Sarah + Ben
October 3, 2020
How they met
Sarah and Ben are true high school sweethearts. They met in first period freshman year. Ben was in band and Sarah was a cheerleader. By their sophomore year, they were inseparable. The two recall that dating started in gym class. Their gym teacher even went to the wedding!
The proposal
Ben chose a location that was special to them both. In high school, Ben’s dad took the couple to Maymont in Sarah’s tiny Volkswagon for driving lessons. It was the place where the two drove by themselves for the first time. They had a picnic under a gazebo and after lunch Ben got down on one knee. After 10 years together, Sarah of course said “YES!”
The venue
Sarah and Ben chose a venue close to home. Sarah said, “We picked the Virginia Museum of History and Culture because we love our city & wanted to be right in the middle of The Museum District, where we call home. We love walking our dogs on the lawn and fell in love with it’s beauty! I loved being able to get ready on the grounds, we felt like our own work of art in the studio lights.”
Wedding details
Due to COVID restrictions, they kept the ceremony small. Higher risk guests joined via Zoom. Sarah and Ben married on the front steps of the venue and even got honked at and cheered on by passers by! There were so many sweet touches throughout the day to bring out their personalities and fun side. They wedding party was non-traditional with a best woman and a man of honor which was so important to them. “The bride and groom’s parties don’t always have to be all girls or all boys! Our best woman wore a classy suit that matched the wedding colors! She looked amazing & rocked it. The man of honor was dapper as usual & brought the champagne to toast before walking down the aisle!”
On this perfect fall day, guests were greeted with custom tie dyed masks made by Sarah and her mom along with personalized hand sanitizer. The caterer prepared grab and go bags of favorite foods from their originally planned menu. Guests were invited to stay and eat on the lawn & mingle safely at a distance. “Our day was put together with so much love, and we felt so blessed to have such talented, hard working, and caring family and friends who helped us put it all together.
The “WOW” factor
“Our location, the food, and our having our dogs part of the day!”
Favorite parts of the day
“We both enjoyed going to McDonald’s after the ceremony. It was just us, in our fancy clothes, having a not so fancy dinner! It was perfect. I also enjoyed getting ready with some of my most favorite women in my life, we had adorable cheetah print pajamas, lots of snacks, and ordered Chick-fil-A! My girls surprised me with a box of letters handwritten from each of them, my dad, and other family members. I had to stop reading them as I was going to cry and ruin my makeup! Still, it was so sweet and one of my favorite parts of the day.”
Biggest challenge
“The biggest challenge was changing all aspects of the wedding due to COVID and not being able to have a true reception right away. We are planning one for next fall if it’s safe to do so.”
