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Kelly Gendreau and Adam Zetzer’s first meeting marked the punch line for the couple’s very first inside joke. Where did they meet exactly? “Don’t know,” they’ll answer. Indeed, they’re not lying; the bar in Baltimore, Md. where Kelly and Adam first laid eyes on each other was named “Don’t Know.” Something they do know, however, is how they wanted to represent their love on their wedding day; through personal touches and a whole lot of fun mixed in.

The soon-to-be Zetzers had been dating three years when Adam offered Kelly the ring from Diamonds Direct that she’d fallen in love with. The diamond in Kelly’s ring was a family heirloom. Originally it belonged to Adam’s grandmother before being passed down to him. His grandmother passed away just a month after the couple became engaged.

“Family is very important to both Adam and I,” Kelly says. “So it means a lot that I get to wear this ring that is a constant reminder of his grandmother.”

That night, after the engagement, the newly engaged couple met friends and family for dinner and drinks for a fun-filled celebration, a spirit they carried over to their wedding.

“I think our friends will tell you that we are always having fun and don’t tend to take things too seriously,” Kelly says. “We are both very outgoing and energetic people, so the energy just multiplies when we are together. There’s never a dull moment in our household.”

When it came time to plan, Kelly and Adam wanted to blend their individual qualities. Adam is Jewish while Kelly is Catholic. Adam grew up in Baltimore, Md., Kelly in Connecticut.

From substituting coffee-table books representing their hometowns for the guest book to an interfaith ceremony with Kelly’s family Bible, the Zetzers managed to merge all of their differences into one harmonious celebration. They wrote the entire ceremony themselves.

“The wedding had a really personal feel to us as a couple because it reflected both of our religions and our families,” Kelly says. “The entire day was perfect and really reflected who we are.”

To capture the wedding they’d worked so hard to create, they knew their photographer had to be the best. After looking at local photographers, Kelly says it was Chuck Eaton Photographers that caught her eye.

“His fun, relaxed style of picture-taking made us feel very comfortable, and we barely even noticed he was there,” Kelly says. “It allowed us to enjoy our day that much more because we knew he was getting the shots he needed without interrupting and taking us away from enjoying our special day.”

After all the planning was over and the big day had come, Kelly says it was having her father walk her down the aisle in a gown she’d chosen from J. Major’s – and seeing Adam waiting for her under the chuppah – that literally took her breath away.

“I've dreamt of that moment ever since I was a little girl, and nothing can really prepare you for the feeling you have in the moment,” Kelly says. “It was perfection!”

Featured Vendors

Engagement and wedding rings
Diamonds Direct
704-532-9041
www.diamondsdirectsouthpark.com

Photography
Chuck Eaton Photography
704-844-2993
www.chuckeaton.net

Wedding gown
J. Major’s Bridal Boutique
704-372-0082
www.jmajors.com

Continue reading real wedding stories! Up next: ’Worth the wait’