Karsen & Joshua T H E B A R N AT COTTONWOOD RANCH By Mandy Haynes Photography by Bespoke Southern Photography
Karsen and Joshua believe in love at first sight. Although they knew of each other for years through mutual friends, it only took two months of dating for Josh to know that Karsen was the one. Josh asked Karsen’s grandmother, Joan Pierce, for her blessing and bought Karsen a ring. “Josh called his mother to tell her he was going to propose,” Karsen laughes. “She was excited and asked him to wait so she could plan something special, but as soon as I walked in the door, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was perfect.” Joshua wanted the wedding to take place in December, just three months after he proposed, but Karsen talked him into waiting until May. She wanted enough time to make sure everything was just right. “My great-grandmother, Mary Hansen, my grandmother, Josh’s mom, and his grandmother helped me pick out my wedding dress,” says Karsen. Mary and Axel Hansen, Karsen’s greatgrandparents, were married for 70 years. “I’ve looked up to them my entire life.” But with May approaching, it was clear they would have to change their plans due to Covid restrictions. “As the date got closer and more things were closing, we realized May wouldn’t work,” said Karsen. Three weeks before the scheduled date, the couple decided to postpone the wedding until late January this year. Josh and his groomsmen went on a hunting trip to Apalachicola the weekend before the wedding, and Karsen and her bridesmaids stayed in town. Before the wedding ceremony, Karsen gave Josh a pair of cuff lengths with “I will love you forever” engraved in her writing. Josh gave Karsen a diamond necklace, which she wore with her wedding dress. The wedding and reception were held at The Barn at Cottonwood Ranch, which is owned by the grooms’ parents, Karen and Larry Brantley. The ceremony was officiated by their pastor, James Conner, from New Life Baptist Church. 20 AMELIA ISLAND WEDDINGS
