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WeddingsA NewBeginning

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO

Saturday, February 27, 2016

•Responsibilities of bridal-party members•Factors to consider when hosting an outdoor wedding•Customize your ceremony to give it a unique touch

• Saturday, February 27, 2016 -- The Press-Sentinel

By Kara B. JacksonSPECIAL TO

THE PRESS-SENTINEL

Wedding planning canbe a stressful, difficulttime, even in the best ofcircumstances, but forHanna Keith and GarrettLewis, extra difficultieshave been added to themix.With less than three

months until their wed-ding date, the plans con-tinue despite Keith’s con-tinuing her pursuit of apost-baccalaureate degreeand undergoingchemotherapy treatments. Keith, the daughter of

Jesup Mayor David Earland Carol Keith, is a 2004graduate of Wayne CountyHigh School and a 2009graduate of the Universityof Georgia with a bache-lor’s degree in biologicalsciences. She is currentlypursuing a post-baccalau-reate degree and is sched-uled to graduate inDecember this year with abachelor of science degreein nursing. Lewis, the son of

Herman Lewis Jr. and hiswife, Brenda, is a 2005graduate of Wayne CountyHigh School. He graduat-ed from Georgia SouthernUniversity in 2009 with abachelor’s degree inindustrial managementand in 2012 with a mas-ter’s degree in businessadministration. The couple met early in

life and dated throughouthigh school before movingaway to different collegesupon graduation.“It was hard for us to

manage the long-distancerelationship between

Statesboro and Athens, sowe separated during col-lege but kept in touch,”Keith said. “He and I bothmoved home December2009, went on a few dates,and picked up right wherewe had left off. … We’vebeen together eversince!”Al-

together,Keith andLewishave eachbeen apart of theother’s lifefor 15years.After dat-

ing for solong, theybegan to belovinglypressured byfriends andfamily to getengaged.“Garrett

and I had dis-cussed gettingengaged butwanted to do iton our time,when every-thing was justright,” saidKeith. “DuringThanksgiving of2014, my familygathered at myaunt’s house inJacksonville;Garrett and hisparents joinedus. “As we got ready to

bless the food, Garrettbegan a speech by thank-ing my family for allowinghim and his parents to bea part of the Keith FamilyThanksgiving and alsothanked them for makinghim feel ‘part of the fami-

ly all these years.’ Hesaid, ‘There are a fewthings I’ve learned overthese years, the mostimportant being that Ilove you, Hanna, and Idon’t know what I’d dowithout you.’ He

turned andlooked at his mom anddad and said, ‘Well, let’sdo this!’ and got down onone knee to ask me tomarry him!“Of course I said yes

and, in fact, later jokinglysaid, ‘It’s about time!’ Ihad no idea this was com-

ing; everyone knew butme!” Because Keith was still

in the middle of nursingschool, the couple optedfor a long engagement anddecided to get married

after she graduat-ed.

Finding hope in planning“A year and

half to plan awedding seemedlike ample time,”said Keith. “Weenjoyed the restof 2014 as anewly engagedcouple, andthen the plan-ning began.The fewmonths follow-ing, Garrettand I set adate for May21, 2016, andhad beenplanning thedetails whenin June wegot the dev-astatingnews that Ihad beendiagnosedwith breastcancer.”The cou-

ple talkedabout post-poning thewedding

for fear thatthe planning wouldbecome too stressful, butthey decided to go aheadwith the date they had setin order to give them bothsomething to look forwardto.“From day one we made

sure that all my physi-cians were aware that we

had a date set to get mar-ried and I needed to getstarted with treatmentsas quickly as possible inorder to be strong andhealthy by then!” saidKeith.She would use the wed-

ding and the planningprocess to distract herselffrom chemotherapy treat-ments and surgeries.“It wasn’t until my last

surgery took place Dec. 30that we were able to put2015 behind us and kickthings into high gear,”Keith said. “Five monthsis a very short amount oftime to put together awedding. … Now withonly three months left,there are still a fewdetails to iron out, but theprocess has been excit-ing–stressful for my mom,but a lot of fun!“I attended a few bridal

expos to get some ideasand even went dress shop-ping just to get a feel ofwhat I wanted. I am avery indecisive person, soI just knew it would takeme forever to find the per-fect dress, but to every-one’s surprise I found thedress on my first visit toThat Dress in Rincon. Inever expected to be thatgirl who cried at the sightof a dress, but when myfamily started crying,then came the water-works!”Both the bride and the

groom-to-be look forwardto their special day andthe hope it brings.“Being high school

sweethearts and comingfrom several generationsof families that grew uphere in Wayne County, we

FONDA DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY / Special

Hanna Keith and Garrett Lewis are closing

in on their wed-

ding date after an extended engagement

with a few chal-

lenges. They both look forward to their spe

cial day on May

21.

