Our Wedding

Our story began in Lynchburg, VA, (one month after Ruthie moved to the area after finishing college) on June 4, 2024, at work. Austin, trying to be a kind and friendly coworker, showed Ruthie the ropes on her first day as a physical therapy tech. In the days following, he continued to help her, chat with her during work time, and go home with extra work after being far too distracted during the day. He quickly found reasons to keep talking—inviting her to small group and church, and being more than willing to show her around Lynchburg (with subtle ulterior motives). Things took off when Ruthie invited him for smoothie bowls after church, which led into Austin inviting her out as a "friend" for a full day of walking, talking, and lunching downtown. On June 30, over breakfast at First Watch, Austin asked Ruthie to be his girlfriend and later that evening took her to see 4th of July fireworks for their first “official” date. After 9.5 months of shared workdays, home projects, and adventures, Austin proposed on April 19, 2025, during a picnic at Southwest Mountains Vineyard in Charlottesville, VA. Ruthie discovered a wine bottle in the picnic basket labeled “Will you marry me?” and joyfully said “Yes!” The moment was captured by Austin’s sister and friends, followed by a surprise celebration with family. Since then, life has been a joyful blur of wedding planning, school, and work. Ruthie began physical therapy school at the University of Lynchburg while Austin took on two physical therapy jobs. Through it all, we’re growing as a couple, learning what it looks like to love each other as Jesus loved the church, and deepening our relationship with the Lord. We have been blessed to integrate into our amazing new families, meet each others’ beloved friends, and build an incredible community together. We are so grateful for the role that each of you has played in our stories and could not be more excited to celebrate with you all!