July 5, 2019

Mackinaw Valley Vineyard | Love On The Vines

Weddings

They say April Showers Bring May Flowers, but I’m gonna change that phrase around a bit and say April Showers bring the most radiant wedding day.

I met Georges and Ally over a year ago, after Ally messaged me asking if I had her wedding date open.

I was so anxious to meet these two, after hearing about their story and the wedding they were anticipating with eagerness, lots of planning, and excitement.

Ally and Georges met through church. They became fast friends, and Georges was pretty new to the United States, having been from Africa before.

After surviving a first date that no one can ever forget (read about it here), they just knew they were meant to be.
Their wedding was at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard, and everything about their venue was just beautiful.

We had a light shower of rain, however it held up until the very tale end of our photo shoot, so I know that God was working in many ways to make their day as seamless as possible.

We started their day off with bloody mary’s at Holiday Inn & Suites in East Peoria, IL, followed by the rest of the day held at the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard.

The ceremony brought tears to our eyes, the reception had us all dancing on the dance floor with their African style dancing. And their dessert? Honestly?
By far the best wedding dessert I have ever experienced (and trust me, I’ve tasted a lot).
Georges used to sell waffles on the street to make extra money back when he lived in South Africa. This helped him so he could move to the states.

It ended up paying off and moved him here to America. So he made every one of the waffles with his recipe, served at the wedding reception in honor of that.

And they called it “The Ngona Waffle Bar.”

Ally + Georges had me walking out of their reception with such warmth.

Warmth in my heart for them and the beautiful culture that was radiant throughout their entire day.

A culture of love, family, faith, and happiness through and through.
And it was a day I truly will never forget.

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