Clare and Christian met playing pickup indoor volleyball in Chicago. They were both interested in each other right away. Their first date was axe throwing in West Loop on March 13, 2020, just before the “shelter-in-place” order went into effect. The date went well but Clare decided Christian was "too young" for her (he is 3 years younger). So she quickly “friendzoned” him thinking that the pandemic came at a great time (i.e. she wouldn't run into him). But Clare was sneaky and kept Christian in her back pocket. During the pandemic, she Snapchatted him almost every day and followed him on Instagram. Christian thought "what is this girl doing?". July had arrived and Clare asked Christian if he wanted to play on her beach volleyball team (since she didn't know a lot of other people who played volleyball in the city). The 2 of them started playing outdoor volleyball during the summer of 2020 and the flame of love was rekindled. After 2 weeks of late night post-volleyball Taco Bell runs and a couple of dates here and there, they officially started dating on August 15, 2020 when Christian asked Clare to be his girlfriend amidst the backdrop of a Lake Michigan sunset. After almost 2 years of dating, they were ready to commit their lives to each other officially before God. Christian wanted to surprise Clare with the proposal but she was ALWAYS looking out for it. For some reason she didn't suspect that he would propose to her in her hometown in Ohio, which worked out well for Christian. On May 30, 2022, with the help of Clare's siblings, Christian surprised Clare at Dawes Arboretum by getting down on one knee on a little bridge in the garden and asking her to be his wife. Clare's whole family was waiting for them at a winery nearby and they finished the night by playing a little pickup volleyball at Clare's brother's house, coming full circle. It was a beautiful day.

We knew that Clare and Christian shared a special bond after our first Zoom call with them. When their wedding day arrived, it was the perfect June weather to celebrate their love at our hometown country club Rolling Green. Clare was radiant thanks to the glam squad from Hairs 2 The Bride, and when she slipped into her gorgeous Martin Thornburg gown (with an epic overskirt!) Clare was beaming for the rest of the day.

When we arrived at Rolling Green the guys were having a great time getting ready in the clubhouse, but it wasn’t hard to pull Christian away for his “First Look” with his beautiful bride. Christian’s reaction to seeing Clare was so sweet, he loves her deeply and was by her side for the rest of the day. After some fun wedding party photos on the course it was time for Clare and Christian to exchange their wedding vows in front of their closest friends and family. They included a moving foot washing ceremony to display their commitment to one another and their love for Jesus. It was a beautiful and moving ceremony punctuated by newlywed bliss once they were pronounced husband and wife!

Following the ceremony Clare and Christian mingled with their guests and danced to some amazing live music (including Star Wars adaptions!) The energy was buzzing with joy throughout Clare and Christian’s reception, and once the dance floor opened the party didn’t stop. As the sun started to set we stole Clare and Christian away for a few golden hour photos of the newlyweds before saying goodbye, it was truly the perfect day!