Local couple weds in historic Georgia cemetery

When a couple plans their wedding, it’s not often a cemetery comes to mind as a potential venue site, but that’s what Warwick native Turi Haim and his now wife Shannon (Snow) Haim settled on when they decided to get married at the historical Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia, this past November.

Turi, who currently works as an audio visual trainer at the CDC, met Shannon through a dating app while living in California during the COVID lock-down. The couple dated and lived together for a while, before moving to Atlanta for Shannon’s work.

“We both had said we would never get married when we first started dating, but neither of us could have expected the level of commitment and closeness we would feel for each other. Shannon was definitely shocked when I asked her to marry me. While on a weekend away, I proposed on the Eagle Road trail at Mohonk Mountain House. We ended up having our mini-moon in the Mohonk/Warwick area as well,” Turi shared.

But it wasn’t a love of macabre or a taste for dark décor that drew them to the cemetery, it was more the practicality of the location. “We never liked the idea of spending a fortune on a wedding. The concept alone didn’t sit well with us. We both felt that if we we’re going to spend a lot of our own money to celebrate our relationship, we would get more mileage out of spending it on a honeymoon and keeping our wedding low-key,” the couple shared. They found little inspiration in the more traditional venues, like barns and plantations and hotels, that also came with strict instructions on catering and audio-visual services.

“While all this was going on, we were still somewhat new to Atlanta, so we were actively exploring all the fun sight-seeing locations around Georgia. One of which was the Historical Oakland Cemetery, which frequently had fun events, such as ‘Tunes from the Tombs’ and cemetery tours with various themes such as love stories, notable history, war stories, etc.,” the couple explained. “We really enjoyed these stories as it was a nice reminder to know that people back then didn’t actually live in black and white, like the pictures would have you believe. They lived real lives full of drama with pain, suffering, love, greed and murder. Juicy stories that would be equivalent to any modern-day Dateline episode.”

The cemetery includes several notable residents, including musician Kenny Rogers. While touring the site, they also discovered that the cemetery had hosted many weddings over the years. “I tossed the idea to my then fiancé, and her eyes lit up instantly,” said Turi. “She revealed she had been thinking about this very idea for a while but held back on mentioning it, worried that I might think the idea was silly. At that moment it was an easy and mutual decision.”

The cemetery did not have the same vendor restrictions as other, more traditional locations, and it was within the couple’s price range. Turi also noted that the fee for using the space is considered a donation to the cemetery’s historic foundation, making it tax-deductible.

The cemetery did have some rules on where the ceremony could be held, with certain sections designated for specific party sizes. The cemetery gates also promptly close and lock at sundown, so the couple had to make sure everyone was inside before that happened. And things such as lighting and decorations had to be performed by the party.

“I recruited my groomsmen and some friends... we spent most of the day setting up all the lighting ourselves. It was arduous work, but we designed it ourselves and made it our own, which paid off big in the end,” said Turi.

Shannon noted that, since the cemetery is set up like a park, the wedding party was not just standing on gravestones, either. “There are wide open walkways and smaller paths of cobblestone. Once people walked through the gates, it was romantically lit and there was space between our guests and the residents of Oakland. We wanted to celebrate the cemetery as much as we wanted to respect it. What better way to have all the history of love and life surrounding us when we began our new chapter!”

When asked what advice they’d give couples who want their own cemetery wedding, the Haims said, “Do what you want for your wedding. People may doubt your ideas, but if you like it, you should do it!”