Peters’ Wedding

Then Greg became seriously ill with Covid-19, and any hesitation evaporated. Susan remembers praying, thanking God for the seven weeks He’d given them together. What a priceless gift. Greg found himself thinking that maybe it was his time to go. And then the doctor asked him what he wanted to see when he got out of the hospital—and Greg instantly thought of Susan. What did he want to do? Simplifying his life and focusing on what was most important came to mind—and again, Susan.

Once he made it home, they sat on the swing outside his house and talked, the conversation more serious than before. He showed her a ring he’d bought and began discussing forever, asking her if she’d consider sharing it with him.

She loves how he talks and listens to her, she’s told me. And when they were falling in love, how she could see her faith and the work she does for the Lord continuing to grow with Greg. As a couple, they’d make an even bigger impact, and they discussed that a lot. Merging their sprawling families would be key, and difficult at first. To begin with, Susan would have to move away from her girls in Greenville. Yet gathering all the parts of their lives together and building a new one would create room for even greater blessings. It was clear they were being led to believe that.

Their first marriages had been filled with the perfect peace loving the right person, created just for them. That intimacy of sharing a life, becoming one, was possible again. So, was it a risk they’d be taking, committing to each other—or a step forward in faith?

I’m sure you’ve guessed that Greg and Susan did decide to marry— on February, 6th of this year, at the Gassaway Mansion in Greenville. They’re now settling into Rabun County, anxious to see what God has in store for them. They’re exactly where they’d never dreamed they’d be again, and it’s an inspiration.

Some would call their story a miracle. I suspect Greg and Susan would say their love was simply meant to be. And from this new beginning, I’m learning to stop overthinking my unexpected blessings. To put less stock in how life is “supposed” to turn out. To be more open to opportunities beyond my plans. Especially when the possibilities seem too good to be true…

Anna DeStefano lives in Clarkesville, GA, with her husband of over thirty years. She’s the nationally best-selling author of twenty-seven southern-set novels. An award-winning fine-art photographer, she’s roamed North Georgia and beyond for years, eager to share nature’s healing magic through her Affirmation Photography™. Explore Anna’s Heart Open blog and uplifting images at www.affirmationphotography.com. View pieces from her latest collections at Timpson Creek Gallery in Clayton, GA.

Lee & Haley’s Wedding Story

By Haley Gross

Our story started in 2015 on a college trip as blind dates, where we met and kissed for the very first time. It was on that trip that we realized one of our core common threads- Lake Burton. It was where we both spent our summers growing up alongside family, where we transitioned from dating to being in a relationship over six years ago, where we got engaged, and most recently shared our first look before being married! Although we didn’t know each other growing up, we share the same fond memories of grabbing ice cream from the marina, going wakeboarding behind the boat, and being flung off the tube!

At our wedding, my mom (Neva Logan) told the story of my first trip to Lake Burton as a baby, the summer of 1996. Shortly after being born, I was taken to the ICU for several days after undergoing surgery for a congenital disease. The following summer, my mom and dad rented a tiny cabin by Laprade’s and laid me out on the dock to heal my postsurgery scars. When my mom tells the story, she always says how I had the biggest smile on my face in that moment- the moment I first experienced the joys of Lake Burton. And, that was just the first of many summers spent by the water. Shortly after my parents purchased their first home on the lake, where we have since enjoyed countless summers of tubing wipeouts, sunburnt noses, and lakeside sandwiches.

Lee’s family history with Lake Burton dates back even farther. Almost 35 years ago, his grandparents (Carl & Ann Gross) built their family home on the lake. Over the years that home has seen four generations of the Gross family, with the youngest now just learning to swim, as Lee did 25 years ago. Over the years, the big red house by the bridge became the place the family would gather each and every summer, bringing together cousins, brothers, and children alike.

As you can imagine, Lake Burton holds a very special place in each of our hearts. So, as my mom tells it, when I told her about this new guy I met at college, who just so happened

to have a house on Lake Burton, she just knew it was going to be a love blessed in Heaven. And, as moms always are- she was right. Over the next six years, Lee and I shared our most special moments by the lake. It was where Lee asked me to be his girlfriend, where he asked me to marry him, and most recently where we shared our first look before the wedding.

During our first look, we shared a private reading of our vows and practiced our first dance on top of the boat house, where we were honked at and cheered on from boats passing by- classic Lake Burton hospitality for you! We took the boat out for a spin and enjoyed a peaceful moment together on the water. Before heading back for the ceremony at Chota Falls, we filled two pitchers with lake water to use for a water unity ceremony. The pitchers were placed on the altar and guests were asked to write their prayers for the couple onto dissolvable slips to drop in, creating a water that was blessed by the wishes of our friends and family. During the ceremony, we combined the pitchers of water into one big bowl, signifying our forever bond, before washing our rings and hands together, signifying a release of any past baggage or doubts. After the I-Do’s, the big bowl was poured into the waters of Chota Falls, sending our blessings back into the mountain streams surrounding Lake Burton.