Beauty in Blizzard Wedding 2018

by Dina Sleiman

Christi and Adam Giedd's Blizzard Wedding!
Photo Credits: Perspective Photography

On January 5^th 2018, my only daughter got married. Of course this was one of the most important days of her life, but as I had spent the previous five months in a haze of wedding planning—respectful to the wishes of the bride and groom of course—it was one of the most important days of my life too. And although both my daughter and I were determined to keep the wedding—and the cost—in perspective, we had gone to great lengths to make the day special for the bride and groom, as well as all the guests. 

Vintage travel-themed wedding.

Burgundy and blush with navy and gold accents, vintage travel theme, classic roses, an idyllic old Southern home as the venue. Much time and love had gone into each step of the process, from handmade centerpieces and 40 hand-ironed tablecloths, to unique country themed decorations for each table, to a beautiful binder full of packing lists, schedules, and layout plans.

Bridesmaids on the porch in their burgundy and blush.

We had hoped for a beautiful 70 degree Virginia winter day, or at least 50 degrees and sunny so we could use the huge, graceful porch on the century-old home we had rented while we rearranged the ballroom between the ceremony and reception. And instead we got…Virginia Beach’s only blizzard on record.

I love this shot of Christi! Check out the shoes.

I. Kid. You. Not. For a few hours the day before, we seriously wondered if there would be a wedding or if all our dreams of the last five months would go up in a puff of SNOW! And although the storm added its own sense of stress and confusion, in the end, it added so much beauty to our day as well.

Wedding rings in the snow.

Blizzard Wedding Blues

As we approached the day and realized facing winter storm Grayson was inevitable, we kept up our faith. The worst of the snow would be finished a good 24 hours before the wedding, and the reporters were calling for about 3 to 5 inches. That should give some time for the major roads to be cleared. Plus we were praying hard, and we picked up all our rentals a day early. No point in listening to that extreme model hinting there could be up to two feet of snow, right? Everything would be fine.

Snow can't stop true love.

Nonetheless, plans shifted and we kept all the bridesmaids and groomsmen who had arrived in town at our house to be on the safe side. The next morning when we saw the thick blanket of white covering the ground, we realized plans for the outdoor bachelor party might need to change. When flights started getting canceled, we got resourceful and began looking for alternate routes to get people to Virginia Beach.

Snow shoes - too cute.

We made sure our venue would even be open, and good news, it was! They had access to a generator if the power went out, and would plow and shovel the surrounding area. But then…my husband couldn’t get the van out of the neighborhood. And my friend with a big truck got stuck in his cul-de-sac, and my brother-in-law with one of the canceled flights got stuck on a major highway en route from D.C. And I started to crack.

I almost cracked, but Christi and Adam are cracking up.

By that time we knew there had been at least eighteen inches of snow in our southern city that could be crippled by two. We only have a handful of snow plows for the whole area. They start with the highways, then the major city streets, and then…wait around for the rest to melt. My husband and I decided our only hope was to find friends with four wheel drive vehicles, so we called a different brother-in-law with a Jeep to pick up the stranded one, and my husband continued making calls. But by this time, we could only hope against hope that somehow a wedding would still happen the next day. Our wedding slogan, "The Adventure Begins," took on a whole new meaning.

No joke, the slogan of the wedding, "The Adventure Begins..."

Beauty in Community

As I mentioned, I was starting to crack. I had been hiding in my room for a while. But as I did my daily devotions, I was directed to Revelation 21:2, "And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." It brought to mind all of the scriptures about brides and bridegrooms and wedding celebrations, and reminded me that God cares about weddings too. My daughter seemed to be doing a bit better than me. She’d be getting married, somehow, even if by skype, the next day no matter what.

The blissful bride and adoring groom.

But honestly, I was the one who had poured so much time and money into the occasion, and had thought through every detail backwards, forwards, and upside down. Finally, although my friend who was supposed to help me with the flowers couldn’t get to me, I started working on them nonetheless. I figured wedding or not, they’d be dying in a few days, so I might as well put them into bouquets.

Those bouquets got some use after all!

Boy was I wishing I’d spent $100 for wedding insurance at that moment. I felt sick. Almost like a death. The death of a dream, I suppose. What about all the prayers? Where had we gone wrong? Didn’t God care? I kept trying to cling to the scripture passage I’d read that morning.

