Cheyanne and Clay met their freshman year of college on Spring Break in Florida. They were together for seven years before getting engaged. “In December of 2020, Clay, together with my parents, took me to a “last minute” dinner reservation at my favorite restaurant in Philadelphia. After dinner, where Clay, the 6’5” guy who is usually finishing everyone else’s plate meal, didn’t eat a bite, we went for a walk around the city. We “stumbled” across my favorite street, lined with Christmas lights and all of a sudden, he was on one knee! We stayed in Philly for a few days and then headed to Nashville to spend Christmas with his family. It was the perfect moment.”
Cheyanne and Clay’s wedding weekend took place in her hometown of Philadelphia. “While hosting in the historical city of Philadelphia, I really wanted a nod to our southern lifestyle. We also wanted to hold true to the traditions we were raised on without forgetting the whimsical details that make a wedding special.” Cheyanne describes her wedding vision as “East Coast Grandeur meets Southern Romance”. One word that she continuously used to describe her wedding day was joyful. “Joyful to us wasn’t just an ordinary word. Joyful was the word we used to describe everything in the entire wedding process. From readings and songs to dresses, shoes, color schemes and florals, joyful was our word. For that to become the theme of our wedding without us even originating the idea really set the tone for what would be a truly magical ceremony.”
Cheyanne and Clay were pronounced husband and wife at The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. After the ceremony, they exited out the grand church doors with their bridal party in tow. They all packed on to a trolley and headed to the reception!
The reception was held at the Water Works, which began construction in 1811. “It was the only major water pumping station providing water into the city. It was the first of its kind at the time, and has since been converted to a reception hall. It is nestled just below the art museum steps and overlooking Boathouse Row, it was important to me that my guests were able to soak in the rich history of the city.” The Water Works has special significance to Cheyanne and Clay’s journey to the altar. “When Clay came home with me for a holiday weekend for the first time, we have a photo of the two of us overlooking our reception venue. A small touch of sentiment for what ended up being our dream wedding.”
Cheyanne and Clay spent the evening dancing and mingling with their guests. A true highlight of the night was when orange and white pom poms were passed out for everyone to join in on the singing of Tennesse’s Rocky Top as an ode to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas’s alma mater. “We got to bring some Tennessee charm to Philly and it was such a wonderful memory. The band went full marching band and we sang, danced and showed all of my Philly friends and family what the SEC is all about! That was such a fun moment.”
