Lillian Bride, Carolyn Childress tied the knot with her hubby, in a stunning Lillian West wedding gown: Style 66061! This Lillian West classic was purchased at Carolina Bridal World Triad, a Carolina premier bridal boutique, and we couldn’t be happier for the newlyweds! Scroll for more photos and to read Carolyn and Jon's love story!
From the Bride
A little over a year ago, I was asking Karla about one of the dads, who sat in the cafeteria with his kids every morning. She had been teaching at Southwest longer than me, so even though I knew he didn’t have a wedding band on his left hand, I knew nothing else, and thought she might have a little more information about him. She knew that he was separated, and who all of his kids were, but didn’t have any information beyond that, so I decided not to pursue getting to know him and to just admire him from afar.
As an educator, it’s human nature to smile and say “Good Morning” or “Have a good day” to parents in the hallway. However; a few weeks later I found myself telling Amber, that I felt all flustered when I would pass by him in the hallway, but still didn’t know anything about him. I thought something might be there, but I also thought I was probably just crazy.
It took 5 years of Jonathan & I walking the same halls every week, if we had met 5 years earlier, I don’t think we’d be here. When Jonathan looked me up on social media, I was just months away from completing graduate school, and he was just weeks away from his divorce being finalized. I’ve never been any more sure of “God’s Timing”, than when I am reflecting on the beginning of Jon & I.
When Jonathan first requested to “follow” me, I almost ignored it, because I don’t accept strangers on social media. At that point, I still didn’t know his name, I had to look closely at his profile photo to figure out who he was. When we finally broke the ice, we spent all weekend communicating and getting to know one another. I knew something was going to be different about him.
The following Monday at school, I was standing in the hall speaking to Anita Burnette. Jonathan passed by, we didn’t speak, we just smiled at one another as he walked his daughter in the cafeteria. Anita asked if he was my husband. I told her no, we were just getting to know one another, and she stated that she assumed he was my husband because we seemed to have a strong connection with one another.
One year ago, I would have never guessed that 6 weeks from now, Jonathan would become my husband. I never would’ve guessed that we would be a family of 6, or that we would have created a co-family so well, with our own children’s parents or that even his ex-wife would come to think of Sarah as her own family. Some days it still feels so weird to not have just “me & Sarah”, but now I couldn’t imagine mine and Sarah’s life without Jon, Ava, Cai & Stella.
It’s only been a year and a half since Jon’s “request to follow” on Instagram, but they say “when you know, you know” & with Jon, “I knew!”
On our wedding day, we blended two families with a beautiful ceremony at the peak of the mountain above High Rock Lake, in Denton, NC.
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
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Bride: Carolyn Childress | Groom: Jonathan Childress | Photography: Elsa Sainz Photography | Boutique: Carolina Bridal World Triad | Venue: The Springs Club House at High Rock Lake | Hair & Makeup: Amanda Stone
