Third Anniversary Hiking Trip

Since our fourth anniversary is quickly approaching, I suppose it's about time to post about our third anniversary, eh?  I am such a bad blogger...haha.

Our summer was really busy with our trip to Europe, a family reunion, and various other events both in Nashville and out of town.  Because of all of that, we ended up taking our anniversary trip a couple months late.  It actually worked out nicely because by that time the weather had cooled down a bit and the fall leaves were in their full glory.  Plus, I got to stretch out the anniversary celebrations.  ;)

This time, we went hiking in and around Cookeville, Tennessee, which is just a couple hours outside of Nashville.  We used this book that I got Matt for Christmas a couple years ago to select a few different hikes:

Our first hike was a long, moderate one along the Cumberland Trail.  The terrain was varied, passing over Black Mountain, down to some caverns, and back up through the woods.

Afterwards, we had enough time before dark to take the short and steep hike down to Ozone Falls.  The water wasn't running much, but it was still worth the stop.

The next day, we decided to go to Cumberland Mountain State Park.  We took a long, flat hike around the lake and then extended the hike a few more miles along a nature trail.

On our way back to Nashville, we stopped at Burgess Falls.  This hike was fairly short, but difficult.  There were two falls along the way and then the big waterfall at the end.  It was a great way to finish off thr trip!

Marseille

In between wedding events, we did manage to take a quick day trip to nearby Marseille.  It was an easy bus ride from Aix-en-Provence and we were able to see quite a lot in our short time there.  The city itself was a little dirty, but the highlights were worth the trip.  

We walked from the bus terminal to the harbor where we caught a tourist trolley to the Notre Dame cathedral (not THE Notre Dame, obviously) at the top of the hill.  The interior of the church was ornate and colorful and the view from the top of the hill was amazing.

After visiting the cathedral, we had lunch near the harbor and walked our way along the water through much of the city, stopping here and there to see more sights.

By the time we got back we were exhausted, but we were really glad that we took the time to see a bit more of France.  

The Wedding

The wedding events began shortly after we arrived in France.  When we got off the train, we had just enough time to shower and throw on some clothes before we headed to the 'Bienvenue' reception.  This party was held in the gorgeous gardens of a hotel.  We were greeted by our friends and handed local rose wine and delicious appetizers.  This evening certainly set the stage for the events to come.  

The next day (after we all recovered from too much wine the night before), we indulged in yet another decadent evening.  The rehearsal dinner was held at one of the oldest restaurants in town, Les Deux Garcons.  The food was incredible and the tables were set with gorgeous crystal centerpieces.  By this point, the various friends and family were  starting to get to know each other, which made the rest of the wedding festivities so much fun.

After the meal and a bit of dancing, all of the young people headed to a nearby outdoor bar for an after dinner drink.  

The next day was wedding day!  David was kind enough to invite me as an "honorary groomsman" to the pre-wedding preparations at the cottage and grounds where the wedding was held.  It was so fun to be a part of the pre-wedding antics and to get a sneak peek of the venue before the guests arrived.  

The tent was decorated with an unbelievable collection of roses:  

The beautiful bride and her ladies in waiting:

My handsome husband:

The wedding itself was simple and elegant.  The aisle was lined with candles in hurricane lanterns.  Unfortunately, someone's scarf got a bit too close to one of the lanterns, catching on fire in the middle of the exchanging of vows!  Before the flames could get too high, another guest took off his jacket and put the fire out.  The ceremony continued and by the end of the night, we were all laughing about it.

Immediately following the ceremony, the guests toasted the bride and groom in the beautiful stone courtyard before heading to a separate tent for the reception.

The reception tent was just as breathtaking as the ceremony tent.  The tables were filled with roses and beautiful china and stemware.  

We were served a five-course gourmet meal paired with complementary wines.  This was probably one of the best meals I have ever had.  Fortunately, the courses were spread throughout the evening so we were not too full to dance.

As the bride and groom cut the cake, sparklers went off around the perimeter of the tent!

Overall, the entire evening was beautiful.  The thing that impressed me the most is that while the wedding was extravagant, it was still comfortable.  Everyone had a wonderful time and it was a perfect reflection of the bride and groom.

The next morning, we were invited to brunch to bid the happy couple farewell on their honeymoon.  

We were so glad to be a part of David and Meredith's wedding extravaganza!