More flowers. Good thing we made them.

My hands were shaking so hard that I couldn’t do much, but I started sorting and prepping the flowers. Before long, the bridesmaids joined in, and one even had some experience with floral arranging. It gave me something to do, something positive, something hopeful. The brother-in-laws finally made it to our house safely, and we decided to send the Jeep to scope out our church, which was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner site.

The snow-covered Woman's Club of Portsmouth made an idyllic backdrop.

But then came back another dim report. The guys couldn’t get into the church driveway. Between the length of the driveway, and the giant pile of snow made by a snowplow blocking the entrance to said driveway, there was no hope.

Groomsmen and father of the bride hard at work.

That might have been our lowest point. Even my positive, perky daughter began to show the wear and tear. If we couldn’t manage a rehearsal dinner, how could we possibly expect a wedding the next day? It finally hit my husband that we’d missed our window to cancel the rehearsal food, and due to our decision to press forward the new in-laws would be losing money. Then, at that lowest point, a neighbor we hardly knew knocked on the door.

The groomsmen thawed out nicely and had a great wedding day.

My husband had walked over to the man’s house earlier that day, knowing only that he was a nice, helpful guy, and that he had a very big truck. As we told Gary our sad tale, my daughter ran down the stairs and gave Gary, who she was just in the process of meeting, a big hug. In that moment (he later told us) Gary said to himself, “I have to do something.” So, nearly-a-stranger Gary, a.k.a. our wedding angel, rallied the troops. He said, “Grab some guys and some shovels. We can get in there. We can do it!” 

Happy couple in the snow.

That’s when the tide turned and a flood of community really began to surround as. Groomsmen and friends dug us into the church. A caravan of four wheel drive vehicles shuttled us to the rehearsal dinner. The owner of the restaurant we had ordered food from cooked our dinner himself since his workers couldn’t make it in. My friend finally arrived at my house and constructed the most gorgeous bridal bouquet, and the wedding went on!

Gorgeous bridal bouquet by my friend Paula Smith

Beauty in Letting Go

The next morning we were just so thankful to be having a wedding at all, there was absolutely no sweating of the small stuff. The caterer had no workers, couldn’t fit the silver chafing dishes, and needed picked up by our 4wd caravan, but he made it with all the food! We were ecstatic! No hair dresser, no problem. We’ll do it ourselves! The photographer has no assistant and needs a ride. We’ve got this! Forget the fourteen foot ladder, we’ll find something lower to hang fabric from. And in a happy final turn of events, friends somehow managed to get the seven-foot-cross to the venue, creating a stunning centerpiece for the ceremony.

The cross made a stunning and fitting centerpiece for the ceremony.

My sister and sister-in-law, who had offered to help me with the wedding, went above beyond and were true rock stars in the midst of our post-blizzard storm. My pastor and his wife were amazing too, there to help, support, and encourage us all the way. And due to the unexpected snow, the groom’s parents and a few other friends ended up at the venue early and helped out as well. In fact, everyone, I mean everyone, pitched in.

Pastor Bill Heffelfinger of Acts 2 Church not only officiated, but might have helped with tablecloths too.

Yes, there was extra confusion with all the planning just to get people and supplies to the venue. But we were so much more grateful for each element that went right and amazed by how lovely everything turned out, falling into place just in the nick of time. In the end, we were missing two bridesmaids, two grandparents, and about a third of the guests. But we were so truly blessed and honored by each and every person who braved the snow to join us that day, and blissfully shocked as a surprising number of out of town guests drove in despite everything. We felt so surrounded by love, a feeling I’ll never forget.

Mother of the bride, Dina Sleiman, accompanied by nephew Luke.

The ceremony was beautiful. The message inspiring. The vows funny and touching. People felt blessed just watching such joyful expression. The snow couldn’t stop true love!

Welcome to the wedding of Christi & Adam! We made it!

Beauty in the Unexpected

And our historic winter storm brought delightful surprises as well. Starting with the most gorgeous wedding pictures ever, as I hope you’ll agree. We’ll have those treasured photos for the rest of our lives. And after the ceremony, our community surrounded us again, helping with the food to give the lone caterer a hand.

Now imagine this food in beautiful silver chafing dishes...

