Gennie & Cody have such a sweet love story that it’s worth retelling. They met serendipitously at a friend’s backyard barbeque. They before they knew it, Gennie’s ride had left the barbeque which left her with only one thing to do, ask Cody for a ride home. In exchange for $40 in gas, since it was quite a distance, Cody took Gennie home. The very next day, he invited her to lunch and used the $40 to buy her lunch. Cody, you are a smart man! There’s a lesson here which is, don’t wait to follow up on your feelings. What started as a small favor turned into a five year relationship and Cody popping the question to Gennie right on Virginia Beach before Thanksgiving. Gennie is originally from California and the two of them had spent a lot of time on the beach, so proposing there was the perfect spot.
Gennie’s vision for her wedding was intimate and very personal. Her details included lace and burlap, with a distinct country flair. Going along with this, she asked her bridesmaids to pick out dresses that they wanted so as not to match and they all wore cowboy boots. The groom’s favorite color is orange, so they incorporated orange into the floral details as well as the ties the groom and groomsman wore. Gennie also wanted a unique wedding dress and instead of picking a dress off the rack, she opted to have a dress custom made for her. It truly was a one of a kind gown.
Another reason why this wedding was so special was because both Gennie and Cody lost two very important loved ones very unexpectedly. Gennie’s brother, Robert, who would have been the best man, was tragically murdered while fighting off an assailant in California. While the loss of her brother was devastating, Robert Sickles’ presence was felt everywhere. The love Gennie and her younger brother have for Robert was evident and felt by everyone. Additionally, the groom’s father had also passed away unexpectedly due to a heart attack he suffered during a hike. He was also a very active man and so his loss was also felt. To recognize and commemorate their lives, Gennie had charms placed on her bouquet with their photos. She also had a seat reserved marked with their pictures for the ceremony.
Lastly, this wedding almost never happened! Cody is part of the Army’s Special Forces. He was on 24 hour re-call. He had to be ready within 24 hours to be sent out on a deployment. He was deployed for a week a month leading up to the wedding. They almost had to skype him into the wedding… almost!
A special thanks goes to Holly Chapple for the lovely flowers provided throughout the wedding day.
The buttons on the garter were taken from her brother’s dress blues. So sweet!
Gennie and Cody opted for a first look. The beauty of a first look is that you get your first moments together alone. You also end up with a lot more wedding images.
These two were always laughing and having a great time. Loved it!
Cody had a special something in his back pocket for Gennie.
It’s safe to say that she loved it 
Gennie and her younger brother’s hands together remembering Robert.
Robert’s image at the reception table.
And then I looked outside and the sky was doing this….
So we did this….
Had to snap some of the grandparents dancing. Sure hope I look and move like this when I’m older!
Leave a Reply