Full of Abundant Joy

Kristina Kamburis and Joseph Ames were married in Highlands on August 27, 2022. Their journey to this magical place was definitely – in their words – “all in perfect timing!”

By the time Kristina and Joseph met in May 2021, she had gotten used to being a bridesmaid – 14 times in fact. A University of Alabama graduate and Physician Assistant, Kristina was living in Birmingham, and described herself at the time as “career-driven and independent.”

She dreamed of one day meeting a man who possessed all the values that she held dear. Friends joked about her dating life, and her “picky” reasonings for ending relationships. Jokes aside, she remained hopeful that the right man would come along.

Joseph’s story was not dissimilar. An Auburn University graduate and the owner of a construction company in Auburn, he had also been a frequent groomsman, in wait for the perfect bride.

Within days of their first date, it was clear that their wait was over, that their dreams had, in fact, come true.

Their initial introduction by mutual friends in April 2021 was followed by several weeks of telephone calls. They had their first date in Birmingham a month later. They quickly realized they had much in common. Gregarious, outgoing, and social, they are both active and athletic and share a love of the outdoors – he loves to hunt and fish and golf, and she had been an avid tennis player most of her life.

Joseph fell for Kristina right away. Soon after the first date he told a friend he was going to marry her. A month later he asked her to be exclusive. Even the historic rivalry between their college alma maters – she’s a graduate of the University of Alabama (where her dad played football for legendary coach Bear Bryant), and he’s an Auburn graduate – couldn’t dissuade the eventual trip down the aisle. By September they declared their love for each other.

Joseph proposed to Kristina at sunset during a beautiful November weekend at her family’s home in Seaside, Florida. “At that point we were in love, and we both knew it didn’t need to be a long-drawn-out romance,” Kristina said. “We had found our “soulmates in one another!”

The decision to get married in Highlands came easily.

As Kristina explained, “I knew I wanted a destination wedding and we both had ties to Highlands.” Her best friend has a home at Mountaintop, and she had grown up visiting at least once a year, “I was like an adopted daughter to the family.”

Likewise, Joseph had spent his youth visiting his grandparents at their place in Highlands. They started planning the wedding immediately, getting a wedding planner on board, and after making inquiries quickly decided on the venue – The Farm at Old Edwards.

Reverend Paul Pradat, the Episcopal priest from Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, where the bride had grown up, officiated a traditional ceremony for 225 guests.

Kristina wore a Chantilly lace, floor-length gown, with a custom cathedral length veil, designed by Britt Wood Designs of Atlanta. She was escorted down the aisle by her father to an altar anchored with an 8-foot-cross adorned with roses that Joseph built himself – a representation of their faith forever being at the center of their relationship. Joseph’s father, John Brewer Ames Jr. was best man; and Kristina’s sister, Alexandra Kamburis Nysewander was Matron of Honor. They were surrounded by their best friends – 17 bridesmaids and 15 groomsmen and a special guest star, Miss Alabama’s Jessica Proctor, who was the soloist during the ceremony. Her beautiful voice and Dean’s Duets’ phenomenal instrumental sounds could have been heard radiating across the mountaintops!

At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests were led down a lantern-lit path, through a floral arch to the Apple Orchard for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres that included: lobster tail lollipops, mustard crusted lamb chops, and filo dough filled with brie, pear, and almonds.

From there, guests proceeded to the reception at The Pavilion – festooned with a jaw-dropping, display of ceiling to floor florals. The Old Edwards culinary team catered a lavish dinner served from food stations, with some of the couple’s favorite foods – Filet of Trout, sautéed scallops with sweet potato dumplings, herb-crusted beef tenderloins, and Lowcountry crabcakes.

The assemblage celebrated the newly married couple with enthusiasm dancing to the music of the talented twelve-piece band, Az Izz. The dance floor was always full, and the bridal couple and their guests never stopped dancing.

The couple’s weekend-long celebration included a beautiful and charming rehearsal dinner and welcome party on Friday evening at Wolfgang’s Restaurant, and an exquisite bridesmaid’s luncheon at Kristina’s cherished and longtime friend’s home at Mountaintop.

Before departing for a Mediterranean honeymoon, Kristina told a tearful Dad, “You gave me away to a good one.”

The wedding was everything the couple dreamed it would be – a gathering of loved ones, family, and friends, full of abundant joy. It was a true celebration of their love.

The surrounding mountains, the stunning décor, and elegance of The Farm at Old Edwards provided the quintessential backdrop for a day filled with beauty and sentiment.

Kristina and Joseph reminisce often about their wedding day and continually say that it was their dream wedding. Kristina said, “It was a perfect weekend, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing!”