Guests were given tiny potted succulents as
wedding favors and were treated to a variety of
cupcakes and cookies decorated for the occasion.
But as always, once the focus returned to the two of them, all was well. In front of their family and friends, Mason and Carissa exchanged both traditional vows and personal ones. They also performed a foot-washing ceremony to symbolize how they wanted to start their lives together. “In the Bible, it talks about how Jesus washes his disciples’ feet, and it’s a very humbling experience,” Carissa says. “So we wanted to emulate that and start our marriage off with that servitude toward each other.” A “mocktail hour” followed, with drinks like the Pikes Peak Peach Bellini to pay tribute to Mason’s Colorado hometown and the Mountain Mama Blackberry Spritzer, a nod to Carissa’s beloved West Virginia. As the newlyweds prepared for their grand exit, another happy accident created one of the most magical moments of all. After closing the reception with “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” their getaway car was nowhere to be found. “We’re standing in the middle of all these people holding sparklers, all our friends and family, and the song ends, and our car’s still not quite there,” Carissa says. “So then everyone just starts singing the song again, a cappella this time. That was probably one of my favorite parts—obviously that song means a lot to me, and it was the biggest day of my life with the person I love most.”
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