Kelsey and Joe

Kelsey and Joe’s love story, in Kelsey’s own words

Joe and I met on Tinder in 2017. We had both been using dating apps off and on for a few years before meeting each other. We talked over text for a couple weeks before meeting up for a brunch date.

Joe remembers the day he realized he was in love with me. We went to a fancy dinner where I accidentally flung steak at the window (Joe cites this every time he tells this story), and then we went to see Tom Petty in concert. He realized that day that he hadn’t been that happy in a long time, and he felt comfortable to be himself with me. I realized I was in love with Joe after my twin brother died. He passed away about three months into my relationship with Joe. I knew I really liked Joe before that happened, but the way he showed up for me during my darkest days solidified my love for him. He (and still does!) held me when I cried and made me laugh when I didn’t think laughing was possible. 

 Joe and I both love to travel and hope to explore as much of the world as we can together. We’ve been lucky to visit nine European countries. We got engaged in Greece! We both work in creative fields and share a common goal of putting passion and creativity into everything we do. We also dream of having children and creating a family of our own one day.

 I admire Joe’s patience and work ethic. He always strives to learn and better himself. Joe has taught me to push myself out of my comfort zone and to be confident in myself and my abilities. Joe admires my passion for life, nurturing tendencies, and emotional strength. He says I have taught him to be more open minded and to stand up for what he believes in. We are so excited to continue learning from one another for the rest of our lives. 

We look forward to building a family together. We look forward to growing and changing with each other. We look forward to experiencing life and creating memories with each other. And of course, we look forward to spending every day with our best friend.

We live in Nashville and wanted a forest/mountain destination wedding but close enough for friends and family to be able to attend. We immediately started looking at venues in the Smoky Mountain area. We wanted a venue that was in nature, but still could feel put together. My brother-in-law is from Blue Ridge, GA and mentioned the Nantahala area! After doing some research, we found Nantahala Weddings & Events online and felt this was our venue even before we visited. After our visit, we fell in love with the property even more! We’re so glad we chose Nantahala. We had the most magical wedding weekend!

Florals: Jodie McCord, https://www.greatbluefarms.com

Photographer: Appalachian Wedding Photography, https://appalachianweddingphotography.com/