That neighbor we hardly knew…he had served in our caravan for two days, and we were thrilled that he brought his wife and daughter to join in the party. My own daughter welcomed all crashers on Facebook, and in a fun twist, a number of friends we couldn’t have fit on our normal guest list took us up on the offer.

Christi Sleiman's side of the family.

After all that, I found the best part of the whole wedding for me was shaking off the stress and planning and organizing of the day and dancing with friends and family, freely and with abandon at the end of my roller coaster experience. I had hardly given a thought to the dancing other than checking if my daughter had made a play list and handed it over to the sound person. And there it was, the best part of my day.

Dina Sleiman dancing with son Jonny.

But beyond all of that, there was a quieter beauty too. The beauty in discovering that although God had not done this wedding thing our way, He had by no means forgotten us. Like a bridegroom for His bride, He had been there with us, providing, supporting, and loving us every step of the way.

A bridegroom's love for his beautiful bride.

Visit Perspective Photography for more of Christi and Adam's wedding pictures.

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Dina Sleiman writes stories of passion and grace. By day this wife and mother of three nearly grown children utilizes her writing gifts with worldwide humanitarian organization Operation Blessing. She won the Carol Award from the American Christian Fiction Writers in 2016 for her cross-over YA novel, Dauntless. Check out Dina's many titles on Amazon or visit her website http://dinasleiman.com for more info.

The Deep Within Saga (FINALLY!) Continues

by Dina Sleiman

Hi, Inkwell followers. If you dig way back in your memories, you might recall my contemporary novel, Dance from Deep Within. And if you happened to actually read this novel, you might remember that there was a teaser for book 2 in the back.

Fast-forward four years, and where is book 2? Well, that's a bit of a saga itself. I actually wrote book 2 shortly after book 1 released in late 2013. I even made a verbal agreement with WhiteFire to publish book 2. But, around that same time, I also had the idea for my YA Valiant Hearts series. And when Bethany House Publishers purchased that series, I had a strict exclusivity clause that didn't allow me to publish Dare from Deep Within during the duration of that contract. These things happen in the publishing world...no hard feelings.

Except that a number of my readers were seriously disappointed not to get the next installment of the Deep Within series in a timely manner. So I'm happy to announce that the moment has nearly arrived. Next week, exactly four years after the release of book 1, Dare from Deep Within will finally release!!!

And I have to say, I love this series, probably more than any of my other books. I love the strong sisterhood bond and the theme of intimacy with Christ and searching for truth from deep within found in book 1, along with the romance, humor, and drama that ensues. In book 2, the saga continues as the gang must work together to save an abused friend, with all the humor, romance, and spiritual depth that you might expect from the sequel in this series, plus a greater sense of suspense and urgency as they face the darker, terror-ridden side of Islam. The book examines risks and taking chances for what we truly believe.

I hope you didn't give up on me after so many years, and that you're still excited to read the next installment. And if you haven't picked up the Deep Within series yet, I invite you to start with book 1!

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Book 1 - Dance from Deep Within

Despite her conservative Muslim heritage, Layla Al-Rai longs for a chance to earn her degree in engineering and perhaps even...dare she dream...to choose her own husband. But young women from her background rarely enjoy such freedoms. When she finally talks her parents into letting her attend college, she is drawn to fellow twenty-something students, Allie and Rain, over a class project. 

Allie, the blonde ballerina, faces her own struggles as she deals with an ex-fiancé and a church she had hoped to leave behind. Rain, the bi-racial hippie chick, longs for something to believe in, but her questioning could cost her the love of her life. 

When Layla's childhood sweetheart reenters her world, it seems her dreams might become real. Until everything falls apart. When she meets truth face to face, will she find the courage to accept it even if it requires the ultimate sacrifice?

Order now







Book 2 - Dare from Deep Within

Three young women from varying backgrounds risk everything to help a friend escape her abusive family. Still at odds with her own Muslim parents, Layla faces unexpected challenges when her childhood companion shows up on her doorstep. 

