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May 12, 2017
Meant to be: Distraught over a Christmas Day breakup, Kaisha Kimmel got dragged to Hershey’s New Year’s Eve Kiss drop. Her dad chatted with a guy he met recently. She should meet the guy’s friend, Dad suggested. No way, said Kaisha. But at five minutes to midnight, she saw the friend. Liked his beard. Said hi. Later, Blake told his mom he met the girl he’s going to marry. The proposal: Hershey again, the Sweetest Place on Earth. Kaisha and her mom drive through the Sweet Lights holiday display. At the end, lit-up signs—made in secret by Blake and Kaisha’s dad—say “WILL” and “YOU” and “MARRY” and “ME.” She followed a row of tea lights to find a gathering of family and friends. He got down on one knee. She said yes. The ceremony: With their shared Christian beliefs, Kaisha and Blake wanted family and friends to know that God brought them together. In his vows, he said he loves her sense of adventure and wants to keep feeding it. The theme: Enchanted forest. Flowers proliferated in great bunches. Greenery trailed along the church beams and overhung the altar. “I really wanted to feel like I was walking down an aisle that was outside,” says Kaisha. The surprise: A video call from her brother, stationed with the Army in Hawaii. The dance: We needed to pick a song for our first dance, Kaisha says. Blake, who was once in a band, said he had it covered. He gave the DJ a flash drive. On it was a song he wrote and recorded. “Will you have this dance?” he sang. “I may not be that good/But just give me a chance./ I guess I’ll save these words/For our first dance.” The desserts: More sweetness. Blake and Kaisha had a personal cake. Guests got cobbler, Maple Donuts favors, and from a food truck outside the reception hall, soft-serve ice cream.
Vendors: Alfred Angelo (no longer in business), Strictly Formals, Harrisburg, PA, strictlyformals.com / Kiersten Klaver, DownStreet Salon, Hershey, PA, downstreetsalon.com / Veronique’s Creative Artistry, veroniquesca.com / The Booking House, Manheim, PA, thebookinghousemanheim.com / Heisey’s Diner, Lebanon, PA, heiseysdinerpa.com / Miller Brothers Soft Serve Ice Cream, millerbrothersicecream.com / Splints & Daisies Floral Design, Lancaster, PA, splintsanddaisies.com / Stationery from zazzle.com / Sarah B Photography, sarah-b-photoography.net / Monark Films, monarkfilms.com / Forget Me Not Vintage Rentals, forgetmenotvintageinc.com
