Rome Life - Bridal Issue 2024

COVER PHOTO

Our cover photo is from M Visuals (Mallory McManus) and the Bailey wedding on page 16. We thought the simplicity of this beautiful bride in her gorgeous wedding gown made the perfect photo for the cover of this issue.

Welcome to the first step of planning your perfect wedding!

Nestled at the foot of Lavender Mountain, the Berry campus offers a remarkable variety of beautifully unique spaces, naturally stunning backdrops, and picturesque buildings. More than 100 years of varying architecture graces our 27,000 acres, and provides endless options to create a totally unique wedding experience.

Visit berry.edu/event-services/weddings for a complete list of venues and pricing.

letter from the editor

As the warm winds of spring bring new life to Rome and Floyd County, there’s a feeling of hope in the air.

Beauty all around us tends to do that.

Spring is a time to enjoy the outdoors and to enjoy the company of others.

It’s also a time when many local couples plan their big day.

Our spring issue of Rome Life is always filled with stunning photos of local weddings and this one doesn’t disappoint.

We’ve selected nine weddings that capture the imagination and pull at the heart strings just a little because each in its own way reflects a love and commitment we all hope for. Each represents a unique relationship.

And these weddings may help inspire your own special day.

From grand church weddings to simple and sweet outdoor events, we’ve tried to offer a range of ideas. All our couples are local or have local ties and it’s remarkable to see the creativity and imagination that each has used to make their special day as unique as their relationship is.

As you look at the photos from these weddings keep in mind that each comes with its own challenges, its own dreams and its own budget. Could one of these be a wedding you’d like to have? They’re all wonderful in their own way.

But weddings aren’t the only focus of this issue.

We’ve got wonderful features to offer as well.

One feature takes us to the lush mountains of Honduras where local coffee roasters Swift & Finch sources their delicious and very popular coffee.

We’ll also look at the fun and unique business of dogs. Precious Paws offers a wide range of services for our furry friends and we’ll see how they can even prepare our dogs for a special event like a wedding.

People love to look at photos in magazines. Our Social Scene pages are filled with images of Rome residents schmoozing and socializing at a couple of the community’s biggest events.

As always, we hope that the stories and images you find in the pages of Rome Life magazine will entertain and inspire you. These are stories from our communities. These are your neighbors and your friends.

Please enjoy this issue of Rome Life and we hope you have a wonderful spring.

Severo Avila Rome Life Editor

From the aisle

Some were cozy, some glamorous.

Some were opulent and some were intimate.

The weddings featured in this issue of Rome Life magazine are each as unique as the couples they celebrate.

The beautiful images on these pages are just a glimpse of one day filled with laughter and love for nine area couples.

From bouquets and bridesmaids to bestmen and everything in between, we hope these weddings might inspire your special day.

