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Four Oaks Manor Blog

Cory & Gerrit | A Love Story Abroad

3/7/2023

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film photo of bride and groom kissing by cake display
Rachel Carter Photography
​International wedding. Whimsical. Magical fairy garden. These are some of the phrases that describe Cory and Gerrit’s October wedding! 

Originally from the United States, Cory visited her sister in Berlin in 2014—and loved it so much she moved to Germany in 2015. In 2016, Cory attended a wedding in Hamburg. The groom was her brother-in-law’s brother – and it so happened that Gerrit was a good friend of the groom. Two worlds collided.
For a reason she can't remember, Cory was convinced Gerrit's name was Kenneth and confidently approached to introduce herself. Quickly inseparable, they spent the night dancing, having a few glasses of wine, and talking for hours on the outdoor deck. Though Gerrit was forced to make a Cinderalla-esque exit at 2 am, he got in touch with Cory the very next day via good, ol' Facebook.

Though they lived in different cities, and even different countries for a while, they never had any doubts that everything would work out. After three years of long-distance, Cory left Berlin to join Gerrit in Braunschweig in late 2019, where they still live now with Monty, their French Bulldog.
detail photo of bride and groom posing together, showing of bride's bouquet and gold bracelet
close-up photo of couple showing off groom's boutonniere
Gerrit knew that Cory is not a fan of being the center of attention—so a public proposal or flash mob was always off the table. So in early 2020, Gerrit proposed on a cozy night in. And of course, she said yes.

Now, planning a wedding while living abroad is not the easiest, let alone in the midst of a pandemic! Cory’s mom helped them find a venue. As soon as she and Cory saw Four Oaks, they knew almost immediately it was the perfect place as it fit Cory’s ideal aesthetic – lots of greenery and a slightly rustic, whimsical style.
garden venue with open gazebo lit up
garden ceremony
distressed welcome desk with bird cage for cards
Cory and Gerrit’s day turned out beautiful! “We wanted lots of greenery and flowers, touches of gold and silver, twinkle lights, and a natural vibe—all of which we achieved at Four Oaks.”

They arrived the morning of their wedding to get ready in the farmhouse’s getting-ready suites. The ladies were upstairs in the bridal suite while the guys were downstairs in the groom’s room.
black and white photo of groom's room
black and white photo of groomsman opening gift in groom's room
black and white photo of bridesmaids getting ready
black and white film of bride in robe
Black and white film of mom zipping bride's dress
black and white film of bride and mom
black and white film of bride putting on vintage heel
The couple decided to do a first look prior to their ceremony and chose the gazebo as the location for this. Their photographers, Kelsey and Lance from Rachel Carter Photography, used a mix of film and digital photography for Cory and Gerrit’s wedding and we love the dimension it adds to their gallery.
black and white film of groom in gazebo
black and white film of groom's reaction to bride
black and white film of first look in gazebo
first look in garden gazebo
groom's reaction to bride during first look
bride's reaction during first look in garden
Cory’s dress was from Bridalstory Berlin while Gerrit’s and the groomsmen’s tuxes were from Dapper & Dashing.
detail photo of newlyweds and bride's bouquet
detail photo of groom's suit, pocket square, and boutonniere
Bridal details with gold bracelet
closeup of bride's bouquet with eucalyptus, neutral flowers, and pampas grass
Their lovely boutonniere and bouquet were made by Flower From Us. They also added extra pops of florals to the arbor to add more texture to the faux greenery put up by Four Oaks.
garden wedding ceremony
garden wedding ceremony aisle
garden wedding altar with white drapes, greenery, and white and blush flowers
Antique gold lanterns decorated with floral arrangements hung on black shepherd's hooks to line the aisle. Reserved farmhouse benches sat on the first row for the couple’s parents.
hanging gold lantern with greenery and florals
farmhouse bench reserved seating at garden ceremony
garden pew markers
white
Since their wedding vision was a “magical fairy garden” they incorporated sage green, eucalyptus, and soft white florals into their wedding party attire.
sage green bridesmaid with bride in garden venue
sage green bridesmaids
groom and groomsman in matching charcoal suits
For the processional, their family and wedding party walked to Vitamin String Quartet’s "Concerning Hobbits". Cory’s father escorted her down the aisle to “Storybook Love” from The Princess Bride.
groomsman walking during garden wedding processional
bridesmaid walking during garden wedding processional
fall neutral and soft garden wedding processional
​The ceremony was a sweet celebration of their love and new marriage!
eucalyptus and neutral garden wedding ceremony
eucalyptus & sage garden wedding ceremony
garden ceremony recessional
bride and groom recessing down garden venue path
Guests were dismissed to cocktail hour to enjoy drinks, lawn games, and charcuterie board and shrimp bruschetta appetizers, all while listening to music provided by Tommy Pirone of Pirone Entertainment.
overhead photo of garden cocktail hour
wedding cornhole board
shrimp bruschetta appetizers
DJ Tommy Pirone
giant Jenga
With their guests spanning from two different continents, cocktail hour was the perfect time for the couple's family and friends to connect and get to know each other. What's better than some good food, drinks and a comforting environment to mingle?​
​Meanwhile, Cory and Gerrit used the time to get photos taken in the gardens.
bride and groom portraits in ivy-covered garden
black and white film photo of couple in front of barn
bride posing along garden path
soft bride and groom portraits
black and white photo of newlyweds in garden
groom portrait in garden venue
bride and groom posing in garden
black and white film photo of groom
bridal portrait in garden
​Instead of doing a formal introduction into the reception, Cory and Gerrit chose to simply join their guests during cocktail hour. This helped the affair feel more casual and connected, giving them more time to spend with their guests. With their family and friends spread over two continents, they wanted to cherish this rare moment with everyone present together.
bride and groom entering garden cocktail hour
bride and groom during cocktail hour talking with guests
garden wedding cocktail hour
newlyweds chatting with guests at cocktail hour
The reception tables were decorated with matte olive green runners, gold geometric centerpieces with greenery, champagne flutes, gold chargers, and sage napkins folded to hold printed menus for the reception. All in all, a soft, inviting, and whimsical tablescape for their beautiful day!
sage, eucalyptus, and gold wedding tables
birds eye view of garden green and white wedding reception
green and gold wedding tables at garden reception
green and gold reception tables
garden fall wedding reception
gold geometric centerpiece with greenery and floral arrangement
Gold mirror seating chart
​Their florist added pops of fresh flowers and greenery to each centerpiece. Each table also had gold table numbers holding a soft greenery print to tie the look together. Guests found their assigned tables listed on a gold mirror near the reception area.

