“LOOK HIGHER”
We reached 10k followers on Instagram & 15K followers on TikTok in April of 2024,
the same month The Cornealius Properties Lewis Atkinson reception area “Heritage Hall” will be complete!
A moment to reflect.
Written by Brooke + Photographed by Kristin Lassiter Photography
My life long best friend got married out of state in 2020, at a chapel, during Covid (after her wedding had to be rescheduled 3 times) she had an intimate wedding on a Monday and I got the opportunity to do the flowers for her. I rented the largest U-haul van I could find and we picked as many flowers as we could, loaded them up and drove them over nine hours away. We made a stop along the way and stayed at a hotel, we unloaded all of the flowers onto luggage carts and loaded them in elevators and carried them into our hotel room, (it was HOT!) we had the AC on full blast. The next morning, we reloaded them all, and continued our journey. We also contacted a local wholesaler somewhere along the way and picked up tons of roses. It was my life long best friends wedding who was and is “FAMILY”, also, my first real wedding I got to do the flowers for! My lifelong best friend, the same girl I was swimming 10 miles out in the Atlantic ocean with, holding hands, praying to God He would send someone to save us; After the boat we were on fishing capsized…. The girl I have walked through many seasons of life with…. On her FABULOUS and PERFECT intimate wedding day, we talked to the owners of the property where she was married! She and her family encouraged us, “build a CHAPEL back home”…. “YALL should do this”….. My moms wheels were turning; she knew my dad and his crew members could DO IT and she and I could design it! Mom saved pictures from magazines of fancy white barns for years. I had dreamed of having a wedding venue as a lovely counterpart to the Flower Farm. Actually, I dreamed of having a wedding venue long before I dreamed of having a Flower Farm..
My dad had the vision for the chapel on the property it was constructed on. I had toyed around with two other hypothetical places. Little did I know, we already HAD the perfect spot for a CHAPEL… IN THE WOODS! He convinced me; I thought it would be a way for us to “KEEP” mine and Kenneth‘s first house. My parents had many offers on the farm even tho it wasn’t for sale (they rented it to long term renters in-between) and I’m sentimental, I wanted to “keep” this property after we had made so many good memories here together as a family!
A WEDDING VENUE WAS BORN… OUT OF NO WHERE!!!!
In 2015, this entire farm was overgrown, dilapidated, and the local fire department offered to burn down the structures (The “honeymoon house” and “The Camp”) for my family as a training! You truly wouldn't recognize it (Thank God, Google Maps have been updated)!
I remeber:
I HOPED we would do at least a few weddings a month…
I told my husband I thought we would still be able to hang out at what we called “the camp” as a family regularly (HA!) …
I hoped some of my photos of floral designs featuring flowers we grew on the farm would be featured in magazines…
I hoped the venue would somehow justify growing thousands of flowers and the farm could keep growing larger…
Nothing but PRAISE!
God has shown me, time and time again, that He pours out his blessings in abundance much more than I could and can ever imagine or hope for. There have been many times along the way, that me, my dad, and my mom have thought, “this has all become crazy”! But I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God has blessed this or it would not continue to GROW. I know that we are living in His will…. Most of the time, it feels like a big party, helping people celebrate the best of times!
NONE of this would be the same without the people who are a part of it all with me. I thank God for wisdom He has given me and my family since the beginning….. “The Cornealius Properties will be a blessing to your extended family” … And I am thankful for other community members who are “team Neal”! This IS far reaching, this IS life changing; not only for all of the couples and family’s that come here, but for all the people who have made this such a big part of their LIFE with us and benefit financially from this place. I felt God whisper to me just yesterday; “YOU haven’t seen ANYTHING YET”… It made me cry and LAUGH! I know my grandparents and my great grandparents are CHEERING in Heaven for this growing dream! Until we meet again… AMEN.
The best of times, here, on earth, together… Growing a dream!
We can’t WAIT for our first event here on the “completed property” THIS MONTH (late) APRIL!