Alex & William Marinos

Planner: Nicole Williams, The Season Events

Ceremony: Frost Chapel, Berry College

Reception: Broad & Fifth

Photographer: Cameron Flaisch Photography

Caterer: La Scala

Wedding cake: Honeymoon Bakery

Groom’s cake: Honeymoon Bakery

Flowers: Roots & Willow

Rentals: BBJ Linens, Unlimited Party & Event Rentals

Reception music: Big City Rhythm

Getaway car: Wade Williams

Camille & AbneyWright

May 20, 2023

Planner: Holly Lynch, The Season Events

Venue: Private home

Photographer: Andy Baxter Photography

Photo booth: Knockerball Rome

Videography: Wedding Ninja

Caterer: The Season Events

Wedding cake and groom’s cake: Doug’s Deli

Flowers: Roots & Willow

Rentals: BBJ Linens, Unlimited Party & Event Rentals

Ceremony music: Seven Hills Strings

Reception music: Emerald Empire Band

Haley & BishopBlake

October 14, 2023

Planner: Nicole Williams, The Season Events

Venue: The Mill at Lindale

Photographer: Cameron Flaisch Photography

Caterer: The Season Events

Bar: Across the Bar

Wedding cake and Groom’s cake: Duke’s Desserts

Flowers: Roots & Willow

Rentals: Unlimited Party & Event Rentals, BBJ Linens

Music: The TC Show

Hannah & Caleb Starcher

November 11, 2023

Planner: Nicole Williams, The Season Events

Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church

Reception: Broad & Fifth

Photographer: Amy Cole Photography

Videographer: HindLight Media

Caterer: The Season Events

Wedding cake: Cindy Smith

Flowers: Bussey’s Florist

Rentals: BBJ Linens

Ceremony music: Miriam Moon

Reception music: Seven Hills Strings, Rome DJ Service

Dress: Top Hat Formal Wear

Anna & BaileyDylan

October 15, 2023

Venue: In the Woods

Coordinator: Matthew Hendrix

DJ: The TC Show (DJ Calen)

Flowers: A Perfect Wedding Floral Design

Cakes: Cookies by Candice

Wedding attire: Perfect Dress of Rome

Caterer: Flavorful Events/GMC Value-Mart

Bartender: Flavorful Events

Hair and Makeup: Rachel Groce

Photographer: M Visuals (Mallory McManus)

Videographer: Childers Productions

Officiant: Jarrod Roberts of West Rome Baptist Church

Signs/Lettering/Mirrors: Belle Letter Designs by Tori Rainey

Marquee Letters: Alpha-Lit Rome

Bridal Luncheon: Cherokee Country Club

Rehearsal dinner: Rockmart Slate House

Central America From TO Broad Street

COFFEE DIRECT FROM ITS SOURCE

By Severo Avila

At first glance, a trendy and popular shop on Broad Street may not seem like it would have a connection to the lush mountains of Honduras, but there’s a deep and meaningful relationship there.

Since 2020, the beautiful Central American nation has been a source of coffee for one of Rome’s most popular hangouts, Swift & Finch Coffee Roasters. Rome residents may not realize that the delicious coffee they enjoy is harvested in Honduras.

Recently the The Swift & Finch management team of Mark McLucas, Parker Clavijo and Ellie Mahon, had the opportunity to travel to Corquin, Copan, Honduras to visit their direct trade coffee partners at Finca Terrerito.

Corquin is a municipality in the Copan department of

western Honduras, not far from the Guatemalan border. The country has had a long history with coffee and is one of the world’s top producers, with more than

100,000 families involved in coffee production.

“Since opening in 2012, we’ve desired to build our shop around authentic relationships,” said Swift & Finch’s Ellie Mahon. “We strive to know our customers and to share in the everyday rhythms of life alongside each other.”

So when Harry Hutchins, co-owner of Finca Terrerito, reached out to Swift & Finch’s management team with an opportunity to travel to Honduras to see exactly where their coffee is grown, they jumped at the chance.

McLucas and Clavijo first met Hutchins in June of 2020 when the Rome coffee roasters made their first green coffee purchase from Finca Terrerito at their Canton warehouse facility. Lucky for them, this farm’s primary US warehouse is right down the road.

Even at this very first visit, the Swift & Finch team was charmed by Hutchins’ hospitality, professionalism, the goals of their company … and of course, their coffee.

“Harry is truly one of the hardest working people I know and someone I’m grateful to call a friend,” McLucas said. “After nearly 4 years of partnership and a shake over 8,000lbs in coffee purchases, you can’t imagine our excitement to get

our boots on the ground of this 5th generation coffee farm.” When the team traveled to Honduras, Mahon said every bit of the coffee farm exceeded their expectations, saying it “truly gave us a sense of pride to be a part of it.”

“The three pillars of Finca Terrerito are improving lives, sustainability in everything they do, and extraordinary coffee,” she said. “We saw first hand every bit of their mission to be true. Their staff and farmers are remarkable people with deep passion for what they do. We are so proud to be able to put a face and a name to almost every set of hands that touches this coffee from the time the seed is planted to when our baristas pour a cup.”

Ethical sourcing and sustainability were a big priority for the Swift & Finch team. Mahon said when customers in Rome buy a cup of Honduran coffee from Swift & Finch, they can be sure that the farmers are being paid a fair wage and taken care of.

