Maclay Gardens

Andrew and I were more than pleased to find that Maclay Gardens was available for our wedding day.  On September 29, 2012, our small wedding will take place at 4 pm within the Walled Garden.

(While most guests will stand, we will have chairs set up for those who need them.  

We expect the ceremony to last no more than 10 minutes.)

For our guests who arrive a little early, you will be welcome to relax on the beautiful porch of the Gardener's Cottage.  Andrew will lead our guests over to the garden together.  A golf cart can be arranged for anyone who needs assistance getting to the garden, which is a short (less than 2 minutes) walk from the cottage.

(The Gardner's Cottage)

After the ceremony, our guests will join us in celebrating our marriage at a reception in the garden next to the Gardner's Cottage.  You can also choose to take advantage of the gardens before dinner begins!

 (The gate leading into the Walled Garden)

(The Reflection Pool)

Proposal Details

First of all, I should say that I am pretty sure that Andrew's number one criteria was that I was surprised.  And I was.

He'd mentioned taking a walk through Maclay Gardens earlier in the week.  This wasn't unusual, as we often took the dogs to one park or another, but neither of us had been to the gardens in the spring when the flowers were (allegedly) blooming.  On Saturday afternoon, I brought it up again, more for boredom than anything else.  Unfortunately, the dogs were not allowed, so they stayed home, but we both still wanted to see the gardens.

We start walking and run into not one but two brides.  The gardens weren't really blooming, but are beautiful.  We find ourselves at the Maclay House in front of Lake Hall.  He mentions walking down to the water and we do.  We spot a small log bench off to the side under the oaks covered in Spanish moss.  We talked for a moment and I turned to look at him holding up a diamond solitaire.  

"Are you serious?"

He nodded.

"Really?" I asked as I began to  squeal.  He nodded again.

After a moment more of squealing, he says, "You haven't answered."

"You haven't asked."

"Will you marry me?"

Squeal.  

"You still haven't answered me."

"Yes.  Now do it again on your knee."

He obliged.