dirt road.

“The boy and girl got a chance to 14 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Spring 2022

Homer Brinson Josey, father of Dunn’s wife, Marilyn Josey Dunn shows off his horses proudly.The picture is one of the many historic photographs in Dunn’s book.

meet each other and see if they were compatible and that kind of stuff,” Dunn said. This game was how he met his wife, Marilyn Josey Dunn, and they have been together for 60 years.

Dunn began writing back around 2015 or 2016, with the writing and editing process taking years, and the finished product being published and put up for sale on Amazon in 2020. There were multiple topics that ended up cut.

“I could actually write another book with the events I didn’t put in this book,” he said. The feed-

back he has received has mostly been positive as well: “Seems like everybody that read the book had given me two comments. They said ‘I really like that book, it put me back in my mindset back in the day when we come up,’ and the young people say they were really inspired by that book, because they didn’t have any idea what all was entailed when we come up.”

It would seem that Dunn has succeeded in his goal, to educate future generations on life back in the day, and even helped those of his generation relive their youth.

Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 15

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HOME&RENOVATION BEFORE

AFTER

O

A FIXER UPPER Carol and Randy Dupree turn an abandoned warehouse into a one-of-a-kind home.

BY ETHAN REDDISH 18 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Spring 2021

wning a home is an investment in the future, and whether you’re building one from scratch or remodeling an existing one, it’s also a huge commitment. Carol and Randy Dupree found themselves making such a commitment in 2006, when they purchased what would one day become their home, at 201 Back Street.

Originally from Gainesville, Florida, the couple had wanted to convert a warehouse into their home.

“We wanted a warehouse, and you can’t really do this in Florida, because of permitting and stuff there, they’re really stiff,” Randy explained. The couple then began expanding their search beyond the boundaries of their home state. One night, while passing through Bainbridge, they happened to find what was left of an old cabinet shop on Back Street.

At the time, the property was hardly ideal: the building was overgrown, filled with trash and leftover wood, and had holes in the ceiling.

However, there was one aspect that did make it

appealing: it’s adjoining land. “This was a great property for us because it had real estate, because we need room to park motor homes,” Randy said. “We buy and sell those, and work on them some, and we have lots of friends with motor homes, so we needed room.”

After acquiring the property, the couple began the long process of remodeling a dilapidated warehouse into a home. Due to the economic conditions in the late 2000s, they opted to not sell their home in Gainesville, instead coming up to Bainbridge for a week of remodeling, staying in their motor home while here, before returning home to run their business.

The pair did most of the work themselves, and a significant portion of the materials and decorations used were reclaimed or recycled, some from the warehouse itself, and others they acquired from various sales over the years. “We did hire a local contractor to do the roof, and somebody to do the concrete on the floor, and the drywall,” Randy said. “We Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 19

The Duprees motto for their remodelling could be summed up as: reclaim, reuse, and recycle. From bowling alley wood turned into countertops, to stair risers as bookshelves, the couple have dozens of oddities repurposed in their home.

didn’t do the electric either, we had to hire that done,” Carol added. They split the warehouse in half, with one half being their house, and the other being Randy’s workshop, where he performed his own metal work to design various decorations that adorn the house.

Some of the material actually came from Randy’s work with military surplus. “He had a fair amount of stuff, just had it. It hadn’t sold or whatever,” Carol said. “So, we used as much of that as we could in here.”

While the couple modeled the main living space after an outdoor Mexican square, not all of the unique features that distinguish 20 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Spring 2022

their house were planned out in advance. “Some of the stuff we would just see and say ‘Oh, I love that. I don’t know what we’re gonna do with it, but we’re gonna use it somewhere,’” Carol said. One of those unique features is a pair of stained glass windows, which set high above the dining room. “I was going by a little church where we lived in Florida, and they were remodeling and taking all those out,” Randy recounted.

Other features include the kitchen countertops, made from repurposed bowling alley wood, a set of bookshelves made from converted staircase risers, and a reclaimed spiral staircase. A set of large toolboxes were repurposed

into a set of kitchen cabinets, while Randy used a scale from the neighboring warehouse to make a table. The couple also installed radiant heat in the concrete floor, keeping what would otherwise be rather chilly, warm.