“We’ve talked with them face-to-face,” she said. “Not only are they paid fairly, but Finca Terrerito recently finished building a school on their farm property to serve farm staff kids and a neighboring community that did not previously have access to a school.”

Mahon added that her team is proud to offer direct trade coffee to their customers in its truest form, adding that it was a privilege

to meet the farmers, to share late night front porch chats with them, to tour their land from the back of a pickup truck, to see their homes, and to share meals together.

“In the coffee industry, we have the choice to buy our beans from large corporations that combine multiple farms into one large export, or we can buy our coffee directly from individual farms that we have

fostered a trusting relationship with or importers that do the same,” she said. “We will always choose the real relationship. We hope our customers will ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of why it matters to really know where your coffee comes from.”

Photographer Be Light Photography

Kaitlyn & MathisTate

September 9, 2023

Planner: Holly Lynch, The Season Events

Venue: Private home

Photographer: Andrea Kelley Photography

Videographer: Brittany Sloan

Caterer: The Season Events

Bar: The Season Events

Wedding cake and Groom’s cake: Sweet Crumb Company

Flowers: Roots & Willow

Rentals: BBJ Linens, Unlimited Party & Event Rentals

Music: Rome DJ Service

Katie & Forrest Reynolds

September 16, 2023

Planner: Nicole Williams, The Season Events

Ceremony: Frost Chapel, Berry College

Reception: Oak Hill

Photographer: Andrea Kelley Photography

Caterer & Bar: The Season Events

Wedding cake: Honeymoon Bakery

Flowers: Roots & Willow

Rentals: Unlimited Party & Event Rentals, Parker Systems, BBJ Linens

Ceremony music: Steven Wooddell

Reception music: 2nd Coming

Nicole & Ricardo Cruz

January 12, 2024

Planner: Nicole Williams, The Season Events

Venue: The Mill at Lindale

Photography/Videography: Once Like a Spark

Photo Booth: Foto Focus

Caterer: The Season Events

Bar: Across the Bar

Wedding cake: Cakes by Elizabeth

Donuts: Sweet Bar

Flowers: Roots & Willow

Rentals: Unlimited Party & Event Rentals, BBJ Linens

Music: Q Up the Mic with Karli

Peyton & SalitMatt

January 13, 2024

Planner: Holly Lynch, The Season Events

Ceremony: St. Mary’s Church

Reception: The Forum

Photographer: Andrea Kelley Photography

Caterer: The Season Events

Wedding cake and Groom’s cake: Honeymoon Bakery

Flowers: Roots & Willow

Rentals: Event Works, A-1 Rentals, Unlimited Party & Event Rentals, BBJ Linens

Reception music: Michel Jons Band

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When it comes to weddings, everyone wants to look and feel their best when it’s time to walk down the aisle. Everyone.

That includes a beloved pet who’s scored a role in one of the most important days in their human’s life.

After all, more and more people view their pets as true family members. Why shouldn’t they be involved in the wedding? From ideas and advice for pets participating in human nuptials – just take a quick look at websites like The Knot, Etsy or Martha Stewart (to name a few) – and it’s obvious pets mixing at weddings is a trend that has some serious staying power.

Just a short drive from Rome, down Hwy. 101, Precious Paws in Rockmart helps pooches put their best paws forward at their humans’ weddings.

“Dogs are an extension of the person,” said Kellie Taylor, owner of Precious Paws. “Their special day is not complete without them there. Our job is to make sure they’re dressed and ready.”

So how exactly does Skipper or Duchess or Remi get ready for the big day?

Usually it starts with dogs going to Precious Paws for primping and pampering. Groomers set out bathing a dog and making sure its fur and coat are event ready. Nails are trimmed to be very short. Dogs can even get their nails painted for the occasion. Some clients bring outfits they have specifically chosen for the dogs to wear. Sometimes clients leave the fashion to Precious Paws.

“Most of the time the bride or the groom obviously has a color palette picked out,” Taylor said.