Keith, Lewis plan wedding through difficult times

� See PLANS, Page 6

Being asked to join a bridal party is bothan honor and a responsibility. When askedto take on such significant and meaningfulroles, men and women may recognize thehonor but be unsure of what theirresponsibilities are as couples move forwardwith their wedding plans.Bridal-party roles can vary depending on

certain circumstances, but many couplesstill want their bridesmaids and groomsmento perform many of the more traditionaltasks associated with their roles. Thefollowing are some of the tasks bridesmaidsand groomsmen can expect to perform in themonths leading up to the wedding andduring the wedding itself.• Maid of honor: The maid of honor

serves as the bride-to-be’s right-handwoman as she plans her wedding and getsready on her big day. Maids of honortypically go gown-shopping with the brideand may even choose or offer suggestionsabout the color and style of the bridesmaids’dresses. Once a dress style and color hasbeen chosen, the maid of honor will makesure everyone is fitted on time.A maid of honor will also plan the bridal

shower, sending invitations and arrangingfor lodging for out-of-town guests ifnecessary. Many brides want the details oftheir bridal showers to be a surprise, andmaids of honor should honor thosesentiments when possible. A maid of honoralso plans the bachelorette party, thoughmany brides do not mind being involved inthe planning of such parties. The maid of honor may be asked to help

address save-the-date cards and envelopesas well.Come the day of the wedding, the maid of

honor will ensure the bride’s day is as stress-free as possible, helping to address any last-minute issues that may arise. Maids ofhonor may be asked to serve as the legalwitness to the wedding and sign thewedding license before the reception. At thereception, the maid of honor will toast thebride.• Best man: The best man is the maid of

honor’s counterpart, helping to plan the

bachelor party and toasting the groom atthe reception. The best man also tends tohold the rings during the weddingceremony, and during the day of thewedding, he will coordinate the groomsmento make sure everyone is ready to go ontime. The best man may arrangetransportation for the groom andgroomsmen on the day of the wedding andmay also return the groom andgroomsmen’s attire the following day if thenewlyweds are departing on theirhoneymoons.• Bridesmaids/groomsmen: The

bridesmaids and groomsmen serve similarfunctions, acting as sources of support ascouples plan their weddings. Bridesmaidsand groomsmen help to plan thebachelorette and bachelor parties and mayalso be asked their opinions as couples makedecisions regarding their weddings.Bridesmaids and groomsmen must beprepared to take pictures once couples haveofficially tied the knot. They also must helpthe bride and groom with any issues thatmay arise in the hours before couplesbecome husband and wife.• Flower girl/Ring bearer: Flower girls

and ring bearers are often young relatives ofthe couple; a flower girl or a ring bearer maybe a young brother or sister or a niece ornephew. The responsibilities of the flowergirl and ring bearer are typically limited tothe ceremony, during which they will walkdown the aisle, either together orindividually, before the father of the brideescorts his daughter to the altar or stage.• Father of the bride: The father of the

bride walks his daughter down the aisleduring the ceremony and, along with hiswife, may pay for the wedding, though manycouples now finance their own nuptials. Thefather of the bride will dance with hisdaughter during the reception, and somefathers may even share a special toast forthe newlyweds during the reception, thoughsuch a toast is not traditionally required.Bridal parties play a big role on couples’

wedding days, and those roles are both anhonor and a responsibility.

The Press-Sentinel -- Saturday, February 27, 2016 •

Responsibilities of bridal-party members

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Many couples tie the knot outdoors,as nature can provide an idyllicbackdrop on such a special day. In manyways, planning outdoor weddings issimilar to planning weddings that takeplace with a roof overhead and four wallssurrounding couples and their guests.But there are some distinct features ofboth indoor and outdoor weddings, andcouples planning the latter would bewise to consider the following factorsbefore they commit to a location for theirceremony.

LawsLaws dictate what can and cannot be

done in open spaces, and couples withoutdoor locations in mind should confirmlocal laws and regulations before theycommit to a location for their wedding.Research which permits you might needand whether there are any rules orrestrictions at each location you areconsidering. The cost of such permitsmay be negligible, but the rules mayrestrict what you can do in a given spaceand how long you can do it. Discuss theserules with each other to determine

whether the rules are something both ofyou can live with.

LocationProximity to your reception venue

and the hotel where guests are staying isanother factor to consider if you areplanning on hosting an outdoor wedding.A remote location might providestunning views and privacy, but guestsmight tire if the ceremony location is farfrom the hotel and/or reception venue.This should not be too big an issue if theceremony and reception are held at thesame locale, but couples should still lookfor nearby lodging before booking remoteoutdoor locations.

