There’s No Place Like Home

A Walk Down Memory Lane

By Lisa Marie Burwell

The seasons of life ebb and flow, and some are better than others, as we all know too well. It is a time of blessings in my life and those of my extended family members, and I am so grateful for that. It’s wedding season, and having my niece Meghan Ryan Asbury and her bridal party elegantly grace the cover of this issue warms my soul. If a photo is worth a thousand words, this one is worth ten thousand. The picturesque setting at Eden Gardens State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, is exquisite, with the massive old oak trees cascading and framing the image with their wisdom and majesty. They played the backdrop for a real-life true love story. The love and warmth captured in this cover photo by Sydney Jeter are worthy of ushering in our Home & Design edition as she wed her intended, Lucas Asbury, on January 5, 2024. A reception followed at her parents’ home in Seagrove Beach, where Meghan grew up.

T he family dubbed this as the “Father of the Bride wedding.” Meghan said she always wanted her wedding to be at their home, and she just needed to convince her parents—particularly her father, Jim Ryan, who worked tirelessly to make their home wedding-ready in just a few short months. Her beautiful mother, Renee, was the wedding planner, and together, they created a magical backyard wedding with memories to last a lifetime. Dancing, love, smiles, tears, and excitement were not dampened by the rain that fell under a storybook-worthy tent with lanterns that only made everything more magical. Family members on both sides traveled to the Asburys’ wedding, creating a beautiful reunion weekend and making it all the more joyous.

I did not know prior to seeing Meghan’s wedding story written by editor Jordan Staggs that Meghan wanted to have her wedding at Eden Gardens since she was four years old, when she was a precious flower girl in my wedding nearly twenty-eight years ago, along with her adorable cousin Amanda Crowley. My husband, Gerald, and I had our reception at Eden. The blessing of seeing Meghan walk down the aisle there, beaming with starstruck love in her eyes and radiating unabashed beauty, brought me to tears. That led me to look through my photo albums and take a long walk down memory lane to find a few photos from our wedding, which you see here. I would not be where I am without Meghan, who was born just before I ventured to Florida from Boston for a job interview with the town of Seaside. I thought the interview was a perfect opportunity to meet my niece—who looked like an adorable little Tweety Bird—and never dreamed I would accept the position and move here full-time. What a blessing it is to see children grow up and become all they can be. My parents (Meghan’s grandparents) would have loved to have been at another Ryan family celebration filled with dancing and laughter, but they were there in spirit and are so proud of you, Meghan.

It is a big year for Meghan, with a wedding, trips to Paris and the Dominican Republic, and celebrating her debut book, You Are Not Behind: Building a Life You Love Without Having Everything You Want. It is available for preorder on Amazon and will officially be published on September 10. Stay tuned to VIE Speaks: Conversations with Heart & Soul podcast’s fourth season, when Meghan Asbury will be a guest on my podcast to discuss life, love, God, and her new book!

Meghan and Lucas, I pray you have so much fun and embark on many adventures together. May you love one another loudly and boldly so everyone can see the wonderful blessing your union is in the eyes of the Lord.

To LOVE,

—Lisa Marie Burwell

CEO/Editor-in-Chief/Creative Director

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