We got married (and celebrated)!

We first met at ANC Summer Camp, in 2007. Then we met again in high school, at the Academy of the New Church. And then again at Bryn Athyn College. But the real story begins when we bumped into each other at one wedding of mutual friends in 2014, and then another in 2015. (Shoutout to Adam & Aven King, and Derek & Hanna Hyatt!) After that second wedding, Becca invited John to spend the day with her at the Fourth of July festivities in Bryn Athyn. Several weekend trips followed, and by October of 2015 we had decided we were dating.

We dated long-distance for a year, with John in Maryland and Becca in Bryn Athyn. John drove up almost every single weekend, and when he didn’t, Becca drove down. After putting several thousand miles onto various cars, they decided that it would be a lot more convenient if their drive was half a mile instead. John moved to Bryn Athyn in 2016, changed apartments in 2017, adopted a cat (Auri) in 2018, and was adopted by another cat (Fela) in the fall of that year. Becca is very happy now to be living with all of them! In between 2015 and now, Becca and John have traveled to Disney World, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and Boulder; visited the National Arboretum, the Smithsonian, and the Phipps Conservatory; seen concerts by Straight No Chaser, Carbon Leaf, and the Piano Guys; and gone on vacation to Smith Mountain Lake and Lake Wallenpaupack. Thanks to everyone who we saw and talked to on all of those journeys. We are grateful for all that you have done to support the growth of our relationship.

We’ve visited the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens every year during their annual winter flower and light show every year starting in 2015. So when John asked Becca twice if she had reserved tickets for this year, she didn’t think it was anything out of the ordinary. Little did she know that John had a surprise planned for the 2019 excursion... About halfway through the conservatory, we took our normal detour out to the rooftop garden of the Center for Sustainable Landscapes. It’s not actually part of the rest of the show, so it was secluded and quiet. It was there that John got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and asked Becca if she would marry him. She said, “Yes. Yes! A thousand times yes!”

As you all know, Covid threw a wrench into our plans! But we were very sure that we still wanted to go ahead and get married. We had a small, private wedding with just our immediate families and wedding party. The ceremony was in a hedge-lined garden, with daylilies and hostas in full bloom. The reception was in the backyard, under pop-up canopies. The whole affair was laid-back and fun, but also incredibly special. It was a wonderful day, full of memories that we will treasure forever.

Now, we are looking forward to celebrating our marriage with all of you! This event will include a formal “blessing on the marriage” ceremony, with a dinner reception (and dancing!) after.