The Beginning...
A
nn and Gresham both attended Fort Walton Beach
High School in the mid-90’s and although they knew
one another, they often found themselves in different
circles throughout high school. However, it was only a
matter of time before fate would bring these two together. They
graduated a year apart and left for college in different states. After
college, they both moved back to the Destin area for small stints
at separate times before both moving away again. After several
years in Atlanta, Ann began to miss the beach and decided to move
back home again in 2010. Fate was starting to be on their side as
Gresham finished law school in 2011 and decided to move back
home to practice law with his father at Anchors Smith Grimsley in
Fort Walton.
“We first ran into each other at Half Hitch Tackle in Destin, a
very romantic setting. It wasn’t long after that Gresham messaged
me about whether I was going to a Christmas party,” stated Ann.
However, Ann didn’t attend the Christmas party that year and it
took another two years of running into one another before they
decided to meet for a drink. They quickly realized that they grew up
in very similar families, which made things easy for them since they
shared the same values.
Ann realized that Gresham was the one when she brought him
to her best friend, Darcy’s birthday party. Ann had grown up with
Darcy’s family and considered them as her own. While Gresham
was never able to meet Ann’s dad, she knew that if he could pass
the test from Daddy DeadFish (as they lovingly refer to Darcy’s dad,
captain of DeadFish Charters), he had to be “The One.” Gresham
“passed” with flying colors and the weekend was fun for all.
The Proposal...
Since she was a child, Ann has always admired sunsets, especially
along the Emerald Coast. The beautiful colors paired with the
emerald green water is just magical. However, during the summer of
2017 sunset views were limited due to a record amount of rainfall.
It was a Saturday and the clouds had finally parted so they decided
to go for a walk. Ann says, “I remember looking at Gresham and
saying, ‘I bet today will have a great sunset!’” He suggested that they
go over to Ann’s mother’s house to watch it since the view there
was incredible. Ann and Gresham were both right, it turned out to
be the sunset of a lifetime. According to Ann, “I was so consumed
with taking a zillion sunset photos, but then I turned around
and there he was on his knee with a ring! Needless to say I was
surprised!”
The Wedding...
The months leading up to the wedding were busy for Ann and
Gresham with work and all of the preparations that go into a 300
guest list wedding. Choosing the wedding venue was one of the
easier decisions for the couple. Since they both grew up in the area,
they knew they wanted something beautiful and local while also
giving their guests an amazing experience. Sandestin Golf and Beach
Resort was able to provide all of this. “When we went on the site
tour we were amazed with all of the different venue options. With
so many amenities, our out of town guests were able to enjoy the
Mae ann
Grelling
Nicholas Gresham
Foster
Newlyweds of Destin
35
photography by
Darris Hartman Photography
35-36 Wedding Grelling - Foster.indd 1
12/27/18 7:10 PM