24 VIPPensacola.com
Visiting Pensacola her entire life, and having a place
to call home in East Hill and Portofino, Caroline had
fallen in love with Old Christ Church in her youth,
and knew it was where she wanted to be married.
On September 9, 2017, as Hurricane Irma bared
down on the Gulf Coast, Caroline’s wish was granted.
“I was so nervous, and there were several last-minute
cancellations from guest’s due to the weather, but my
mother and the team we had in place continued to
reassure me that all would be fine,” said Caroline.
With most of the wedding party and guests coming
from out of town, Portofino was the perfect lodging
choice. The bridesmaids lunched in Caroline’s parents’
condo where catering was provided by Portofino and
Classic City Catering before returning to their own
accommodations in the same tower to dress. The
groomsmen enjoyed the Alabama football game in
their condo located in a different tower. Two trollies
whisked the bride and groom with their prospective
bridal party members and families to Bartram Park,
named after the famous naturalist William Bartram,
where Caroline and Joiner had their first look.
Family and friends gathered together to celebrate
the couple’s marriage at Old Christ Church. The
family’s former Point Washington United Methodist
pastor, Tonya Elmore, drove from Enterprise, Alabama,
to officiate, and Sean Dietrich, a friend from Brewton,
Alabama, now living in South Walton and beloved for
his storytelling as Sean of The South, played acoustic
guitar making the ceremony even more sentimental.
Also sentimental was the rehearsal dinner held
at 511 Palafox, a Pensacola building rich in history.
Guests enjoyed incredible food while John Ripley, a
well-known local pianist played. The speeches were
short but did not leave an eye dry, especially when
Caroline’s step-father, Philip, flatpicked his acoustic
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