All it took was one date and we knew that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. A lot of people think that love at first sight is a cliche that only exists in the movies, but for Zeke it was a very real thing. Zeke says that when Jessica walked into BJ's for their first date it was like she had gone "super saiyan" (Dragon Ball Z reference) - aka there was an illuminating glow around her - and in that moment, he knew that she was "the one." Jessica on the other hand did not have that immediate love at first sight experience, but she did have a love at first kiss experience. The whole date was perfect from start to finish and culminated in a kiss that belonged on a movie screen with fireworks going off in the background. Had Jessica been standing up, rather than sitting in the driver's seat of her car, her leg would have kicked up behind her like in the Princess Diaries. However, that perfect first date never would have happened had Zeke not been both persistent and patient. Zeke and Jessica's first interactions were on an online dating site (much to their dismay - though they know they probably never would have met if not for living in the digital age of dating). Both Jessica and Zeke were looking for the same thing - someone they could see a future with - but when they matched, Jessica was feeling rather blase about dating, so after a few messages she stopped responding (and did not communicate with anyone else either) - but Zeke did not give up. A full month and a half after Jessica's last response, Zeke reached out again and asked, "Are you always this talkative?" Four days later Jessica finally responded and they have not stopped talking since.

When Jessica and Zeke started looking for the perfect wedding venue, Jessica's head was filled with visions of old live oaks draped in Spanish moss, so when Jessica stumbled across Cotton Hall during one of her many google searches, she knew they had to schedule a tour. Jessica was in awe before they even reached the entrance and drove back the live oak lined driveway - they had found Jessica's dream venue. Cotton Hall not only has the live oaks draped in Spanish moss that Jessica dreamed of, but it also has a rich history. Cotton Hall was originally part of the Tomotley Barony that was granted by the King of England in 1773. The original antebellum house was burned down during the Civil War in 1865 by General Sherman's troops. However, luckily for Jessica and every other bride who gets married at Cotton Hall, the avenue of oaks that lead to the original house still stand in all their glory making for the most magical ceremony location. In 1930, Harry Payne Bingham purchased the property and built the 26-room Georgian-style house that still stands today. Over the years, the primary crop grown at Cotton Hall was rice - which is still grown on the grounds today. https://www.cottonhallevents.com/