Harrison & Savanna McElheney: A Fairy Tale Wedding

Photos by DEAR WESLEYANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Savanna Nelson and Harrison McElheney were married on April 11, 2015 at First United Methodist Church in Panama City by Pastor Ivan Beach and Savanna’s grandfather, Reverend Ken Autrey . Savanna’s parents were married at the same church 28-years ago.

During the ceremony, Harrison’s cousin Suzanne sang “The Lord’s Prayer” a cappella. A reception followed at the St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club. The guests were greeted with Savanna’s signature pink champagne cocktail as they walked into a tent filled with elegant chandeliers and beautiful floral arrangements. The guests enjoyed delicious cuisine including some items special to the bride and groom such as venison-stuffed pastries and ahi tuna. The bride, the groom, their families, and a majority of friends all graduated from Bay High School and the Bay High Million Dollar Band surprised all of the guests by marching in to the reception playing the alma mater. The bride and groom have a passion for the water so leaving the reception on the same boat they got engaged on was very important to them. As they idled away from the dock, fireworks exploded and the night ended with a bang!

The Love Story

Harrison and Savanna first met at Bay High School . They had been friends for most of their high school years. Harrison was studying at Darton State College and Savanna was a senior at Bay High School when they went on their first date. From that point on, they were inseparable.

As they grew closer, they discovered they had a lot in common. Their personalities complemented each other, their interests and hobbies were the same, and both are very active individuals. They have strong family values. Savanna and Harrison feel that their parents were exceptional role models. It was important to them to mold their relationship after their parents’ example. “Our parents love is what set us up to love each other the way we do,” says Savanna.

“Our parents love is what set us up to love each other the way we do.”
Harrison describes Savanna as having a kind and gentle way about her. “Her beauty is starting from within and is shining brightly on whomever she meets.”

Savanna tells us that she likes to brag about how hard Harrison works and admires his knack for business. She loves to see the soft spot he has for children. This is another passion they share, they both love children. He has been successful and business has been good, but the biggest project the Hallmark Flower Shoppe would ever have would be the flowers for his own wedding. This was the wedding that would count the most.

The proposal

Savanna remembers the day that Harrison proposed in every detail. “While I knew this was coming because we’d already started talking about wedding plans, I wasn’t quite sure what Harrison was up to. He planned it for a weekend that we were competing in an annual fishing tournament at St . Andrews Bay Yacht Club. I was on a team with his mom and his sister and Harrison was on a team with his dad and some close friends.

Midday of the tournament, we met at Harrison’s house to eat lunch. He said we needed to gas the boat up and we should take Gage (our dog) for a ride with us. We left the dock and idled slowly in the bayou, supposedly to check some traps along the way. He sent me to the front of the boat to be the lookout . At one point he asked me to call Gage to me because he was underfoot . Gage obliged happily when I called him. As he was coming towards me I noticed something hooked to his collar. It was bright in color and flopping about as he approached me. In a split second as I focused on the object around his neck, I realized it was a ring. The ring! At that point Harrison was down on one knee, asking me to marry him! I was completely shocked and happily accepted.”

With a happy smile, Savanna tells us “This was not the way I envisioned how the proposal would be. My hair was in a messy ponytail. I was wearing a tee-shirt and shorts, still dirty from the morning’s fishing tournament.” But Harrison tells us he knew the moment was right, and she was a vision to him, because he knew she was “the one.” Today, Savanna thinks the day was perfect and she wouldn’t change a thing about the way it unfolded.

The ring!
With the diamond being an heirloom from Harrison’s grandmother’s ring, this ring is a one-of-a-kind with a very special significance. “We wanted Harrison’s grandmother to be a part of our special day and when Harrison’s mother passed the diamond on to us, she felt that his grandmother would always be with us,” says Savanna.

Savanna is currently pursuing her degree in Elementary Education at Florida State University and is looking forward to beginning her teaching career. Harrison is the owner of Hallmark Flower Shoppe, a business his grandparents started 40 years ago in Panama City. They both plan to follow their passions and are planning to raise a family in the future.

When asked if they have advice for other young couples, Savanna and Harrison both agree that they are new to ‘this marriage thing’ and that, at this point, they are accepting advice rather than giving it. They are very happy that they are surrounded by a loving group of people who can guide them along the way. They say that the most special thing is that they now are not only best friends, but husband and wife!

Harrison and Savanna want to extend a special thanks to everyone who made their wedding so spectacular. “We would like to thank our loving parents for giving us the most beautiful and incredible wedding. Thanks to our bridal party, friends, and family for sharing our special day with us, especially those who traveled to be here. A huge ‘Thank You’ to the employees of Hallmark Flowers for the exceptional effort they put forth . They spent countless hours making this a beautiful event.”