The love between John and Cassie Hamilton knows no distance. From strangers who met in San Francisco to soulmates who wed in the Bluegrass, the initial encounter between the pair occurred while Cassie was on a girls’ trip. She shares, “My friends and I were heading out after attending the San Francisco Giants baseball game when a super cute guy walked past and caught my eye. We made eye contact, had a short conversation about places to check out since he was a local and then he gave me his number.” Over the rest of her trip, John and Cassie would text occasionally and added each other on social media. “When I returned home, I told him he should come visit Kentucky sometime but never dreamed he’d fly across the US for a complete stranger. Within a week, John booked a flight!” she exclaims.
Six weeks and a five-day adventure later, it quickly became clear that the chance meeting had led to the real deal Cassie and John made their relationship official and dated long-distance before John moved to Kentucky and surprised Cassie with a picturesque proposal at Talon Winery. Shortly after, plans for a September wedding soon began. Up first? Selecting their perfect venue! “With so many of John’s family and friends traveling from all over the US (mostly the West coast), we really wanted our wedding to capture the beauty of the South, and more importantly, the rolling hills and horses of Kentucky,” Cassie explains. She continues, “We have both always loved the idea of open fields in the background and incorporating the rustic barn feel into our special day. When we stumbled upon Hawks Nest, it was still almost a full year out of them finishing their renovations, but we immediately saw our vision and knew it was going to be a place that all of our guests would love and enjoy!” To keep a light and airy feel to the day, the couple selected white, champagne and blush tones while incorporating plentiful greenery to compliment the farm’s natural beauty. “It felt like the perfect blend of a rustic barn wedding with a modern twist,” Cassie says.
Though the happy couple would not have changed anything about their special day, each of them had their own favorite aspects. John shares, “I remember waiting in front of the barn to get that tap on the shoulder from my soon-to-be wife for the first look. She was absolutely stunning, and I will never forget that moment.” Cassie on the other hand loved their sunset pictures, but for a similar sentiment. She says, “ there’s just something about the pure joy and happiness you can see on our faces in these pictures that makes them so special to me. It was such a sweet and sentimental moment to have shared with my husband.” Above all else, however, John shares, “Being able to have everyone close to me see me marry my best friend, my soulmate, was the greatest day of my life.”
