A Vegetarian Yogi Marries a Butcher

Writer Melissa Corbin, of Corbin in the Dell media, joins us with today’s wedding post.

Photos courtesy of Myrick Cowart.

Melissa:

When a butcher and a yogi say “I do,” it is safe to say their love story will be delicious. Chris Carter of Porter Road Butcher and Kelly Farina of Shakti Power Yoga met while students at Hendersonville High School, but sparks didn’t fly for these two until much later. Chris was studying at Le Cordon Blue in Scottsdale, Arizona. Kelly was there for a visit. It was then that Chris first proclaimed his love for her at Kazimierz World Wine Bar.

corbin_carterweddingsassycouple — Chris, the butcher (l), and Kelly, the yogi (r).

Though Chris and Kelly inhabit vastly different work worlds, Sundays are special for them — it’s the one day they share in ritual. Their day starts with yoga at Shakti and ends with a delicious vegetarian meal that maybe includes a little fish. Chris is such an accomplished chef and he prepares delicious meals for the couple all the time. March 3, 2013, however, was extra special. On that particular Sunday, Chris popped the question and Kelly said yes! (Now that they are married, Sunday afternoons are usually all about football with the fellas sharing a few wings, pizza and other carnivorous delights. Kelly smiles a bit when she admits that she is usually gone for the plethora of meat.)

After a lot of planning via the Internet and several site visits, Chis and Kelly married on October 12, 2013. Bare feet and all, the ceremony was held on the white sands of Gulf Shores, Alabama.

corbin_carterweddingkiss-618x800 (1) — Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but Chris tried to put Kelly’s ring on the wrong finger.

Their reception was catered by Naman’s Catering using all the finest Porter Road Butcher meats and The Bloomy Rind cheeses, but it was the rehearsal brunch at Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina that the soon-to-be newlyweds had the most fun planning. Chef Fisher used the seafood that Chris and his groomsmen caught just days before and, of course, incorporated plenty of PRB meats, as well.

corbin_carterweddingrehersaldinner — Rehearsal brunch

The wedding party gathered on the private beach of Rumours Beach House for the ceremony, which had not actually been rehearsed. When asked if this made her nervous, Kelly explained, “The best were the events that were not planned. The ceremony turned out perfect with lots of laughter and crying. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was one of the happiest moments of my life.”

With any new marriage, there has to be loving compromise. Considering their differences in dietary preferences, Kelly shared a few stories:

“We held a juice cleanse at Shakti last year. It was a three day juice only cleanse from Juice Nashville. Chris did it with me. I do not think he enjoyed it. I feel like there was a lot of anger around the second day. But most people who have done the cleanse were not working at a butcher shop all day. He was at a bit of a disadvantage.”

“Chris has enlightened me about sweet meats (animal pancreas) and head cheese (head of a pig or calf), which is not cheese at all. While I have never tasted either of these, I still feel pretty disturbed about the names and what they actually are. However, I know that in a meat lover’s world these are delicacies. But, he has also enlightened me in a great way. We recently went to some of the local farms that Chris and James work with. It was incredible to see their relationship with the farmers and how PRB impacts so many lives behind the scenes.”

“Chris does practice yoga most Sundays at 9:30. It took about three years before he came to one of my classes. I think he was scared. When he comes to the studio, everybody loves seeing him. There’s usually a lot of meat talk, which is funny to hear at a yoga studio.”