Jenna Pereira & Chase Perrins
August 8, 2010
Bride’s name: Jenna Pereira
Groom’s name: Chase Perrins
Occupations: Jenna is a preschool teacher at Starbright Early Learning Center, and Chase is a fire fighter for the Anchorage Fire Department.
How they met: Jenna and Chase met in 8th grade when they were seated next to one another in alphabetical order. Jenna’s nickname was Pocahontas in junior high and Chase was determined to be her John Smith. Although Jenna never thought anything of this, Chase always had profound feelings for Jenna. In their junior year of high school, Chase bought Jenna a diamond necklace with her initials and a card that read: “I hope your initials never change.” In his vows, Chase made sure to add that he was glad Jenna’s initials never changed. Jenna’s mother gave the framed card as a wedding gift.
The proposal: “I work at a preschool and each month we have to do a required fire drill. I’m in charge of leading the children in my class out of the building. That day was no different, but when we got outside there was a fire truck blocking our one side of the street. We don’t normally have the fire department come during our drills, which threw me off just a little bit. My mind started to panic while I was scooting my children to our meeting place. Then it hit me: Chase was there to propose! He was up in the basket that is attached to the huge ladder on the fire truck. He slowly came down, got out and got down on one knee. Despite being completely overwhelmed and a little freaked out about being in front of tons of people while being asked the biggest question of my life, I managed to say yes! From the beginning I told Chase that I did not want him to propose to me in front of anyone!”
Wedding colors: “Everything was very natural/nature toned with antique elements.”
Number of guests: 40
Most memorable moment…
For her: “I knew that I was going to be so nervous standing in front of a crowd of people while we were getting married. I had actually worried about it for months preceding our big day. But after the long trek to the top of the hill and all the way back down in horrible weather, I just wanted to finally get married. It took all my nerves away and I was able to stand in front of Chase and enjoy our entire ceremony without worrying about who was watching – and that was one of the best feelings!”
For him: “What I remember most about the wedding day is waiting. There I was, moments away from marrying the woman of my dreams, the woman I had waited for since junior high, and those few hours felt longer than the 10 years it had been since I first laid eyes on her. Soon the love of my life would be mine alone. Forever. I remember the waiting finally coming to a close and seeing my bride emerge and illuminating the room and all in her presence. She was glowing. I remember best how the single moment I had waited so long for had come at last. And John Smith kissed Pocahontas.”
Funniest moments: The couple planned to have their ceremony site at the top of a huge hill. But on the day of the wedding, as the bride and a few others were heading up the hill on horseback, it started to sprinkle, and then it started to pour. “I had my dress in a plastic dress bag draped over the horse,” recalls Jenna, “and the horse would not let me hold an umbrella for anything, so I put the hood up on my rain coat hoping that it would do.” Once at the top of the hill, a decision had to be made. “Should we bring everyone up and make them sit in the pouring rain? I just couldn’t do it. We all got back on our horses and started heading back down (to get married in the tent that we had set up for the dinner party). I was soaking wet from top to bottom. But the funniest thing was the fact that I had to blow-dry out my underwear before I could put my wedding dress on.” The funniest moment for the groom? “Watching the winds carry a small wedding tent off the mountain right past me and my closest friends that had spent two hours hauling it up the mountain and assembling it.” Unique aspects of the day: “Our wedding location (The Perrins Rainy Pass Lodge) is located in the Alaska Range, about 125 miles from Anchorage and an hour bush-plane ride. It is one of the checkpoints for the Iditarod each year. Ever since Chase and I started dating, I have wanted to get married at the Lodge! Chase’s family has owned the Lodge for about eight years now and it holds such great significance. It was the first time that some of our closest friends and family had the chance to visit the Lodge, and it was a good excuse to get everyone there.”
Three words that best describe their day: “Intimate, beautiful, antique.”
If they had the chance to do it again, what they would do differently: “Nothing. Even with the crazy adventure in the pouring rain and having to make last-minute changes, it made our wedding forever memorable not only to us, but also our guests!”
What Jenna loves most about her husband: “Chase is the strength to all of my weaknesses and we balance each other out. He is the best person that I know.”
What Chase loves most about his wife: “Her laugh. It may seem silly, but her laugh is true to her character. Disarming and authentic, it renders me helpless every time.”
Best advice for a couple planning a wedding: “Don’t listen to what everyone else wants for your wedding. Do what you want. It doesn’t matter if it’s not traditional. Make it about who you are and what you like!”