Common House Chattanooga

Wedding Ceremony & Reception

Our Wedding

Our Dating StoryWritten by Sarah Whitney Anderson In March of 2023, Kameron and I met the traditional way - via Bumble, the dating app! Hey, at least we're honest about it! Due to our busy schedules, which included multiple track meets, spring break trips, and an out-of-town coaches’ conference, we were forced to get to know each other via text message for three weeks prior to our first date. Through our conversations, I gathered that Kameron was sweet, funny, and easy to talk to, even if he was a Georgia fan (Go Tigers!). After three weeks, on April 5th, we were finally able to go on our first date! We decided to have dinner at State of Confusion, a locally-owned restaurant here in Chattanooga. The food was great, as it always is, but so too was the conversation! In person, I quickly realized that Kameron was just as sweet, funny, and easy to talk to as he had been over the phone.&nbsp; We discussed a variety of topics throughout the evening, including our families, careers, interests, spring break trips, etc. One thing we had in common was our love for the state of Virginia - The state that my parents call home and that Kameron had traveled to for nine days in February, touring various historical sites.&nbsp; As we finished our dinner, I was sad that our date was coming to an end. Luckily, by the time the bill was paid (by Kameron, of course - such a gentleman! - Kameron wrote this ;) ), we had already made plans to see each other again the following week! As he walked me to my car and kissed me, little did I know - Our first date was coming to an end, but our story was just beginning! Over the course of the next year and a half, we enjoyed many experiences together, including: - Multiple trips to Richmond, Virginia to meet and visit my family - A Thanksgiving-week road trip to Florence &amp; Charleston, South Carolina, where Kameron met the majority of my family in a 24-hour period (whoops lol) - Several Chattanooga Lookouts and Atlanta Braves baseball games with Kameron’s family - Many major sporting events: 2023 Georgia vs. Missouri football game, 2024 Georgia vs. Clemson football game, 2024 Georgia vs. Vanderbilt basketball game, 2024 Clemson vs. North Carolina basketball game, 2024 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech basketball game, and the 2024 North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech basketball game - History tours in Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia - Our first spring break together in St. Augustine (which, by nature, included more history tours) - An evening at the Read House to celebrate our one-year anniversary - Vacation in Pawleys Island, South Carolina with my family - The celebration of our 30th birthdays (Kameron’s for a weekend, mine for a month!) - My first two visits to the Rock City Enchanted Garden of Lights Clearly, we enjoy sports and traveling together, but most of all, we are thankful to have fallen in love and joined each other’s amazing families!&nbsp; Our Proposal StoryWritten by Kameron Abernathy Our proposal story begins in July of 2024, when Sarah Whitney and I were vacationing with her family in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. With an idea in mind, I asked her parents to bring with them the heirloom diamond necklace that was to become her engagement ring. The stunning necklace was originally a ring owned by her great-grandmother, Katie, and turned into a necklace by her Bebe (grandmother), Barbara.&nbsp; On the final evening of the trip, I sat in the living room of our beautiful beach condo with her parents and asked for their blessing to propose to and marry Sarah Whitney. After many tears and hugs, I received their blessing, as well as the necklace. Back in Chattanooga the following week, Sarah Whitney and I took the necklace to Brody Jewelers to inquire about turning it into an engagement ring. Within a couple of weeks, to our surprise, the ring was finished! From there, I took the ring to my grandparents’ for safekeeping, where it stayed until December. Because Sarah Whitney was traveling to Richmond on December 23rd to spend Christmas with her family, we decided to share our Christmas together on the evening of December 21st. She cooked a terrific meal and we exchanged our gifts to one another. One of the gifts I gave her was a “Date Night in Williamsburg, Virginia,” which included a couples’ photo shoot in Colonial Williamsburg, as well as a one-night stay at the five-star Williamsburg Inn, a place she had dreamed of staying for quite a while.&nbsp; The “Date Night” was to take place on Saturday, December 28. Sarah Whitney, who is virtually impossible to surprise thanks to her investigative acumen, figured out my plan (to propose) within a couple of days. Somehow, I was able to convince her that I was not, in fact, proposing - Maybe my greatest feat ever. On December 26th, I flew into Richmond, where Sarah Whitney and her parents picked me up from the airport. I was a nervous wreck the entire flight - Not because I was proposing in two days, but because I was absolutely terrified of losing the ring! On the morning of December 28th, we headed down Interstate 64 from Richmond to Williamsburg, and everything appeared to be in place, well, except for one thing - Where was I going to keep the ring during the photo shoot? Surely she would notice the ring box poking out of my jeans or vest! Thankfully, the forecast called for a little bit of rain, which sparked an idea - We needed to go to REI and get new raincoats! Now, I had the perfect ring holster for the day! Upon arriving in Colonial Williamsburg, we explored the town, as well as the historic Governor’s Palace. At three o’clock in the afternoon, we met up with the photographer (Rachael Reid) for our couples’ photo shoot. After around thirty minutes of taking pictures in various spots around the historic city, Mrs. Reid took us to the lawn of the Governor’s Palace, where, after grabbing the ring out of the pocket of the raincoat and a few poses, I got down on one knee behind Sarah Whitney and asked her to be my wife. Tearfully, SHE SAID YES! Our parents, as well as my sister and her boyfriend, eagerly awaited the proposal from their hiding spot down the road. There was only one issue - They were TOO far down the road. They missed the proposal! After a phone call, they were able to meet up with us and join in on the celebration! From there, we ventured to the Williamsburg Inn to enjoy a drink at the bar as we awaited our dinner reservations later in the evening. The surprises were not over for Sarah Whitney, however, as I escorted her to our room for the evening while our families conversed at the bar. It was then that she discovered that we were not staying in just any room at the Inn, but the Queen’s Suite - THE room that Queen Elizabeth II herself stayed in not once, but TWICE on her visits to Williamsburg and Jamestown!&nbsp; The room was absolutely beautiful, featuring a parlor/living room fit for a queen, the largest bathroom either one of us had ever seen, and hand-signed portraits of both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip hanging on the wall! About fifteen minutes into exploring the room, there was a knock at the door - A bouquet delivery featuring Sarah Whitney’s favorite flowers - Green hydrangeas and white peonies!&nbsp; Following dinner with our families at Le Yaca, a local French restaurant, we returned to our room, where we lived in luxury for the rest of the evening. In the morning, my fiancée and I ventured out of Williamsburg and into a new chapter of our lives!