Their impressive work on the house has not gone unnoticed, with the Duprees being featured in both a book (titled “Styling With Salvage”), as well as an article in the Wall Street Journal.

However, all the hard work they put into their house was threatened in 2018. Like most people in the area, the Duprees were severely impacted by Hurricane Michael. The couple initially had put a metal roof atop the old roof-

ing, topped with solar panels for their radiant heat system, as well as skylights to let in as much light as possible. “During Hurricane Michael, it blew the whole roof off,” Randy said. Thankfully, the couple had multiple friends who were willing to help. “I run an internet forum about this particular brand of motor home,” he explained. “So I put the word out, and the next morning, there were seven motor homes parked in the street, and they stayed for weeks, and we rebuilt the roof.” Now, in place of the skylights, the couple installed a set of glass doors

to act as dormers in the roof. “I was able to save all the furniture, I was able to save everything, because we had so much help,” Carol said.

Again, a home is a huge investment in the future, and a big commitment; perhaps not as big as marriage or children, but easily bigger than something like owning a car. Trying to make an abandoned warehouse livable is even bigger. But with years of hard work, and despite a major disaster, the Duprees investment seems to have paid off in the long run.

Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 21

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Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 23

SEWING&CRAFTING

A NEVER-ENDING EDUCATION Ginger Johnson loves the arts, trying her hand at sewing, quilting, tatting and painting.

BY JILL HOLLOWAY

A

s a teacher, Ginger Johnson agrees with the notion that you’re never too old to learn something

new.

Having traveled across the United States, taking classes in the arts of heirloom sewing, smocking, quilting and watercolor, Johnson is no stranger to the dedication it takes to perfect your craft.

Johnson was first taught how to sew by her grandmother when she was little.

She explained that during the summer months, her grandparents would pick her up and take her on vacation with them, before her mom picked her back up when school was starting.

“My grandmother made a lot of my clothes and she finally taught me how to sew,” Johnson said. “We then spent our summers just sewing and playing, before she would take me to the swimming pool.”

Once Johnson learned how to sew, she started making some of her own clothes as a money saving option.

She said she mostly made smaller pieces, such as, beach cover ups and patterned purses and handbags.

When Johnson eventually became a mother, she stopped sewing as much. She had three boys, who could only wear her handmade items for so long.

However, sewing quickly made its way back into Johnson’s life, when the Firehouse Arts Center offered a class on how to smock that was taught by Karen Ragan.

There, she and a friend learned to smock.

Johnson said she and her friend Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 25

Ginger Johnson has been dubbed a “professional crafter,” she can be seen in her home sewing room, working on her grandchildren’s Easter dresses. She also has some of their old Christening dresses she has sewn from year’s gone by.

enjoyed the class so much they decided to go to sewing school at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion in Huntsville, Alabama.

“After we learned to smock, we wanted to learn how to make the outfits for the smock,” Johnson said. “Then, I went back for a licensing, which is a weeklong class from 7 a.m.- 9 p.m. at night for technique in just heirloom sewing.”

Johnson explained heirloom sewing as having basic pattern that seamstresses can add on to with lace or fancy banding.

She then returned for another license in children’s garment construction and a certification in family and consumer sciences.

“I thought it would be a great to teach sewing and pattern drafting my last few years before retirement, but then they stopped teaching it,” Johnson lamented.

While Johnson thinks she may have enjoyed teaching classes to the younger generation, she said she 26 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Spring 2022

such as English paper piecing, where you glue the fabric to the paper and stich it to the paper, before taking the paper out,” she explained. “I’ve also started foundation paper piecing, where you take sew the fabric right on to the paper, before slowly tearing the paper away and creating a pattern.”

Johnson shared that these new techniques give her the opportunity to partake in quilting in a way that she hadn’t before, teaching her something new along the way.

Rather it be quilting or sewing, Johnson always has a needle in her hand after a long day of teaching.

“I probably sew most every day, which is why I sometimes like quilting,” she said. “When I’m working on smocking a dress, I don’t want to stop until I’m at a certain point, and that’s not always conducive when you have to teach school the next day.”

If Johnson isn’t quilting or smocking, her husband Paul can still find her in her sewing room, occasionally knitting, cross-stitching, crocheting or working on the lost art of tatting, which is a technique of handcrafting lace from a series of knots and loops.