Cory and Gerrit sat at a head table with their immediate family during dinner. The farm table was decorated similarly to the guest tables with greenery and matching place settings.
farmhouse head table at garden wedding
mix of faux and real greenery on head table
newlyweds kissing at head table
Transitioning from cocktail hour to the reception, Cory’s mother gave a welcome speech to all their guests.
newlyweds reacting to mother of bride welcome speech
mother of bride giving welcome speech at garden reception
black and white film photo of bride and groom toasting during speech
Their wedding menu featured beef tenderloin and chicken provençal entrees, plus sides of roasted garlic mashed potatoes, green beans with red peppers, roasted fall vegetables, and Four Oaks’ signature salad, a blend of spring mix and arugula dressed in a house honey balsamic vinaigrette and tossed with apples, feta, walnuts, and candied pecans.
film photo of garden wedding reception
As dinner was winding down, the newlyweds spent some time visiting their guests at their tables, making sure to try and say hi to everyone who came out to their wedding. Then it was time for toasts!

Cory’s father, Gerrit’s best man, and some of Cory’s siblings all gave speeches and raised their glasses to the couple.
black and white photo of wedding speech
black and white photo of guests toasting champagne
black and white film photo of father of bride speech
black and white photo of guests during speeches
​Cory and Gerrit then shared their first dance together in the gazebo under the night sky.
bride and groom's first dance in gazebo
newlyweds kissing in gazebo
black and white film photo of bride and groom's first dance in gazebo
first dance in gazebo at night
For dessert, The Late Night Baker made a two-tier white wedding cake decorated with florals, a chocolate groom’s cake topped with a miniature model of the couple’s French Bulldog Monty, berry crumb bars, and lavender shortbread cookies. It was quite the display!
two-tier wedding cake on gold embossed stand
couple kissing by dessert
chocolate groom's cake with mini french bulldog topper
black and white film of wedding cake
black and white film of wedding cake slices
black and white film of bride feeding groom wedding cake
black and white film of groom's cake slices
film of cake on gold stand with utensils
film photo of white wedding cake slices
film photo of bride and groom cutting wedding cake
Guests spent the remainder of the night eating dessert, dancing to music provided by Pirone Entertainment, chatting near the bar, and making s’mores by the fire, an American classic!
film photo of DJ at farmhouse reception
guests dancing at reception
guests dancing at farmhouse reception
black and white film of smores station
guests making smores at wedding
bride and groom kissing at smore's station
bride and groom at fire pit
bride and groom roasting marshmallows
bride and groom getting smores materials
“Even with the hectic nature of weddings, we had a day we’ll remember forever. An amazing venue, beautiful surroundings, family and friends, and plenty of fun.”
bride and groom listening to officiant at garden ceremony
soft fall wedding ceremony recessional
bride and groom recessing through garden path
​Congratulations to Cory and Gerrit! Thank you so much for trusting Four Oaks with your wedding day. We never take that for granted! We hope and pray you enjoy your marriage and the gift that comes from two people committing together and living their lives together as both best friends and husband and wife!

Vendors
Venue, Coordination, & Catering: Four Oaks Manor
Photography: Rachel Carter Photography
Dress: Bridalstory Berlin 
Cake: The Late Night Baker
Hair & Makeup: Meg Danielle Hair & Makeup Co.
DJ: Pirone Entertainment
Officiant: Reverand Perry of Atlanta Non-denominational Wedding Officiants
Flowers: Flowers from Us 
Tuxes: Dapper & Dashing
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo in Eucalyptus and Sage
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