James & Valentina
James & Valentina
You're invited
Save the date!
- Date: May 6, 2022
- Time: Ceremony 4pm - 5pm, Reception from 5pm - 11:30pm
- Location: Juliette Chapelle in scenic Dahlonega, GA
- Address: 497 GA-52 West, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Where to stay?
We don’t have a hotel block – everyone is free to choose their preferred place. Dahlonega is a beautiful mountain town with plenty to do – if you have the time, it is worth staying the weekend.
Hotels
- Smith House - a Dahlonega classic landmark within walking distance of the historic downtown “square”, locally owned.
- The Hall House - a small hotel right on the historic downtown “square” with rave reviews.
- Holiday Inn and Express Dahlonega - a brand new chain hotel located right on the historic downtown “square”.
AirBnb
- If you are looking for some more space and to enjoy the outdoors, check out airbnb for beautiful outdoor cabins in Dahlonega (stay close to Juliette chapel or the square if you don’t want to have to drive too far!)
How we met / como nos conocimos
It all started with an invitation to a birthday party in August 2019.
Andres, a close friend, called James and said, “Hey brother, i’m headed to a pool for a birthday party. You want to tag along?” James decided to take a break from work for long enough to go.
As it turns out, that birthday party was for Ricardo Fernandez, the bride’s brother. When James arrived at the pool, Ricardo was already in for a swim. “Hey man, great to meet you!” Before James knew it, he had already met the entire Fernandez family – first the bride’s father, Ali with a cerveza in hand. Then, her mother, with her characteristic laugh. And finally, Valentina Fernandez came out from the apartment and joined us at the pool.
In the next few hours, we had an amazing time at the party and went back to the apartment to hang out. As Valentina caught James’s eye, he knew he couldn’t let the opportunity go to waste.
And he asked for her number in front of the entire family! She gave him her number and he sent her a text a few hours later.
And the rest is history!
The Proposal / Como nos comprometimos
After a casual lunch at the restaurant where we had our first date, James took Valentina for a walk at historic Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta for her birthday.
Valentina was shocked when James got down on one knee and proposed as a small group of park goers cheered.
From there, it was off to Peachtree Dekalb airport where James and Valentina took a helicopter tour of the city. And when we landed – our friends and family were waiting at the airport for a surprise party! We told stories, sang karaoke, and ate some delicious Cuban food until late into the night.