Just when Johnson thought she had found her niche in sewing, she then began the artistry of watercolor painting after attending a week-long class at John C. Campbell Folk School with her dad in North Carolina.

“We just took a basic watercolor class, but then I ordered a kit from a company that sends you a monthly box of basic things to do to get better at watercolor painting,” she said.

Johnson said her goal is to improve at watercolor painting once she retires, hopefully taking more classes in the near future.

“I always tell people I’m a professional crafter,” she said.

Johnson hopes her story of various crafting endeavors encourages people to reconsider sewing or taking crafting classes. Johnson said, as a teacher, she often teaches her friends how to use their sewing machines and loves seeing people light up when a garment comes out just as they hoped.

She concluded by saying she hopes to teach her own sewing classes one day, combining her love for education and crafting all into one.

doesn’t think she would have ever enjoyed sewing or garment construction as a full time job; she much prefers it as a hobby.

Her hobby also allows her to construct clothing for her grandchildren, most recently designing their Easter dresses and Christening gowns.

In order to design smocked dresses and gowns for her grandchildren, Johnson usually has to order her fabric for the heirloom sewing offline or travel to pick some up.

While Johnson loves making fabric choices and sewing for her grandchildren, her friend recently got back into quilting, prompting Johnson to break out her sewing machine for a different activity now.

Johnson said her great-grandmother and grandmother both knew how to quilt, and she had done a few small patchwork quilts with her kindergarten classes, but now she envisions something much larger.

“I’ve started doing some new things with quilting, Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 27

ARTS&CULTURE

N

AGRICULTURAL INSPIRED ART Each intricate detail crafted by Rhonda Griffin is a work of fine art.

BY ETHAN REDDISH

ot everyone can say they were able to make their childhood passion into a career. For most, something causes them to change their mind: pragmatism, falling out of interest with that given field, some life-changing event or tragedy. But there are those who never lose interest in their passion, who persevere and pursue it into adulthood, and into a career.

Rhonda Griffin is one of those people.

Griffin, the proprietor of Rhonda Griffin Fine Art, had an early infatuation with art. “Since childhood I have loved art,” she said. “I was very involved in art classes during high school, graduating as Top Honor Art Student.” She would go on to major in Fine Arts at Valdosta State University, ultimately earning her Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree.

Now, with college behind her, it was time to take her education and make a career. However, she didn’t start immediately with painting; rather, Griffin instead began working as advertising manager for Kelley Manufacturing Co in Tifton. She put her

artistic talents to work, doing graphic design and photography to help advertise the manufacturer’s farm equipment.

This job didn’t last forever, and Griffin eventually had children, and settled down as a stay-at-home mom for 12 years. But, as her kids grew older, she soon felt the desire to get back to work in her field.

According to Griffin, she initially began traveling to local art shows in 2014, where she sold canvas paintings. Around this time she also began accepting orders for commissioned art pieces, and was able to start selling her works in local stores. “It’s a flexible job that I enjoy, because it lets me still take care of my kids,” she said.

Of course, every job requires a set of tools, and artists are no different. For canvases, Griffin prefers thick, gallery-wrapped ones, as this allows them to be hung or displayed without a frame. As for her actual painting, Griffin said, “My art and painting style typically has heavy textured acrylic paint, finished with metallic highlights.” She uses an assortment of Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 29

Rhonda Griffin has made a career out of painting, with her specific preferred subject being agriculture. Pictured above is her brick painting of pumpkins, while left features South Georgia peanuts on a small canvas. Below is her pencil work on a plow. Right, Rhonda Griffin smiles during the art & wine walk, where her work was showcased.

brushes, all depending on what project she’s painting.

Griffin continued selling her works locally for six years, until one meet-

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ing changed her business in Bainbridge up. Chan Strickland, part-time worker at The Farmer’s Wife, introduced Griffin to the store’s owner, Ashley Sheffield, shortly before the store was due to open. “Because I paint local ag related subjects, Ashley felt that my art would be a nice fit,” Griffin recalled.

“She was correct, it has been wonderful!” So since 2020, Griffin began exclusively selling her art to The Farmer’s Wife, at least in the Bainbridge area. She still offers her art in stores elsewhere, such as Apalachicola, as well as at art shows, and will sell it directly to interested customers.

