Groom wedding gift

I must have always known you'd be the belle of my ball.... Something out of fairy tales, the diamond in my ring. Should be my dreams are made of magic dust and wishes that look like you.

In a pasture just outside Goshen, Arkansas, Albert Skiles built a wedding gift. The chapel, on part of his 12acre homestead, was for his bride-to-be Lisa Knemeyer. "We wanted to marry in a place that would represent our values and passions. Lisa loves gardening, and I'm an architect. Most important, we wanted the involvement of family and friends in the planning and building from the beginning," Albert says. "There was a wonderful spark that stayed alive throughout the entire process."

Lisa planted hyacinth bean around the base of the structure. It quickly grew into a lacy veil over the chapel. The purple beans and blossoms embellished the delicate fabric of foliage.

"We wanted our wedding to be completely unforgettable. There was no question it would be outdoors," says Lisa. "There were things about that field that I just daydreamed about," she says. "The big oak tree and, of course, the red barn had to be part of the setting."

She, like Albert, talks about the wedding being a collaborative event. "From our first ideas about the chapel, we had such fun with our friends and family. The wedding was such a joyful celebration at the end of this wonderful year of planning," she says. For more of Lisa's handiwork, see "The Bride's Touch," on page 112

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jul 1999
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