If the bride and/or groom has not brought specific items for the dog to wear, Precious Paws has a wide selection of ribbons, nail polishes, bows and bandanas the groomers can choose to match the color scheme of the wedding.

In some instances, people want their initials or hearts or colors applied to the dog’s fur.

“It’s called creative grooming,” Taylor said.

If needed, a Precious Paws staff member can bring the dog from their beauty session directly to the wedding venue. That person is able to stay at the venue throughout the ceremony, and when the time comes for the animal’s participation to end, the Precious Paws staffer will take charge of the animal, leaving the bride and groom, family and friends, to enjoy and finish the rest of their day without worrying what will happen to their pet.

Precious Paws has a boarding facility, and if the bride and groom so choose, the pet can stay at the pet bed and breakfast at the Rockmart location for the wedding night or duration of the honeymoon. The staff member who is overseeing the pet’s care at the wedding will bring the animal back to Precious Paws for boarding.

As a gift to the bride and groom, the wedding night’s boarding is free of charge.

Taylor said having a family pet at a wedding can be a

Grace Buchanan, left, gives some special attention to her pup Ferno, while River Buchanan, right, attends to her dog Raven during their wedding photos from their 2023 wedding. Both dogs were groomed and prepped for the special day by staff at Precious Paws.

terrific ice breaker for family members and guests.

“As soon as the dog comes in, they’re ooo-ing and aah-ing as if the bride had walked in,” she said. “It’s like a celebrity is walking in.”

Want your pet to be part of your wedding but your fur baby isn’t really conditioned to behave or negotiate a social

event? Precious Paws has classes and training to help with that. Taylor spoke of a client who wanted their Great Dane to accompany a family member down the aisle. That family member required the use of a walker to be able to walk down the aisle, but the dog, Taylor said, was terrified by the mobility aid and would not go near it.

After patient time and training with the Great Dane, the pup accompanied the family member down the aisle – with the walker being used – like a professional.

Precious Paws has been in business for 27 years.

“We opened July 7, 1997,” Taylor said. “It was a good luck day – 7-7-97.”

The business, which has clients from all counties that surround Polk County, was opened by Taylor’s mother, Bettye (Upton) Sinclair.

Sinclair was working as a neurosurgical and open heart surgery nurse until she was hit head on by a drunk driver. After the accident, she found she could no longer physically endure standing for the long hours that surgery required. She needed a job that would let her sit down.

After she and her daughter were out of town getting their pet groomed, Taylor’s mom realized that Rockmart did not have a facility like that to service its residents. Precious Paws was opened shortly thereafter.

“When we opened this business, she put her last 50 dollars in the register. …” Taylor said. “All these years and we’re still open. The community has been phenomenal to us. We obviously would not be here without their support.”

Taylor was in high school at the time the business opened. She

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Precious Paws currently employs 14 full time staff members for the various services they offer clients.

remembers attending pet training and certification sessions with her mom to prepare for running the business smoothly and successfully.

Taylor worked with her mom at Precious Paws – which was just a grooming facility at that time – all through high school and later when she was attending pre-med / pre-vet classes.

When her stepfather died in an accident in 2000, Taylor said her mom was grief-stricken and she did not want to continue to run the business. Her mom turned the business over to her, and Taylor has never looked back.

As a courtesy, Taylor started keeping a small number of animals for regular clients and soon realized she needed to expand.

Ten years into owning the grooming business, she and her husband became parents to a chocolate labrador retriever with severe separation anxiety. Taylor realized she and her husband could not be the only parents to a pet with those kinds of issues.

“[The dog] couldn’t be crated,” she said. The lab, a girl named Tubby, destroyed everything and stayed extremely stressed when left alone. “It was just who she was.”

“I went to my husband and said, ‘We have to add some boarding to this,’ ” she said. “I swear he looked at me and asked me if I had just asked him for a divorce. I said, “No. I want to open a boarding [facility].’ ”

With her husband, Matt, doing much of the construction, Taylor painted and customers and community members chipped in with helping build that portion of the business.

