Meghan Hudson and Brenton Kirkpatrick ~ Just the Two of Us

Photography by Gray Images Photography

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]eghan and Brenton’s wedding had been in the preparation stages for many months. They both looked forward to eloping to Paris, France, to celebrate their union with the Eiffel Tower as backdrop.
“When we first started dating, nine years ago, we said we would love to go to Europe. We really love to travel and so we’ve been everywhere when it comes to city trips in the U.S. or cruises and resorts in the Caribbean and beyond. But I had not been to Europe,” Meghan explains, remembering how exciting the possibility of the destination wedding seemed when Brenton proposed last year.
But like so many other couples in 2020, Meghan and Brenton faced the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to abruptly change all plans.
“We had to cancel all arrangements. The agency that we planned on working with would have taken care of all the details—from having the dress shipped to Paris, to hiring the makeup artist, hairdresser, and ordering the cake. We had also planned the perfect cross-Europe travel itinerary with the help of a friend who had lived in Europe. All of it had to be canceled.”
But Meghan and Brenton still wanted to move forward with their wedding and looked for an alternative. With Brenton as a boat captain for the Navy base, one of the couple’s favorite things to do on weekends is to go out on their boat. Celebrating their wedding close to the water seemed ideal and the bride remembers, “We wondered where we could elope to. We thought about Hawaii and other places on the coast, but with restrictions and quarantining requirements, Brenton asked, ‘Why don’t we get married here and pick a hotel that’s on the water?’”
After all, they wanted to feel safe in their destination choice and the beach as a backdrop was perfect. ”We chose The Pearl in Rosemary Beach because it’s a beautiful place and I love the views from the Havana bar up top,” Meghan says.
Staying close to home was a wonderful decision, even if some of their plans had to be altered along the way as the weather did not quite play along on their big day. Reports about Hurricane Sally coming into the area were all over the news.
Meghan remembers how Brenton got up several times that night, checking his phone, looking at the radar, and following the path of the storm. He knew that the hurricane would make landfall at a safe distance, around 200 miles to the west of Rosemary Beach, but high winds and rain would prevail for the rest of the day in Northwest Florida.
Their rooftop ceremony would not be possible, and Meghan recalls waking up anxious but remembers thinking, “Nothing could make this day bad—not even the rain.”

Luckily, the hairdresser and makeup artist were able to move their scheduled appointments to 6:30 a.m. to get the bride ready for an 11 a.m. ceremony that would take place on the balcony of their room. “Brenton knew I was nervous about the rain but made numerous jokes and continued to make the day special,” Meghan remembers. “No matter what happened, we would make the best of it. He left the room very early so that I could get ready and got champagne for us and was charming and supportive.”
Being undeterred and supporting each other in the most stressful situations comes naturally to Meghan and Brenton. They are like two puzzle pieces that fit together a long time ago and have grown together—steadfast.

“We met 12 years ago and have been together for nine years. We just never put a lot of pressure on getting married. That’s probably the most different thing for us compared to other couples who get married—we have been together for so long,” Meghan says with confidence.
“The most special thing to us is our friendship we had prior to dating. I know a lot of couples say they are best friends, but not many can really say they were best friends prior to dating. When you’re able to get to know one another without the pressure of dating, you really become connected emotionally and everything else follows.” She explains that they are planning on having kids and both wanted to be married before thinking about children. “We obviously love each other very much, and one day, we just said, ‘Why not?’ The planning was the biggest thing. If we knew what we know today about the ease of eloping, we probably would have gotten married five years ago.”

With a beautiful and very private ceremony with just the two of them and the officiant, they were reminded that their love counts most and no hurdles can phase them. Meghan reflects, “From experience, I would tell couples who are planning on getting married that it doesn’t matter if what you planned for that special day goes exactly as planned. Know that love does not need all the fancy ceremonies or receptions; it only needs a husband and wife who are devoted and love each other. Everything else falls into place.”