As Fatima risks everything for freedom, her desperate circumstances draw a new circle of friends who will be forever changed by her plight. Layla, the Muslim-background believer, turns to a forbidden boyfriend for the guidance both to protect Fatima and to find her identity apart from her parents and her former culture. Rain, the bi-racial hippie chick, secrets Fatima away from her violent family, but as the experience draws her closer to Christ, Rain's own relationship with her significant other, James, will suffer the consequences. Sarah, an ultra-conservative Christian on the surface, is torn between a desire to help Fatima and a need to conceal her shameful double life and dangerous habits from her older sister Allie. 

As they struggle to safely guide this courageous young woman through a maze of intrigue and terrorism, all will be forced to ask what they are willing to risk for love, for each other, and for God.

Pre-order paperback now. Or stop back after November 15th to order the ebook!

A Refreshing Surprise - Dear. Mr. Knightley

by Dina Sleiman

True confession time. For about the last two years, I’ve been so burnt out on writing and editing, that I’ve done very little pleasure reading. Finally, I see a glimpse of light on my reading horizon, and this week I discovered an amazing book that catapulted me on my way toward a renewed love of reading. But I almost missed out on it. Why? Because I had some preconceived notions against the conventions of the book.

 Lots of readers have them. “I don’t like first person,” “I hate present tense,” “I only want the hero and heroines point of view.” And the list goes on. For the most part, I’m pretty eclectic with my reading. I like the new and surprising. I get tired of a single genre and adore writing that’s experimental and takes risks, but I have my limits too, and one of those limits was that I don’t like novels written as letters.

When I saw that Dear Mr. Knightley and two other books by Katherine Reay were on sale as a collection for $2.99, my interest was immediately piqued, because I’ve wanted to give these books a try for a while. But as I read the sample on kindle and saw that it was written in letters, my enthusiasm waned. Nonetheless, I kept reading, and at some point it caught my interest enough to go ahead and purchase the books.

What ensued was not just a book, not just pleasure reading, but a powerful and moving literary experience. It haunted me as I read it; characters visited me in my dreams. The letters slowly pull you closer and closer into the world of a young woman seeking her Master’s in Journalism who grew up in an abusive home and then a series of foster homes. Not surprisingly, she has some serious wounds and attachment issues, yet the book isn’t dark. It’s delightful, full of literary allusions and insightful comments on human nature. As it progresses, the romance element blossoms skillfully as well, and the ending is surprising and wonderful, bringing the story full circle. I love a good surprise in a book, which is probably why I quickly become bored with category fiction.

I don’t want to say much more. Instead I want you to experience this wonderful book for yourself. Do you have preconceptions against any given convention in fiction? I propose that you just haven’t found the right book yet. I mean, who can imagine Divergent or Hunger Games without the immediacy of the first person present tense narrator? Different stories call for different conventions. Give a try to something new in your reading, and see what you might discover.

Release Party - Austen in Austin (Volume 2)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good looks must be in want of an Inkwell release party to host.

Howdy, y’all! Here at Inkwell, we’re celebrating the release of Austen in Austin, Volume 2 today. In case you missed Volume 1 (available here), the idea behind A-in-A is to take the plots and characters of Jane Austen’s novels and transfer them to Old West-era Texas. 

Austin, Texas, of course.

So, pull on your boots and mount your horse. We’re heading back to the Hill Country to throw a Texas-sized release party.

Let's look at the blurb of this delightful 4-in-1 collection of Austen-inspired stories:

Simply Lila by Suzie Johnson, based on Lady Susan
Yearning to find a real-life hero, a wallflower must learn to live outside the pages of an Austen novel. 

Fully Persuaded by Niki Turner, based on Persuasion
A brokenhearted artist struggles with the shame of her family's bankruptcy and the return of her first love whose proposal she'd spurned because he was poor. 

Mansford Ranch by Dina L. Sleiman, based on Mansfield Park
An aspiring novelist with a keen eye for character must determine who is worthy of playing her own leading man. 

Sense and Nonsense by Lisa Karon Richardson, based on Sense and Sensibility
A would-be missionary is determined to make it to Ceylon, but when her funds disappear, she has to accept help from the man she most wants to avoid.

Hmm. Is it just my imagination, or do those blurbs tell us a lot about the heroines, but not much about the handsome swains who capture their hearts? Well, we can fix that--in the interest of fairness, of course. Gentlemen, let the party begin!

Ah, up first, Mr. Kirby Ross, come to take our order.