“I do like when an artist finds a subject and makes it their own - be original,” Griffin said.

Of her own preference for painting agriculture, she said, “I guess working at KMC did have a big influence on me, and just being in South Georgia around agriculture.”

For any artist looking to make their own career, Griffin offered these words of advice: “Be patient. You’ve got to have patience. Paint what you love and your audience will come to you, because if you don’t enjoy what you’re painting, it’ll show in your work.”

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“ THE QUESTION ”

“ THE QUESTION ”

What’s the one sentence version of how you met your spouse?

What’s the one sentence version of how you met your spouse?

We were both in the respiratory therapy program together so we had almost all of our classes together.

Then we both started working at Southeast Alabama Medical Center and started dating shorty after that.

-Pat Dean

We met in the Air Force at Base Operations in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

-Adam Mobley

We officially met when I was in the 4th grade and he was in the 11th. He took me riding on a jetski, but we didn’t start communicating until I was in grad school in 2006. We got engaged in Dec. 2007 -Kendall Kineard

We met through a mutual friend at the college.

I thought they were dating, but then he asked her for my number.

-Rhonda Wells

He came to Bainbridge shopping around downtown and walked into my shopthe same shop he later proposed to me and where we had our first wedding look -Jessica Polsky

I was working at the Hallmark on E. Water St. Max would come in to purchase cards for occasions. I remember thinking, “He is such a thoughtful guy, but he sure has lots of people with birthdays in a short period of time.” After we started dating, I found a stash of unsent Hallmark cards in his truck -Dana Bryant

I had a boyfriend at the time, but then Will Parker knocked on my door holding a bag of boiled peanuts.

-Catie Parker

We met online back in the day.

-Turtia Novak

My friend had Facebook messaged me asking if I wanted to go with her and a group of friends to eat Thai food and see Les Miserables in Dothan. I got there and it was just her and Richard.

She had set us up.

-Julie Canipe

We swapped numbers on night at Pud’s, then she called me! Sure glad I answered that call. That was in 1999, and we have been living and loving life together ever since.

-Eric Worthington

I met my wife at Dairy Queen in Bainbridge.

-Al Kale

We had our eyes on each other around town for quite awhile before some mutual friends finally helped us cross paths.

-Zach McLendon

We met when we were in kindergarten on the playground waiting to get on the slide.

-Amanda Inlow

We met in 2013 at Memorial Hospital and Manor’s Kentucky Derby Party Fundraiser. We went on our first date two weeks later and were engaged two months after that.

-Allyson Whittaker

We met in Biology class in the ninth grade at Bainbridge High School. He was sitting three desks ahead of me.

-Amanda Rentz

I was working the front desk at the YMCA, and Bert came in to apply for a job.

About six weeks later, he asked me out on a date.

-Crystal Hines

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Claire +

Steven OCTOBER 2, 2021 PHOTOS BY JENNA LINDSEY

the details Planner:Samantha Nicole Weddings, Photography: Jenna Lindsey, Venue: Pine Hill Plantation, Videographer: Lovewell Films, Makeup: Liv by Beauty & Shelby Rae MUA, Hair: Macy Shattles- Luna Salon Tallahassee, Catering: The Black Fig Tallahassee, Dress: The White Magnolia Atlanta, Cake: Artistic Confections Tallahassee, Florist: A Country Rose Tallahassee, Band: The Flavor Band Atlanta, Bar Service: Top Shelf Events Tallahassee, invitations: Natalie Jump Designs

HOW WE MET We met through mutual friends.

I was eating at Bonnie Blue House for my birthday with Karley, while her boyfriend Tanner was at a table with his friends. I took over a piece of cake to Steven and introduced myself.

THE PROPOSAL Steven had told me (Claire) we were eating dinner with friends, but needed to stop by and pick up our dogs from his parent’s house first. When we arrived at his parents, he suggested we take them outside and play with them for a few minutes. He was so nervous; he took about two steps and then proposed. When I looked up, all of our friends, his parents and my parents were there.

THE DRESS My bridesmaid was friends with the Manager of White Magnolia in Atlanta, which is where I found my dress. The dress was the total opposite of what I had imagined; it was tight fitting and nothing compared after that.

