Lisette Graham Real Richmond Wedding Alzheimer Purple Details

Lisette and Graham
August 18, 2018

How They Met
Lisette and Graham hit it off in the summer of 2015. Lisette had been planning to go out with friends one night but things ended up falling through. Fortunately, her roommate invited her to hang out with him and his friends, Graham being one of them. They connected immediately and ever since that one summer night, everything fell into place.

The Proposal 
Lisette went to The University of Virginia for college and loved every minute of it. When she began dating Graham they quickly fell in love with taking weekend getaways to Charlottesville together. One weekend, they were walking on UVA’s campus when Graham stopped them on the steps of The Rotunda. He got down on one knee and popped the question at one of their favorite places!

The Details 
As a history buff, Lisette knew she wanted a venue with character. She came across their ceremony venue and quickly knew it was the perfect match, adorned by the rich history and a gorgeous backyard. She explains, “When I learned that the Wilton House once hosted then-Governor Thomas Jefferson, I immediately fell in love.”

When it came to planning their wedding, it was important to honor Lisette’s father who was battling Alzheimer’s and unable to attend. For their wedding color, they chose lavender since purple represents Alzheimer’s disease. From that point on, every detail incorporated her father’s honor. “We wrote him a note in our program, we made sure our invitations were carefully designed to mention my father’s name, I carried his photo with me during our family photos, and my husband surprised me with an Amethyst bracelet that represented my dad.” Lisette’s mother and brother shared the special moment of walking her down the aisle. Her brother walked her down the steps and her mother walked her down the aisle. “It was an emotional moment for all three us as we all knew dad would have loved to be there.”

During what would have been the father-daughter dance, Lisette and her mother danced to a song titled “Carmen Rosa” that her mother and father used to dance to when they were dating. Just days before, Lisette, her mother, and her father held hands and danced to the song together. Despite her father’s memory loss, he recognized the meaningful song immediately. A special, unforgettable moment for Lisette and her mother.

Favorite Part of the Day
There were two parts of the day that remain the couple’s favorite. “My favorite part about the wedding was the moment my brother played a recording of my father’s voice from my sweet 15…In his message, my father wishes me all the best and tells me how much he loves me. I had watched the clip many times over the years, but it was not until the wedding day that I realized how relevant that message would be on Graham and I’s special day. My second favorite memory was when Graham and I came out in our dinosaur costumes. It just showed how goofy and funny we are and how much we complement each other.”

Biggest Challenge
“I was fortunate to have the support of my mother and my in-laws throughout the entire planning process. They were very supportive in all our decisions, so from that aspect we didn’t face any challenges (I’ve heard of other couples who do!) I will say it was difficult looking around and not seeing my dad there, but, in some way, I felt his spirit in the room due to all the work Graham and I had done to make sure we felt his presence.”

Best Piece of Advice
“Make sure you take the time to include details in your wedding that really matter to you and your significant other. Often times we get caught up with what Pinterest or blogs portray as the “norm” and the “must-haves” but that’s not often the case. I don’t think coming out to YMCA in dino costumes is the norm but we did it because it made us happy. So make sure you include things that really reflect who you are as a couple!”

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