Since childhood, Jama Greene dreamed of finding her Prince Charming and getting married. Could that be, she wonders, because of those Disney movies she grew up watching, like Cinderella and her all-time favorite, The Princess Bride?

“My dad promised me that if I waited until I finished college to get married, I could have the wedding of my dreams. I waited and he kept his word. I wanted my wedding to be personal and unique. You don’t have to follow tradition – change it up to make it your own! That’s what makes it so memorable for you and your guests.”

Jama advises other brides-to-be to start planning early “and take your time. Don’t settle for something that will be just ‘okay.’ Decide what you really want and go for it! And if you can’t find it, try making it yourself or find someone to do it for you.”

Jama admits it can be very stressful that way “and more work than you can imagine, but so much fun!”

Planning her wedding was among the best times of her life. “Plus, I had a great time [planning it] with my mom. She was so helpful and worked very hard to make it perfect for me.”

One of the most important things, she says, is to invest in the right photographer. “Yes, most are expensive, but they’re worth it. Your wedding day goes by so fast; the only thing you have left when it’s all over are your photos. We chose Sposabella Photography – an excellent choice!”
 
Once Upon A Time . . .
Jama met Randy Maples through friends during their freshman year at Appalachian State University. “I thought he was gorgeous but went on my way, thinking nothing of it.”

A couple of weeks later, the two met again on campus, discovered they had the same major and became very good friends. They began meeting for breakfast every Thursday, doing homework together, and hanging out with the same friends.

“During our sophomore year, things took a different turn. We started having the same classes together and saw each other more often. Our friendship eventually turned to romance.”

Each earned degrees in applied physics; Jama’s concentration was astronomy, Randy’s was engineering.

The Proposal
Randy ordered Jama’s engagement ring from his step-grandfather, a jeweler in Mississippi. “When he went to Mississippi with his family,” Jama recalls, “I suspected that he went to get my ring. Several weeks passed and no ring.”

During one of Randy’s visits back to Boone, the couple returned to ASU for a stroll around campus. “We came to the physics building, sat down in front of the Orion's Belt statue to talk. Precisely at 11:11 p.m., Randy jumps down to one knee – so fast it took me a minute to realize what he was doing. He proposed! Of course, I said yes!”

Plans Fall Into Place
Fall, the couple’s favorite season, seemed the perfect time for a wedding. Having planned her wedding since she was a little girl, Jama knew that she wanted to be married in a naturally beautiful church, one that she didn’t have to make look pretty.

“Unfortunately, our church was under construction, so we went church hunting. We had so much fun with my parents as we visited churches and took pictures!”

Two hours from Boone, they discovered Gaither Chapel at Montreat and it was everything Jama had dreamed of – “beautiful rock walls and floors . . . I loved the timbers, and the area around it was beautiful!”

Settling For Champagne
Choosing colors was another task. ”Randy liked orange, I hated it. I liked purple, Randy hated it!  We settled on rose and champagne, thinking they would blend in well with typical fall colors.

Little did I know how hard it would be to match everything – even getting flowers in those colors took some time.”

The Perfect Dress
Dress hunting was a bit discouraging at first, Jama admits. ‘”They all looked the same to me – white and ivory strapless dresses in every shop. The colors were awful on me; strapless wasn’t my style. Mom and I searched for several months.”

A newspaper ad led them to Pam’s Unique Boutique in West Jefferson. “Though small, it offered more variety than huge bridal shops and was where I found my perfect gown – a champagne blush color with straps. The color worked and the style was great – modern with a vintage flair.”

Accessories? “Almost a nightmare,” Jama states. “No shoes matched, no pearls worked. I finally found my shoes in a bridal magazine from Blue Tux – the exact color of my dress and the most comfortable I have ever worn!”

Jewelry wasn’t an easy find  “until we accidentally stumbled upon Mel’s Treasures that made the necklace I wanted in the color I needed – a perfect vintage look.”

