Ruben B. Hughes 
When Adam and Jackie Schiavone first met, Jackie worked for The Covington News and Adam worked for the Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF).
He contacted the newspaper to inquire about publicity for an upcoming fundraising event and possibly collaborate on an article about the nonprofit organization. Jackie said she had never heard of GWF and wanted to know more, so Adam offered to give her a big ride and tell her more.
“We arranged to meet at GWF’s Alcovy Conservation Center on Hazelbrand Road,” Jackie said, “and after our meeting Adam asked me out!
“We both grew up in Conyers (about 10 minutes apart), went to rival high schools, had mutual friends, but had never met,” she added. “We don’t really know our dating anniversary, per se, so we always said May 25, 2018, because we know it was around Memorial Day.”
Adam and Jackie bonded early in their relationship over a shared love of dogs, Jackie said.
“One night, after dating for about three years, we were walking our dogs and I noticed something attached to Wyatt’s (our now 2-year-old Black Lab) collar,” Jackie said. “I leaned over to see what it was. Turns out it was a ring and when I turned around Adam was on his knees!
The couple got engaged on March 25, 2021.
Having met at the Georgia Wildlife Federation in Covington, Adam and Jackie knew that was where they wanted to get married.
“While they’ve hosted weddings on the property in the past, it’s definitely not your standard full-service wedding venue, which was perfect for us,” Jackie said. “I’m pretty crafty and love to DIY anything, so I really enjoyed being involved in all aspects of our wedding.”
The couple teamed up with Bliss Events & Designs to iron out all the details to make their wedding day perfect, Jackie said.
And their big day was, indeed, perfect.
“Being April in Georgia, I was so nervous about the weather,” Jackie recalled. “So before we even settled on a date, I bought the Farmer’s Almanac 2022 to check the forecast. It was a beautiful 80 degree day without a single drop of rain.
Adam and Jackie took part in the Southern tradition of burying a bottle of bourbon to also help keep out the rain, she said.
On their wedding day, April 30, Adam and Jackie had a “first look” around 2 p.m.
“It really helped calm the nerves we both had getting ready,” she said. “It also helped us do the majority of our photos before the ceremony so we could really enjoy the reception afterwards.”
The couple had a short, intimate ceremony on the grounds of the GWF Alcovy Conservation Center which began at 5.30pm. The reception immediately followed at the GWF Tupelo Pavilion.
Learn more about their wedding day:
Location: Georgia Wildlife Federation
Planning/Coordination of the day: Bliss Events & Designs
Catering: Bradley’s BBQ
Cake: Jessicakes
Photography: Molly Price Photography, LLC
Event Rentals: Covington Rentals
DJ: Medlin Entertainment (DJCJ)
Flowers: Bliss Events & Designs
Hair: Jenn Smith Hair (Jenn Smith Schneider)
Makeup: Lush Beauty Bar (Halie Wooldridge)
Dress: Atlanta Street Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Gray
