John and Emma met in April 2018 in the machine shop at Grove City College where they were both attending school and on the SAE Baja team, a racing competition to build off-road vehicles that can withstand harsh elements and rough terrain. “Our team was packing up for the annual Nationals race. We got to know each other the very next week at the race.”
The couple got engaged in April of 2021. “I took Emma for a walk around a local park with a very poorly mapped frisbee golf course. Under the pretense of mapping the course ourselves, I turned on my GPS watch’s tracking mode as we wandered through the woods and fields. What Emma did not know, is that my every step was taken by calculation and practice, as I had planned and tested this exact walk a few times on my own already. By the time we were done, the GPS map overlay we had created was actually a gigantic spelling out of ‘Marry Me?’”
Ninety guests were in attendance for their July wedding, including a six-person wedding party. “Our ceremony was deeply interwoven with our Christian faith. We concluded our ceremony by partaking in communion as our first act as a married couple.”
The couple wanted their wedding to reflect their laid-back personalities while also reflecting the gravity and sanctity of the commitment they were making. “We loved the idea of an outdoor wedding, since we both love spending time outdoors, and as we both love breakfast food, we decided a brunch wedding would be ideal.”
They chose peach and blue as their wedding colors and incorporated lots of meaningful details into their day. “Our wedding bands were John’s great great grandparents. John’s bow tie was made by his sister out of fabric that was a table cloth made by his great-grandmother for his parent’s wedding. Emma’s necklace was a gift from her aunt and grandmother.”
John is a design engineer for Honda Development and Manufacturing of America and Emma is a mechanical engineer for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. They currently reside Accokeek, Maryland.
First dance: The Marriage Prayer, John Waller
Honeymoon: Acadia National Park
Vendors
Venue: Springfield Manor**
Catering: The Carriage House**
Photography: Ica Images
Dessert: Tastefully Ever After
Flowers: Blossom & Basket**
**FrederickWeddings.com member