Precious Paws clients Kim and Davis Casey with their dog Cap on their wedding day. Precious Paws worked with Cap prior to the wedding to help him learn to behave around strangers in a social setting and to remain calm and composed for a wedding walk. Precious Paws picked him up for grooming before the ceremony and delivered him on the special day.

The business next door to her had closed and moved out right when she decided to add boarding. That was 2009.

Presently, Precious Paws employs 14 staff members fulltime. One of them is her daughter, Mattie Taylor, who is the lead groomer and also attends law school. Many of Taylor’s employees have been with her for years. The facility is open

Monday through Saturday, with Sunday boarding drop off / pickup service.

They groom and care for all kinds of house pets – dogs,

304 Glenn Milner Blvd

Rome, GA

706-236-7711

www.rootsandwillow.com

@rootswillowrome

cats, birds, ferrets, rabbits, etc. They have staff members who travel outside the facility to care and groom horses, cows, goats, etc. Precious Paws has a mobile grooming service that travels to counties contiguous with Polk County. They offer pet behavior classes – “Paws School” – boarding with their pet bed and breakfast, training and socialization, pet chauffeuring, pet sitting, emergency pet sitting, American Kennel Club certified training and certification for K-9 Good Citizens (for people who want their dogs to be able to go out into the community as canine ambassadors or therapy dogs for nursing homes, hospitals, etc.), holiday themed parties for their doggy daycare clients and various other services.

They are located at 221 South Marble Street in Rockmart. The business phone number is 706-3313119 and their website is www.preciouspawsga.com. They also have a Facebook page, “Precious Paws Grooming SPA & Hotel.”

Best of Rome

Freya, who belongs to Kellie Taylor’s daughter, Mattie Taylor, is definitely event ready in her unicorn-themed colors and attire.

Kellie Taylor in a photo from years past with her family’s Afghan hound, Lorde, who has since passed.

The perfect place for your special day!

The Forum River Center is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Rome, Georgia.

• Rome’s largest indoor event venue

• Offering modern and elegant event spaces

• Outdoor courtyard with riverfront views

• Customize each space to fit your unique needs

• Convenient parking adjacent to the Center

Basketball and lots of laughs

for ESP Rome

By Severo Avila

Photos by BritTney Butler

It played out like a classic NBA rivalry game. The two sides of the 2024 Big Hoops fundraiser for ESP Rome brought out their best moves for the big game which took place on April 6 at Darlington’s Huffman Center, drawing more than 1,000 fans and spectators.

The annual event pits well known Rome residents against each other for the entertaining fundraiser. This year’s event, coined as Educators versus Entrepreneurs, is the second annual event of its kind raising money for ESP Rome, which stands for Extra Special People, a nonprofit serving families and their children with disabilities.

And this year they just happened to raise more than $145,000. And the Educators came out on top.

There was even a big signing event where team members eyed each other from across the room, setting up a fun but competitive game.

The opposing coaches for this year’s game were ESP participant coaches Thomas Chesnut and Cordell Harris.

Chesnut and Harris coached against each other last year but Harris brought home the victory in the controversial Jawbones vs Sawbones matchup. That game ended with angry lawyers asking for a mistrial amid alleged last-second roster changes and allegations regarding the actual medical credentials of a Sawbones player.

ESP recently received approval by the Rome Floyd Planning Commission for a special use permit to build a campus at a former church property on Kingston

Highway.

“We’re so excited to be able to build a place of our own,” ESP Rome Board Chair Hollye Smith said at the signing event. “A place where we can help people realize their untapped potential from babies to adults and give their families the support they need.”

The organization is about four years old, and has seen tremendous growth starting with a handful of kids now serving over a hundred. Last year’s inaugural event raised $71,000.

“Also the campus will help us expand past serving only Rome,” Smith said. “And allow us to serve families in the entire region.”

Hannah Nabors has been involved with ESP Rome for the last three years. She was ecstatic to show off her basketball skills at an event that does so much for the community.

