A True Blessing

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Kara Turner came bounding down the stairs and was startled to see who was staring back at her from the kitchen. She was on spring break visiting her friend LeAnn’s family, and the plaid-shirt-clad mountain man looking back at her was the brother they all said she “had” to meet.

Mark Uhinck had returned home from Alaska a little early where he was training sled dogs. “I could see through the scruffy hair that he was very good looking,” Kara recalls, “and after spending time watching how he interacted with his family, I knew he was the guy for me.”

A few years later, the couple was on their way to meet Kara’s family in the Outer Banks. Running late, Kara was hurriedly trying to print directions and get out the door when she felt Mark behind her holding her left hand. Spinning around to find him on his knee, she burst out an elated “Thank you!” in response to his proposal, a reply that still makes them laugh today.

There was no question in Kara’s mind where she would celebrate their marriage. Her grandparents’ farm in Salisbury had long been a family gathering place for summers, reunions and holidays, and Kara wanted nothing more than to share this special place with Mark. With the help of her stepmother, Kara began planning an outdoor reception that would be a warm introduction of Southern hospitality to Mark’s Northern family.

In early April, family and friends gathered in the church Kara grew up in to celebrate their wedding day. The church was beautifully decorated with wreaths and flowers for Easter weekend, so Kara only added a few of her own flowers in a variety of pink and green. A slideshow of the couple played in the sanctuary as guests arrived and were seated. The couple’s shared faith in God made the Easter weekend and their wedding day all the more special. Both had prayed faithfully for their spouse, and standing at the altar facing each another, they knew God had answered their prayers.

Kara wore an ivory, sweetheart gown from J Major’s, her favorite detail being the bow she added and helped design. The couple’s favorite moment, captured by Photoplay Photography, was the lighting of the unity candle as the song “Unfailing Love” by Jimmy Needham played.

The reception that followed at the farm was held under a large white tent with the help of Classic Party Rentals. Decorated with pink and green centerpieces and lanterns hanging from the rafters, the décor met with Kara’s hopes to create a “classy meets down-home fun” feel. Guests enjoyed traditional Southern fare including barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies and sweet tea – no doubt a new favorite of Mark’s family. But it was the buttercream and vanilla haystack wedding cake that was the culinary hit of the night.

“It was so fun to see people dancing all night under the tent as the kids had fun rolling down the hills” Kara says. “The best part of the evening was looking over and seeing my grandfather smile. He helped raise me, and after his stroke it has been more difficult for him to get around. The fact that he stayed the entire night was such a blessing to me.”

Featured vendors

Attire
J Major's Bridal Boutique
704-372-0082
www.jmajors.com

Photography
Photoplay Photography
704-779-6756
www.photoplaync.com

Registry
Belk
866-235-5443
www.belk.com

Rentals
Classic Party Rentals
704-523-9300
www.classicpartyrentals.com