Page 17 - Winter 2022

After they said their vows, everyone gathered in the barn to celebrate the young couple with delicious food and a lot of dancing. The vendors were small, local businesses, such as Pannell Designs & Events in Bogart, Sākred Bridal in Watkinsville, and Oconee Rental/Events.
Having local business owners involved was very important to the couple, because they wanted the wedding to truly represent their connection to this community.
And for the same reason, Sarah Beth and Tray wanted to keep the wedding party small. The guest list of 138 people was the perfect number. For them, getting married was not about having a big show or lavish celebration, but rather about sharing an intimate and exciting moment with who truly love and support them.
Sarah Beth said her extended family has taught her the strong values that led her to her soulmate.
“I learned the value of hard work and really working toward what you want in life,” she said. “I feel like that is one of the biggest things that drew me to loving my husband, because he is the most hard-working man I have ever met.”
Tray works at Oconee State Bank and as a personal trainer at Core Blend.
“When we go on our honeymoon, he will be in the gym everyday,” joked Sarah Beth. And to no one’s surprise, Tray even worked out on the day of the wedding.
“He is a gym rat for sure,” said Sarah Beth, “but he keeps me motivated.”
Sarah Beth’s father works out at the same gym as Tray, making it easy for the two to bond over mutual interests. Cousins, grandparents, and the rest of the big Hale family welcomed Tray with open arms.
Despite coming from a much smaller family, Tray feels lucky to have married into such a large family.
The couple appreciates the value of having such a reliable, tight-knit support system, as well as two American bulldogs, Clo and Iris, to keep them company.
Speaking about family, Sarah Beth proclaimed, “They have always helped me find the right paths to take. I wouldn't be the woman I am today if it weren’t for my family.”
And that is what makes Oconee County so special to Sarah Beth and Tray Andrews—the sense of family built into a small, interconnected community.
Residents get to know each other through family connections, mutual friends and serendipitous meetings in town. The Southern hospitality and welcoming spirit so evident in Oconee County brings people together and creates one big family.
“There is a lot more going on in Oconee County than there used to be, but it still doesn’t feel like a super big city,” said Sarah Beth. “It still feels like a small town, which I greatly appreciate.”
WINTER 2022 | OCONEE THE MAGAZINE | PAGE 15