FAVORITE DETAILS We got married at Pine Hill Plantation, which is owned

by Steven’s family. That was one of my favorite parts, getting married on family land and having friends and family join together in a place we love and them getting to know each other.

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Karley

HOW WE MET My husband, Tanner Harrell, and I met through mutual friends back in middle school.

We actually “dated” in middle school and reconnected after college.

+

Tanner MAY 1, 2021 PHOTOS BY PABLO BEITA PHOTOGRAPHY

the details Photography: Pablo Beita Photography, Venue: Casa Costa Blanca, Tamarindo, Catering: Catering Costa, Dress: Vocelles, Cake: Victoria Zoch, Florist: Los Primos Designs, Band: Pinky Guaro Band

THE PROPOSAL Tanner proposed at Mexico Beach on Labor Day weekend 2020. We walked on the beach to scope out a good spot for what I thought were family photos, when he dropped to one knee with his Grandmother’s ring. After the proposal, both of our families gathered at Tanner’s family’s beach house to celebrate.

THE DRESS I bought my dress at Vocelles in Tallahassee. It was a simple fit and flair ivory dress with a plunging neckline, and buttons down the back of the train. Valley Faircloth picked it off the rack and it was the one!

FAVORITE DETAILS The entire week was like a dream.

We got married in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, with both families and most of the wedding party in attendance. Planning the original wedding was extremely stressful because of Covid-19 and its uncertainty. However, during all the chaos my dad was able to find a beautiful beach front Airbnb in Costa Rica suitable for the family and wedding party, and Tanner’s family found a house right next door. We then decided to stray away from the traditional wedding and take the trip of a lifetime with all our favorite people.

36 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Fall 2021

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Spring 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 41

Maitlyn +

Tyler DECEMBER 11, 2021

HOW WE MET My husband, Tyler and I met through mutual friends.

PHOTOS BY OLIVIA PLATH

the details Photography: Olivia Plath, Venue: Mablewood Farms in Climax, Catering: Diablo’s, Dress: David’s Bridal, Cake: Karon Salter (mine), Jodie Landers (his), Invitations: Shutterfly, Hair: McKenzie Dollar, Makeup: Madison Nelson

THE PROPOSAL He took me to his house and said his granddaddy had lost his knife and we needed to go look for it.

We then rode the Gater into the field, where we stopped to look in this one area. As I was looking, I turned around to find Tyler on one knee asking me to marry him.

All of our friends and family were in the barn and walked out.

THE DRESS I went to David’s Bridal with all of my family and Tyler’s mom. I tried on about seven dresses, but the fifth one was it. It was sparkly and fitted and brought me to tears.

FAVORITE DETAILS We got married at Mablewood Farms on December 11, but what we didn’t know was that was Tyler’s grandparents anniversary as well. They have been married for 30+ years, and we hope now we will be the same way.

When Tyler first saw me, he cried, which I wasn’t expecting. I think we were both just full of emotions, because we had written each other letters to read prior to walking down the aisle.

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Ansley +

Ben OCTOBER 30, 2021 PHOTOS BY JOHANNA LAKIN

the details Photography: Johanna Lakin, Venue: Pebble Hill Plantation, Videography: Landon Beaty of Landon Beaty Photography, Dress: White Weddingsl, Cake: Karon Salter, Invitations: The Knot, Hair: Jackie King, Florist:Suzanne Finger with the help of Mary Tomlinson & Vicky Johnson, Catering: JB Crumbs

HOW WE MET I (Ansley) rented the building for my clothing store, Rivers & Bridge from his aunt and uncle.

They then set us up on a blind date in March of 2019. He later asked for my number.

THE PROPOSAL We went over to his aunt and uncle’s house- the same ones who introduced us. He then popped the question in front of them and all of the other people, who were there the same night we met. My mother-in-law’s best friend then painted a picture of us in the kitchen where we first met and later got engaged in.

THE DRESS I went to White Weddings in Valdosta and bought a one shoulder, very simple dress. I knew instead of a veil I wanted a watteau train, so I wanted the dress to be timeless and classic.

FAVORITE DETAILS Instead of doing a big bridal party, we did only our siblings and really loved that.

I walked down the aisle to the song, “You are my Sunshine,” which my grandma used to sing to me every night before she passed away in an accident.

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46 BAINBRIDGE LIVING / Spring 2022

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