Slideshow

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Share

Jonathan Smith, a pilot, first laid eyes on Savannah Moore, a new flight attendant, when she arrived late for take off. A Charlotte native, John was flying 50 passenger regional jets out of Minneapolis. The jets only occupied one flight attendant, and John admittedly “avoided flight attendants like the plague.”

Savannah, looking for a change in scenery, had recently moved to Minneapolis from Seattle after graduating college. Through the help of her aunt and uncle she landed a job as a flight attendant, and she thought “lots of pilots were creeps.”

“It was only my second flight and they called me at the last minute for the flight where I met Jon,” says Savannah. Both wary of the stereotypical flight attendant/pilot dynamic, Jon and Savannah couldn’t prevent the instant attraction to one another. “I remember looking back at her coming aboard and thinking, ‘Wow,’” says Jon. “I felt the same way,” says Savannah. “We meshed right away.” After a four-day trip filled with non-stop conversation and flirting, it came time for the two to part ways. “I wanted him to ask me out so bad,” remembers Savannah. “But he didn’t. So I figured that was that.”

Four months later the two bumped into each other at the Detroit airport. Jon casually invited Savannah to a St. Paul Saints baseball game that evening. “We didn’t make the game though,” exclaims Savannah. “We got lost and were two hours late, so we ended up hanging out in the parking lot throwing a football around.”

“And we’ve been together ever since,” adds Jon.

After a remarkable year together Jon knew the charming blonde he met on his flight was the girl for him. Of course, no ordinary ring or proposal would do. Jon worked fastidiously with a jeweler to design the perfect band to hold his great-grandmother’s diamond, which his parents put aside for his bride-to-be.

As for the location, Jon discovered an old train station called The Depot in downtown Minneapolis that was now an ice skating rink. Equipped with original wood to maintain a vintage appeal, The Depot had all the romantic frills: dim lights, music, everything to create a storybook proposal. To throw Savannah off, he booked The Depot on February 16, and revealed his surprise on the way. “I thought it’s already 40 degrees out, and I don’t even really like ice skating,” exclaims Savannah.

While skating, Savannah noticed Dan, Jon’s friend, on the edge of the rink taking pictures. “Why I did not put two and two together, I still have no idea,” admits Savannah. “Jon told me some story about him taking pictures of his niece’s birthday party, but Dan couldn’t even point her out.”

The couple took a break from the ice for some hot chocolate when “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson, one of their favorite songs, sounded. On cue, Jon led Savannah to the center of the rink, the lights dimmed, and in front of the entire crowd he got down on one knee and asked Savannah to marry him.

A few months after the engagement, and with Jon now working for Spirit Airlines, the writer/musician/airline pilot and his future wife moved to Jon’s hometown of Charlotte. Savannah got a job as an administrative assistant for The Urban Resource Group, a civil engineering firm, and the wedding plans commenced.

“When we saw the name, The Dairy Barn, it was not the first place we would have considered,” admits Jon. “However, from the moment we turned into the entrance, we knew it was something special.”

“I’m from Seattle, so all I heard from back home was, ‘So you moved to the South and you’re getting married in a barn,’ ” laughs Savannah. “It was especially funny when I told them the main reception hall is a milking parlor.”

The Dairy Barn also turned them on to Fort Mill Photography. “Shirley and Dave made us feel right at home, allowing us to have fun and be ourselves,” says Jon. Savannah, with the help of her mom, an interior designer, created the wedding invitations and the remaining details seemed to fall into place. Savannah’s Tea Room in downtown Fort Mill was a perfect location for her bridal luncheon.

When March 28 arrived, so did big weather. The rain set in on Charlotte at the beginning of the week and did not stop. The couple made the best of it and admits it made the day more memorable. “I joked with my family that they brought the rain with them from Seattle,” says Savannah.

Before the ceremony Jon and Savannah met for a “first look.” “We didn’t want our guests to wait hours after the wedding for us to take photos,” says Savannah. “We went back and forth on seeing each other beforehand, but in the end we were able to share an intimate moment with just the two of us, and I think it made us both less nervous during the ceremony. Plus we never would have gotten such amazing pictures.” The couple found an old wood cabin with an overhanging porch to shelter them from the rain while Shirley captured the moment with her camera.

The glass windows of the barn framed the stormy weather outside and provided a cozy and intimate backdrop for the ceremony. Savannah wore a strapless Maggie Sottero gown with sweetheart neckline and vintage lace appliqué. To complete the ensemble, Party Blooms created her bouquet from green orchids, hot pink mini calla lilies, fuchsia stock, and green and white roses. White and pink orchids were fashioned for her hair, which along with her makeup, was styled by Heather Bryson of The Look. Her father escorted her down the aisle to acoustic guitarist KC Clark, a local musician and friend. As a twist on the traditional candle lighting, Jon and Savannah instead did a sand pouring ritual to symbolize the joining of their families.

For her wedding gift, Jon wrote Savannah a poem printed on black, white and pink paper, the colors worn by the wedding party, and placed a copy on every table at the reception. Mr. and Mrs. Smith entered the reception to the song “Danger Zone” from the movie “Top Gun” as a tribute to how they met. Instead of a guest book, the couple positioned a 150-pound plane propeller on a table for people to sign. “We have it in a shadow box in our living room now,” exclaimed Savannah.

To design the centerpieces, Savannah worked directly with the Party Blooms florist. “I wanted the arrangements to be simple, but classy, and I absolutely love orchids,” says Savannah. Hot pink roses and pink, white and green orchids were placed on the cocktail and dining tables. Guests nibbled on mashed potatoes with toppings of their choice served in martini glasses from one of the food stations, along with mini chicken cordon bleu hors d’oeuvres and a cake by Ella Art. “We didn’t want a stuffy, traditional reception,” says Savannah, who relied on Creative Solutions for her rental decor. “Everyone had such a good time. At one point our 6-year-old flower girl was leading a conga line with a rose in her teeth!”

“The part I remember most was after the ceremony it quit raining and the sky turned bright orange before a beautiful sunset,” says Savannah. “It was like it was for us. We ran out to take more pictures and the whole bottom of my dress was brown from mud, but I figured, whatever, you only get married once.”