We originally planned to get married on September 5th at Linden Hall in Dawson, PA with 100 of our closest family and friends. Our guests would have travelled from 14 states across the country: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we could not in good conscience ask our guests to travel and gather at this time. In a culture where weddings are large and meticulously planned out on Pinterest, we had to go back to the drawing board and ask ourselves "what is our wedding day really about?" Our answer was that the most important thing to us was to commit to each other in marriage and embark on this new journey together. We look forward to a time in the future where we can gather for a reception with all our loved ones in attendance. At that time, we will have toasts, dancing, great food and all the things that make celebrations with your favorite people so fun, memorable, and special. Until then, we invite you to join our wedding from the safety of your homes via livestream. We will be married in a private ceremony on August 29th at 4pm EST and hope that you can tune in. While we can't gather in person, we could not imagine this day without you. We wish you healthiness and happiness and can't wait to see you all again.
Watch or rewatch the livestream recording below! This website and the ceremony recording will be available for you to access until the end of the year.
Rob and I met in college at Robert Morris University. We were friends for years, finally getting together after I finished my graduate program from IUP in 2016. Rob taught me how to enjoy the outdoors as we spent our first summer together camping and floating. And during out first winter I taught him how to be less terrible at video games. Rob started the tradition of taking long weekends for our birthdays, planning a three-hour spelunking tour of Laurel Caverns for my 24th birthday four years ago. Since then, we've hiked in Hocking Hills, Ohio; ziplined in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia; museum hopped in Washington D.C; went sightseeing in Toronto; and rode the Maid of The Mist to the base of Niagara Falls. That being said, Rob and I are no stranger to new adventures. 2020 has been an adventure in and of itself. It sounds oxymoronic that you could go on an adventure while being trapped in your apartment for over a quarter of the year, but it has surprised us with new opportunities. We've experienced resiliency like never before and have had the chance to go back to the joys of the start of our relationship: lots of time outside kayaking and lots and lots of time inside playing video games.
I planned our vacation to Iceland for Rob's 30th birthday without any idea that Rob was simultaneously planning the proposal. I had no idea when I was booking a morning at the private spa at the Blue Lagoon or an afternoon being lowered into an extinct volcano, Rob was researching ethical diamond sources and working with a local jeweler to design my custom engagement ring. While I was online scheduling a whale watching boat tour and an excursion riding Icelandic horses, Rob was emailing with a photographer based in Iceland who would go on to shoot our engagement photos. We were in Iceland for five full days and from the moment we landed Rob had my ring in his pocket. He always carried it with him, waiting for the perfect moment to propose. He popped the question on the third day of our trip, the morning before we went on a hike through Thingvellir National Park where portions of ‘Game of Thrones' were filmed. I told Rob before that all I wanted for the proposal was that it be captured on video and not in a big crowd. He found a secluded spot on the way to the park that overlooked the beautiful Icelandic landscape. Pretending to stop for a photo op, he set up his tripod and said that the photo mode was set on a timer. In reality, he had started filming us as we hurried to pose for the fake photo. I was ready to pack up and get out of the wind, having no idea he was about to get on one knee and propose. After I said yes, he told me about our appointment with the local photographer the very next day. It was a beautiful and thoughtful surprise and a memory that we'll always cherish.