December 28, 2024

Our Story

Photos

Corbin Cullum 

Chris Schwenk

Katie Jones

Kenneth Abernathy (I)

Elliott Jones

Kenny Abernathy (III)

Abby Anderson

Douglas Anderson

Kyler Schwenk

Tyler West

Mary Margaret Jamison

Josh Zeigler

Lauren Reabold

Heath Cofer

Kate Krebs

Harrison Stafford

Shira Porter

Nick Tamewitz

Hayley Little

Chad Brewer

Veronica Abernathy

Wedding Party

Q + A

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The Chattanoogan Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

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The Westin Chattanooga

Travel

2nd AmericanHello MontyPublic HouseThe FeedTony's Pasta

Our Favorite Downtown Restaurants

Chickamauga &amp; Chattanooga National Military ParkChattanooga Lookouts Baseball ClubCoolidge ParkRock City GardensTennessee Aquarium

Our Favorite Local Activities & Attractions

Clyde's on MainDaily RationHoney SeedState of ConfusionTupelo Honey

Our Favorite Downtown Brunch Spots

Chattanooga Whiskey DistilleryMike's Hole in the WallOddstory Brewing CompanyShady's CornerThe Rosecomb

Our Favorite Downtown Bars & Breweries

Things to Do

Registry

Sarah Whitney & Kameron

Sarah Whitney & Kameron

Q + A

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What do I Wear?

Where Do I Park?

Can I Bring Children to the Wedding?

Are There Hotel Blocks Available Near the Venue?