Michael & Chess: Spring Wedding in the Chattahoochie Hills
Photography by Claire Barrett
For many, the real power of the internet is about bringing people together. This turned out to be very true for Chess and Michael. They met through the dating app, Scruff. “One of us was living in Palm Springs and was visiting West Hollywood where the other lived. I saw Michael online and woofed at him. Michael messaged me back later when I was back in Palm Springs. Our first conversation was like a first date. We knocked out all the important questions like whether the other wanted to get married and have kids at some point and all that.”
Michael drove out and got a hotel in Palm Springs to meet Chess for what was supposed to be a very casual encounter. “Since then we have been inseparable.”
As for first impressions, Chess’s first thought was that Michael is extremely good looking. “I was very attracted to him.” However, Chess was feeling a little self-conscious at their first meeting as he was wearing a large black medical brace on his foot due to a broken ankle. “I was hobbling up to meet him. I totally think I got sympathy points!”
From the beginning, they knew they had something special together. “I think we realized pretty quickly from the first moment we were together. Everything felt so easy and comfortable. He feels like home!” It was not long until Michael and Chess realized that this was deeper than just a random encounter. They were in love.
“I took Michael to NYC for his birthday and I proposed there. I kept buying and returning rings weeks before the trip. I was having the hardest time. I was so worried about finding the right one. Once I found the ring, I was ready and just had to find the right time. We had this ongoing joke about Michael having to sing Chandelier by Sia at our wedding because of his not-so-talented version of hitting the high notes. We were getting ready to head out for the night and I put the song on. Michael turned to walk out the door and I asked if he promised to sing this song at our wedding and got on one knee. Michael turned around completely shocked. He continued eating from his handful of Lemon Heads before he actually said yes because he was so shocked. He had planned on asking me the next month, but I beat him to it!” Michael and Chess set their wedding date for April 13th, 2019 at Serenbe Farms in the Chattahoochie Hills of Georgia.
“Our wedding day was incredible! We had our friends and family come from all over the country to celebrate with us. We had a beautiful outdoor wedding on a grass lawn placed amongst tall trees and a wooded area. The ceremony was at six in the evening so the sun acted as the perfect backdrop amongst all the flowers.”
Filled with excitement, Chess and Michael stood hand and hand amongst their family and friends to commit themselves to marriage. “My favorite part, besides the obvious of marrying the man of my dreams in front of all my friends and family, was seeing how stunning everything turned out. It was so amazing to see all the planning coming to life and seeing how beautiful our wedding was.”
When asked what advice they would give to other couples planning their wedding, Chess and Michael recommended hiring a wedding planner who is incredible at what they do and makes the planning process fun. They recommend just enjoying the entire process. “Slow down and enjoy the day. Make sure you take everything in and stay in the moment.”
Wedding Venue — Serenbe Farms
Photography — Claire Barrett (Instagram)
Videography — Catherine Vargas
Wedding Planner — Molly McKinley Designs
Officiant — Lanta Carroll https://www.lantacarroll.com/
Catering — Dennis Dean Catering
Cake Design — For Goodness Cakes
Apparel — Mr. Turk, The Modern Gent, Christian Louboutin
Floral Design — Lindsay Colletta
Music — Big Night Dynamite Band
Rentals — Crush Event Design
Makeup Artist — Sarah Sanchez
Hair Stylist — Margaret Snider
