We reached out to one of our recent Roost brides, Mrs. Jennifer Cashin, to hear more about the backstory between her husband, Chad Cashin, and herself that led to such a fabulous wedding and why she chose The Roost as her ultimate venue! All words are her own, only slightly edited for clarity. All photography is by The Youngs, a Mississippi Gulf Coast-based photography/film duo.
How did you meet?
Jennifer and Chad underneath one of our majestic oak trees. Picture by The Youngs
I met Chad one day in May of 2017. I was headed to work that morning when I saw blue lights in my rear-view mirror. I had no idea why I was getting pulled over, but I was not happy about it obviously. Turns out I was not wearing my seat-belt. I was also in a cast on my right arm and already in a sullen mood because May is the birthday and the anniversary of one of my son’s passing, so it’s a hard month for me anyway. We had also just buried my children’s father in March. So here I was, already crying on my way to work, arm in a cast, giving this cop the “Do I look like a care about a seat-belt right now look?”. That cop was Chad. He realized who I was once I gave him my ID because my ex-husband was also a cop. He asked about the kids and also how I was doing. He found me on Facebook and messaged me. I really had no idea who the message was from by looking at the profile picture. It was just some guy making sure I got to work okay. Half the day had gone by before I realized that the message was from the cop that pulled me over that morning. He checked in on me over the next few weeks. We would make plans to just kind of hang out, and then I would cancel them. May is always just hard for me, and I did not want to bring anyone else down just because I was down. June rolled around, and it was Father’s Day weekend. Neither of us had our kids, so we finally just went for a long Jeep ride along the coast. We really just became friends first, but things just “fit” with him. Everything just fell into place in no time at all.
What were you looking for in a venue & how did you know you had found the right one?
We wanted that Ocean Springs feel but also wanted to feel like we are on vacation. I had quite a few family members coming from out of town and did not want everyone scattered the whole weekend, so having everyone in the same place was important to us. Chad actually suggested it and stopped by first. Then he brought me by another day. There was never a question as to if it was the right place. It was basically “what dates do you have open?”
What song got the most people on the dance floor?
We took the dance floor to the streets of Ocean Springs!! We wanted something unique and fun to do so instead of the traditional reception, so we brought our wedding guests on a second line parade through downtown with Black Water Brass band! It was so much fun!
What are people still talking about from your wedding?
Reading their vows to each other. Picture by The Youngs.
Our vows! It was Chad’s idea to write our vows, and so we did. I was somewhat afraid that he was going to change his mind about it, but that man wrote some incredible vows. He started with reading vows to each one of my 4 children who were ages 13-24 at the time. He even promised my son Riley, the son that has passed, that he’d always be there to comfort me when I am missing him. Not a dry eye in the venue!
Do you have any tips for brides to be to make their day as stress-free as possible?
Do not stress over the small details. Pick the things that matter to you the most, and focus on those things. No one cares if the candles are lit, if the roses are in full bloom, or if the plates are silver or white. I promise you no one that cares about you cares about those things.
Jennifer and her daughters at The Roost. Picture by The Youngs.
Hire a great photographer, and however many hours you think you need them, pay for more hours. You cannot have too many pictures, and you do not want to feel rushed to get it all in during the time that you thought you could squeeze it all in.
Find someone close to you that you trust to oversee the events of the day and keep things on schedule or even a few people. I had one person help, but I wish I had let more people help that offered. It was a beautiful day, and I was not stressed at all. There were small things that did not happen like I had hoped, but no one knew but me. I just rolled with what was happening. I was there with my family and closest friends marrying a wonderful man, and at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.
What was your favorite thing about being a Roost bride?
I felt like we were having a destination wedding with the convenience of being in our hometown. The staff at the Roost was and still is unbelievable. So helpful, accommodating, and joyful. They are truly happy to open their doors to people and help them create a beautiful memory. We wanted a somewhat open air feel without the fear of what to do if it rained. The upstairs area was perfect. We also did not want to have to commute to take wedding photos. There were so many options for photos right there at The Roost. We took some in the rooms, downstairs, upstairs, out by the big oak tree, on the sidewalk, and even on Porter Avenue as traffic allowed. This place will always be special to us.
Wedding ceremony decorations upstairs on The Roost’s covered gallery. Picture by The Youngs.