For some strange reason, Texas suddenly feels even warmer than usual. Perhaps Mr. Ross will start us off with a nice, refreshing beverage.

Bless your heart, Mr. Ross. This is perfect. Ah, I mean the lemonade, of course. 

Doesn't he make a fine waiter for a man who trained to be an engineer? Mr. Ross is here in Austin to oversee the installation of the "moonlight towers."

No, no. Not that tower, although it looks lovely in moonlight, and I understand Mr. Ross has a fascination with the French language. Or is it just the local French teacher that has captured his interest?

Ah, here comes that opposite-of-cold Mr. Ford Winters...

... with a tasty little snack for everyone.

How...delicious. It's so nice to have Mr. Ford back in Texas. I hear guacamole isn't the only green stuff he carries with him these days, if you know what I mean.

He's done quite well for himself, courtesy of a Colorado silver mine. Much better than that think-they're-better-than-the-rest-of-us Ellis family and their too-compliant daughter Annie. So glad they finally got their comeuppance! 

But back to more amusing matters. No party in Austin would be complete without some prime Texas beef.

Whoops! That's not the beef. That's hunky cowboy Eddie Mansford bringing us a platter of grilled-to-perfection steaks from the Mansford Ranch. Mr. Mansford knows a bit about perfection--he's helping his longtime friend determine if she has found the perfect suitor...or if she'll need to lasso someone closer to home.

Goodness, things are sizzling now! In fact, I feel downright hot. Almost as if--

Gracious! The hotel is on fire! Luckily Mr. James Ferris is on hand to rescue us...

with something cool.

Oh, that Mr. Ferris is such a peach. Undoubtedly, however, he will need all the sweetness he can summon to assist a certain woman from his past.

Congrats Suzie, Niki, Dina, and Lisa for whipping up some delicious treats even yummier than chocolate!

(I meant the books. You knew that, right???)

Ebook version only $3.99. Click here.

Print version $14.99. Click here. 

A Courageous Release Party!!!

Courageous, book 3 in Dina Sleiman's Valiant Hearts series, released this week, so looks like it's time to party again!!! And since Courageous follows a group of brave men, women, and children on a grand crusade, I think a progressive party is in order.

Looks like Dina's all ready to go in her medieval get up. So where should we start? How about the same place our crusaders do, with a commissioning at a grand medieval cathedral. I don't suppose we'll have much in the way of refreshments. The communion bread and wine will have to do, but I'm sure it will be a special and memorable experience nonetheless.

Where to next? Why a medieval ship of course, for our long trek across the sea. I'm afraid we mostly have hard bread, dried beef, and cheese to offer, but there's plenty of raucous singing and dancing on shipboard at night. And just wait, the fare is about to get much better!!!

Finally, we've arrived: our beautiful crusader castle in the crusader state of Tripoli along the Mediterranean Sea. Pull up a colorful, silken cushion and take a seat around our low tables as we listen to exotic Middle Eastern music.

Our waiters might be a little gruff looking in their chain mail and crusader tunics, but don't worry, the food here is divine. 

These crusader lords are almost as Middle Eastern as they are European after nearly a century here. Enjoy tabouli salad, hummus, pita bread, falafel, spiced rice, shish kebabs, and more! We also have a variety of fresh local fruits, nuts, and olives.

And for desert, Middle Eastern sweets made with real sugar along with Turkish coffee.

That's just a taste of the exciting medieval adventure that awaits you in Courageous. You'll definitely want to check this one out!

Where Adventure and Romance Meet

Inspired by the vision of the Young Lady Sapphira, Rosalind of Ipsworth joins a group of men, women, and children as a defender of the cross, seeking to free captives from prisons near Tripoli. She gladly gives herself to the cause, as she's haunted by a tragic mistake and no longer deserves such joys as marriage and family might bring.

Sir Randel Penigree was reared to serve in the church, but dreams of protecting the innocent as a knight. Joining a crusade to escape humiliation at home, he finds himself drawn to Rosalind as they partner to train and protect a group of young adolescents. When they face political machinations, danger, and an unknown enemy bent on their destruction, they are forced to reconsider their priorities and the very nature of the God they serve.

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Find all of the Valiant Hearts books on amazon. In addition to the newly released Courageous, Dauntless is currently free for ebooks and Chivalrous is under $4. All three are available in print as well.