Page 17 - Winter 2021

Five years ago, Oconee couple Audrey and Garrison “Gary” Mitchell met during a University of Georgia graduation party. Little did they know that one night of conversation would turn into a lifetime together.
Audrey’s impression of Gary was that he was “one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met.”
“He was very open and honest,” she said. Gary said he admired Audrey’s confidence and sense of humor.
Audrey had already planned to move to Santa Cruz, California, for a nature conservation job later that summer.
Story by Julia Fechter Photos by Samantha Foster
At the time, Gary quipped, “How funny would it be if I moved with you?” And without any hesitation, he did.
The Mitchells cemented their devotion to each other by tying the knot at University of Georgia State Botanical Gardens on May 15, 2020, roughly five years to the day that they first met.
Like many couples, they had to creatively navigate getting married in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. About a month before their special day, the Mitchells canceled their initial wedding venue and caterer. Their medium-sized, 150-person wedding became a much
smaller 10-person wedding of close family and friends.
Instead of a bigger venue, they chose a secluded patio outside the day chapel of the gardens. Audrey is a children’s program coordinator for the gardens.
“Originally, we had a family friend [as the minister], but he couldn’t do it because of everything going on,” Audrey said. Since her boss was ordained, she offered to do a private ceremony.
The Mitchells even had to file their marriage license differently. The morning of their wedding, they went to the Oconee County Probate Office, where they
Gary Mitchell offers his wife, Audrey, hand sanitizer while they both don face masks at their wedding.
Newlyweds
Cherish Pandemic
Wedding
sJulia Fechter is a news reporter for The Oconee Enterprise newspaper in Watkinsville, Ga.
WINTER 2021 | OCONEE THE MAGAZINE | PAGE 15