“ESP is a place where my heart for connection meets my love for this community and the beautiful, unique, extraordinary people that live in it,” she said. “It’s a beautiful collision of people I love, a vision I believe in, and opportunities for experiences that change for the better.”

Saturday’s big event, she said, was a huge success. The energetic atmosphere was unmatched.

“It was such an incredible experience, getting to play basketball with so many friends and familiar faces,” she said. “There was definitely a competitive atmosphere between the two teams, coaches, and referees. While the Educators pulled out a game win, the community

itself won the night. Everyone gathered together for one cause.”

There were a number of game highlights including several four pointers, incredible shots, March Madness level defense, assists, and some big free-throw baskets in the fourth quarter by ESP participant coaches, Chesnut and Harris.

At halftime, Java Joy, ESP Rome’s mobile coffee unit that employs adults with special needs, held a White Apron ceremony for a Joyrista in training. During training, Joyristas (as the employees are called) wear a

blue apron and after their training has been completed they are promoted to a white Java Joy apron with their names embroidered on it.

“The core memories of the night had less to do with the actual game and more to do with the ESP light shining ever so brightly,” Nabors said. “The participant cheering section, the national anthem led by ESP participants, the spontaneous half court performance of the YMCA, the white apron ceremony, and the announcement of an event that raised over $100,000.”

Best Bikes Friends and

By Jim Alred, Rome City Schools

Photos courtesy of Rome City Schools School

Alarge crowd of parents, kids, teachers and more gathered at Parks Hoke Park on an early April morning taking part in the bike ride to school, which is becoming a fun tradition for Anna K. Davie students.

“This is a great way to kick off Spring Break with a bike ride to school, and the kids were really excited to participate. It’s just something different to get their school day started,” Anna K. Davie Principal Brant Amerman said. “We had a great group this year. It was a much larger group than last year. We had a lot of community participation and lots of staff members also participating. It was really exciting for me to see that and all these smiling faces as they were coming to school”

The crowd of roughly 80 kids and adults got on bikes, scooters and even walked the roughly three quarter mile distance to the school. Along the way, kids laughed, smiled, raced, and enjoyed being out and about on their bikes.

“I just love to see all these kids riding their bikes to school. Growing up, I rode my bike to school. My mother taught at our school when my sisters and I were young, and we all rode to school together,” Rome City Commissioner Harry Brock, who took part in Friday’s ride, said. “Our generation walked and rode bikes to school. It’s just great to see these kids laughing smiling and having a good time”

Police officers helped ensure the route was safe for all involved. When one kid’s bike chain had issues, three adults were able to stop and get her back on her bike quickly.

“This event is awesome. Last year, we didn’t know if we were going to have anybody, and we had around 40 or 50 kids. It’s almost like a parade route when we are going,” Julie Smith, the Executive Director for TRED who also helps organize the event, said. “Moms and dads are standing on the porch and waving. It’s just so much fun, and we are so appreciative of Mr. Amerman and the support of Anna K Davie.”

This year close to 80 participants made the trek and several parents and Anna K. Davie staff members were there in case some of the younger pedalers needed an extra push or any help. When the large crowd got to the school, they put their bikes in bike racks, laughing and talking about the ride.

It’s that feeling of fun and freedom and just kids out riding a bike and enjoying time outdoors with friends that Amerman hopes the kids can learn from the experience.

“This is just one more way to emphasize to these students to get out and get some exercise,” he said. “Hopefully, they learn that they can ride their bike and get around the neighborhood and get out and enjoy time with friends.”

Brock said he hopes the kids will get out on their bikes more and learn about the many trials Rome has to offer.

”We have a great trail system and sometimes you just have to get the kids out of the house, so that they can see there are opportunities in Rome to do other things,” he said. “Hopefully, this is an exposure for some kids. Maybe we can get them out on the trials.”

VOTE MAY 21, 2024

Early voting begins April 29, 2024 for all registered voters in Rome, Cave Spring & Floyd County

Rome residents dressed up and mingled at a number of community events recently. Here are snapshots from two of Rome’s biggest events,

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