“The swing was covered in Calla lilies!”

These two are just so sweet.  When asked what they were most looking forward to on their wedding day, Hannah and Chase responded with, “The ceremony, when we commit before God to remain faithful to each other by His grace, and love one another in His power. ”  Oh, my goodness, how precious is that??  We are so blessed to have couples who are so committed to each other first, with all the other hype and excitement of the wedding taking a supporting role only.  One of my favorite quotes regarding wedding planning is “Are you having a wedding or are you getting married?”  Of course, the wedding day is fun and special and every bride loves to feel like a princess.  But in the end, after all the fun and excitement is faded, what lasts and matters is that you have committed yourself to one another, and that you love each other so much that you want to spend the rest of your lives together.  This is what really matters.   And these are the relationships that last. These relationships leave a legacy.

Hannah and Chase met at a renaissance festival. Hannah’s roommate asked her and a group of friends to go with her.  This group had several outings and about a year later, with their friendship growing, Chase decided to ask Hannah out on an official date.  Hannah was definitely ready for the ask!  As with all relationships, there was some doubt and speculation, and even a brief pause.  But after a lot of prayer and counsel, they began dating again.  Pondering the relationship really made them more confident that they were meant to be. Since this relationship was so important to them, Chase had to find the perfect ring.  He decided to use the stone of one of his grandmothers’ ring.  And then he spent  another 12 months finding the perfect setting for it.  In his words, he needed to find the “perfect setting that would complement the wondrous beauty and character of Hannah.”  Wow, what a romantic! Now listen to this sweet story:  Hannah was wondering what was taking Chase so long to propose.  She knew in her heart that they were going to be together forever.  Finally, once Chase found the perfect setting for his grandmother’s stone, Chase asked Hannah if she wanted to go to the park with him the next morning to see the sun glistening on the snow. (I just love when people take the time to appreciate all the glory and beauty on this Earth). Hannah agreed to walk in the park. Chase picked her up, and when they got there, Hannah was greeted with bouquets of calla lilies (Hannah’s favorite flower) and poems that Chase had placed there, along a pathway,  earlier in the morning. He had stayed up late the night before to set this up. As they walked down this path, Hannah noticed more bouquets of Calla lilies, red ribbon,  and little snippets of a poem that she adored.  Her anticipation and excitement were building. Finally, they arrived at a swing overlooking a snow-covered field.  And the swing was covered in calla lilies!  Suddenly, the sun began to shine – it peaked out from behind the morning clouds.  Before Hannah even had the chance to comment on how beautiful the sun was as it peaked out from behind the cloud, Chase asked Hannah to marry him. Her answer was an emphatic, “YES!”.

Hannah says she loves Chase’s smile and Chase loves Hannah’s eyes.  They really enjoy going to parks together, reading at Oakwood Library, and going to church together.

We could see how much they loved each other and how integral their faith was in their lives and their relationship.    We wish Hannah and Chase a blessed lifetime of happiness together!

Vendors who made this special day a dream come true:

Church:  Arbor Church, Dayton, OH

Reception: Dayton Outdoor Weddings (Riverside), Dayton, OH (daytonoutdoorweddings.com/riverside-location), 937-479-1719

Outdoor Photos:  Wegerzyn Gardens Metroparks, Dayton, OH and Dayton Outdoor Weddings (Riverside)

(No other vendor details available)