WeatherWeather is perhaps the biggest factor

couples must consider when planning anoutdoor wedding. Outdoor weddings arebest held during those seasons when thethreat of precipitation is insignificantand temperatures are mild, but it’s stillnecessary to have a backup plan just incase Mother Nature does not want tocooperate. If possible, find an outdoor

location that provides access to an indoorceremony facility in case of inclementweather. If that’s not possible monitorthe forecast as closely as possible andarrange for a tent to be erected shouldrain start to fall. (Note: The cost of suchtents can be considerable, so build thiscontingency into your budget.) If theforecast is calling for chilliertemperatures than you had hoped for, e-mail out-of-town guests a few days inadvance to remind them to dress warm.

LogisticsNo matter how beautiful a backdrop

may be, photos of an outdoor ceremonycan be compromised. Couples, alongwith their photographers, should visitthe site in the weeks before theirweddings to determine arrangements forthe ceremony that will guarantee photosare not compromised by sunlight orshade. Facility managers can probablyoffer advice as to the best places to holdthe ceremony and seat guests, but a run-through at the location with yourphotographer in tow can help ensureyour photos come out perfect.

Steeped in tradition, weddingshave featured many of the samecomponents for centuries. Thoseabout to tie the knot may feel some-what limited in their ability toshape their weddings into uniquecelebrations of their relationshipsand love for one another. Althoughit may not seem as though there aremany opportunities to put your ownstamp on the wedding, there areplenty of ways to do just that.When looking to personalize your

wedding ceremony, determinewhether there might be anythingblocking you from doing so. Forexample, if yours will be a religiousceremony, there may be certainrites that need to be followed.Secular ceremonies may offer moreopportunities to customize. • Vows: Vows are one of the easi-

est ways to put a personal touch onyour wedding. You can select thewords you want to exchange duringthe ceremony as well as any read-ings during the service. Work withyour officiant to narrow down par-ticular phrasing or sentiments thatfit with your vision of the weddingand relationship.• Participants: Wedding party

members fulfill certain roles duringthe ceremony, but they are not lim-ited to those tasks alone. Consider

asking wedding party members orother friends or family members totake on specialized roles in the wed-ding. They may be able to do certainreadings, escort guests to theirseats, light candles, or sing andparticipate in other ways.• Musical interludes: Choose

music that connects with your per-sonalities as a couple rather thanselecting standard songs merelybecause they are the easier route.Work with the organist or othermusicians, and request that theyperform or play musical pieces thatyou enjoy. • Candle lighting: Many couples

like to incorporate candle-lightingcomponents into their ceremonies.Lighting unity candles blends twofamilies together into one in a sym-bolic way. Other couples choose dif-ferent traditions, such as mixingtwo different-colored sands in anew vessel, to represent the joiningof two lives together. You can con-sider these types of additions foryour wedding ceremony or come upwith your own unique tradition.Impart a special touch to a wed-

ding ceremony in any number ofways. Doing so will help set thisspecial day apart in the minds ofguests and make it even more mem-orable to look back on as a couple.


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PLANSContinued from page 2

want our weddingceremony and recep-tion to reflect who weare and where wecome from,” saidKeith.The ceremony will

be held at Jesup FirstBaptist Church,where Keith grew up,and her childhoodpastor, Felix Haynes,will officiate. Thereception will be heldon Lewis’ family’sfarm, where the cou-ple plan to one daybuild a home andraise their family.“Bits and pieces of

our family historywill be woven into allof the details of ourwedding; my dress is

being altered by myaunt and will includeparts of my [moth-er’s] and late grand-mother Mema Kay’swedding dressesincorporated into it,”she said.The couple hope

that the wedding willbe even more specialfor all they’veendured.“We couldn’t have

made it throughthese 15 years togeth-er, especially this lastyear, without the loveand support of ourfamily and friends,and we wouldn’t beable to celebratewithout them by ourside on our special

day,” explained Keith.“My sister, Sidney,will be my maid ofhonor; Garrett’s dad,Herman, will be hisbest man, and ourbridal party willinclude some of ourclosest high schooland college friends.Our wedding will bea celebration of lifeand love, so we wel-come family and closefriends to come cele-brate with us.“We’re looking for-

ward to our specialday and know thatthe best is yet tocome!”

Hanna Keith and Garrett Lewis have fought the challenges associated withbreast cancer, including shaving her head, and are excited to find hope in plan-ning their wedding.

Home is where our

story begins...

Home is where our

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