Chris & Rebecca

W e ' r e   g e t t i n g   m a r r i e d

Save the date

April 6 2019
Christopher Lee, The Groom

The groom

Chris

The Bride

Rebecca
Rebecca Swanson, The Bride

We are waiting for..... The adventure

Our love story

First meet

1994

Chris and Rebecca first met in Kindergarten at Park Maitland School. Chris remembers Rebecca as the pretty girl with bows in her hair. Rebecca remembers Chris as the boy with curls in his hair.

Kindergarten at Park Maitland School
Winter Park High School Winter Park High School

First date

2006

Rebecca and Chris never had a "first date". They started hanging out together in high school and once Rebecca was at Florida State and Chris was at Auburn they just became a couple.

Proposal

August 5, 2017

New Smyrna Beach – Chris brought a really nice bottle of bourbon and a ring. She said "Yes" to both.

She said Yes!

We are going to... Celebrate Our Love

Wedding events

The Ceremony

  • Knowles Chapel
    1000 Holt Avenue | Winter Park, FL 32789
  • April 6, 2019 — 3:30PM

The Knowles Memorial Chapel boasts a rich history that stretches back almost a century. Befitting a liberal arts college chapel, wisdom is the theme of this great circular window, which resides over the chapel's rear gallery.

See location

The Reception

  • Mead Botanical Garden
    1300 S. Denning Drive | Winter Park, FL 32789.
  • April 6, 2019 — 5PM

With 47 acres to explore, your senses will come alive with the sights, sounds, and scents of the garden. Here you can find tranquility and interact with nature in a way rarely experienced in an urban setting.

Mead Botanical Garden is a natural Florida garden, be sure to bring you garden shoes to change into.

See location

Things to See and Do

Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

The Morse Museum houses the world's most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), including the artist and designer's jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps and windows; his chapel interior from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago; and art and architectural objects from his Long Island country estate, Laurelton Hall. The Museum's holdings also include American art pottery, late 19th- and early 20th-century American painting, graphics, decorative art.

See location

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens

  • 633 Osceola Avenue | Winter Park, FL 32789
  • polasek.org

Explore the inspired world of internationally acclaimed Czech sculptor Albin Polasek. Tour his home, galleries and sculpture gardens located in the heart of Winter Park on Lake Osceola.

See location

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

Adventuresome for the first time visitors seeking flora and fauna or savvy Orlando travelers seeking an off-the-beaten-path vacation experience won't be disappointed when they discover the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour.

See location

Cornell Fine Arts Museum

With one of the oldest and most distinguished collections in Florida, the Cornell Fine Arts Museum can boast of more than 5,500 objects from antiquity to the contemporary. The broad and eclectic holdings of the museum—including the only Old Masters collection in the greater Orlando area—include over 500 paintings, from the 14th through the 20th centuries, and over 1600 works on paper (prints, drawings, and photographs), as well objects, artifacts, and archaeological fragments from world cultures which reflect Rollins College's commitment to educating students for global citizenship.

See location

Kraft Azalea Garden

This 5.22-acre public garden is located on the shore of Lake Maitland and is open all year from 8 a.m. until dusk. Lakefront, secluded and unique, Kraft Azalea is Winter Park's secret garden! This beautiful park is shaded by enormous cypress trees that add to the old Florida charm of the 13-acre property.

See location

Hannibal Square Heritage Center

The Heritage Center — a tribute to the past, present, and future contributions of Winter Park's historic African-American community — hosts the award-winning Heritage Collection: Photographs and Oral Histories of West Winter Park, a permanent, museum-quality exhibition of more than 100 framed, archival pieces that capture the lives of Winter Park's African-American community spanning the 20th century, and The Hannibal Square Timeline which documents significant local and national events in African-American history since the Emancipation Proclamation.

See location

Winter Park History Museum

  • 200 W. New England Avenue | Winter Park, FL 32789
  • wphistory.org

This exhibition showcases the hotels and motels of Winter Park throughout the city's history. Highlights include the lavish luxury hotels of the late 1800s, roadside family motels, tourist courts and the boarding houses used by the workers who built Winter Park. All played a part to help create the town of today.

See location

Central Park

Central Park is the crown jewel of all the parks in Winter Park and is conveniently located on Park Avenue in the heart of the downtown shopping district, hosting numerous events and activities throughout the year. Winter Park Central Park Emily Fountain Winter Park Central Park Stage Central Park's beautiful fountains, landscaped planters and oak tree canopy bring thousands of visitors annually to admire its beauty. There is also a spectacular Rose Garden located on the southern border of the park.

See location

Celebrate With Us

Getting there

Parking at Knowles Memorial Chapel

Parking on the Rollins College campus can be difficult. Parking decals are not required on weekends, so you may park anywhere you are legally allowed to do so with or without a decal. The closest parking will be at the Alfond Sports Complex immediately to the east of Knowles Memorial Chapel. Additional parking is available around the Cornell Fine Arts Museum. A parking garage is located on Lyman Avenue just a short walk to Knowles Memorial Chapel, parking at the garage will be validated. A campus map can be found here.

Accommodations

Winter Park has two hotels The Alfond Inn and Park Plaza Hotel.

Alfond Inn
300 E New England Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
Tel. 407.326.0801

Park Plaza Hotel
307 South Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
Tel. 407.647.1072

Gift Registration

We feel that being surrounded by the people we love the most is our gift! However, for those who feel compelled to send us a token of your esteem, please consider making a charitable donation to either of the charities we are most passionate about.

 

Rebecca: The Jeremiah Project

"Just like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand"– This line from the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah inspired the creation of a creative arts program at the First Congregational Church of Winter Park, one that reached across the economic and racial divide of Park Avenue to the west side of Winter Park.

We called this program, The Jeremiah Project, so inspired were we at the prospect of molding and shaping lives through this outreach effort. For thirteen years, The Jeremiah Project has provided pottery, digital and performing arts programming for at risk middle school aged students across Central Florida.

Many of the students we serve in this secular program do not have computers in their homes or access to programming at community art centers. With shortfalls facing our public schools, art programming has been one of the first classes on the chopping block. The Jeremiah Project's after school and summer arts programming is designed to foster self esteem and to enhance creative and critical thinking skills which are a critical 21st century skill set for students and employees.


Chris: The American Chestnut Foundation

The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is committed to restoring the American chestnut tree to our eastern woodlands to benefit our environment, our wildlife, and our society. Unlike other environmental organizations, TACF's mission is not about preventing environmental loss or preserving what we already have. The concept of our mission is much bolder and more powerful. It's about restoration of an entire ecosystem and making our world a much better place than we found it.

Forest restoration is a specialized form of reforestation, but it differs from conventional tree plantations in that its primary goals are biodiversity recovery and environmental protection. This makes restoration of the American chestnut a long-term commitment. It is, quite simply, an investment in the future. The specialized work we do also provides opportunities to assist with other endangered species. Our ultimate goal is to create a template for the restoration of other tree and plant species throughout the world.

 

For those who would prefer to send a gift we have registered for a few items at Bloomingdales.com.