Her hairpiece from “Did Someone Say Party?” was perfect. Until a month before the wedding, Jama hadn’t planned to wear a veil, but finally decided that a birdcage veil would work, even though the color wasn’t exact.

“My bridesmaid, Heather Abee, did a splendid job on my hair for my wedding day, giving me a vintage-looking hairstyle that worked well with my veil.”

For The Bridesmaids
Jama wanted her five bridesmaids to wear tea-length dresses and had originally chosen a champagne hue. “Because the color was so close to my dress, I decided black would be classier.

Everyone looks good in black! I found the dresses at Dillards and knew it was the look I wanted. Wanda Nickel made their sashes, just a simple champagne ribbon that helped coordinate the colors. My flower girl wore an ivory dress from Belk.”

It’s All About The Blooms
Jama wanted everyone to feel like they were stepping into a fairy tale so she chose mostly roses and hydrangeas – delicate and feminine.

“My mother designed and arranged almost all of the flowers – from dried hydrangea wreaths to the table arrangements and my bridesmaids’ pomanders!”

She wanted a mixture of silk, dried, and real flowers, the latter (her bouquet, the corsages and boutonnieres), coming from Bouquet Florist.

“They did an excellent job. I loved my bouquet to which we attached an antique locket holding a picture of my parents on their wedding day. Now, the locket, which I wear as a necklace, contains an additional picture – of Randy and me on our wedding day.”

It’s A Celebration!
Jama did not want to walk down the aisle to Canon D. “I wanted something different so I chose a beautiful piano piece from the movie Cold Mountain.”

The mothers were seated to Moon River – her mom’s favorite, growing up. Dancing down the aisle after the ceremony was a last minute decision – one of which most of the wedding party was not excited about at first. Jama had seen it done on YouTube videos and thought, “Hey, why not? It’s a celebration!”

It’s not the norm, for sure, she admits, “but actually it’s the one thing that everyone has talked about – especially my brother’s dancing!”

For the reception, she wanted classy music - love songs that spanned several eras, especially her favorite big band music.

“I surprised Randy by having sung and recorded the song, with the help of our good friend John Cockman, for our first dance. I was really nervous about it, but Randy always said he loves when I sing to him. I don’t ever sing in front of people and it was really hard for me to do.”

Sweet, Simple And Sacred
Randy and Jama agreed to make the ceremony sweet and simple with the inclusion of communion.

“We wanted to make sure that God was constantly at the center of our wedding as He is in our lives and our relationship. My dad, a gifted craftsman, made our communion cup, very precious to us and exactly what we wanted. After communion, Randy prayed for us, which was probably the most precious moment of my wedding. Having your husband pray for you and your relationship is so awesome.”

A Promise Kept
Jama wanted a special moment with her dad before he gave her away. “Pastor Scott helped me plan that part, which we called ‘A Promise Kept.’ On my 16th birthday, my father gave me a promise ring to signify a vow that I made to him, to myself, and God, that I would remain pure until I got married. On my wedding day, I gave the ring back to my dad.”

Sweet Confections

We had fun choosing the cake from City Bakery in Asheville; they did a great job. I love cakes with flowing fondant flowers! I also wanted a wooden cake tray to hold the cake and had someone from Boone make one. My dad carved a big wooden M for Maples as our cake topper that’s very special to us.”

Happily Ever After
After the reception, the newlyweds departed for their western Caribbean cruise, which included stops at the Grand Cayman Islands and Cozumel for snorkeling and touring the Mayan Ruins.

“Randy reserved us the penthouse suite on the ship with its own private balcony. After the cruise, Randy took me to Charleston, SC, where I’d always wanted to visit. This part of our honeymoon – his gift to me – was a surprise; he told me about it after our ceremony. We visited the museums and took the carriage ride down Battery Street to see all the historic houses. It was a wonderful honeymoon and a great start to living happily ever after.”

Mr. and Mrs. Randy Maples are now residing in Asheville. Randy is employed at Eaton Corporation; Jama is planning to continue her education in the fall.