According to couple’s photographer, Stefanie Kamerman, Allie and Brian decided they didn’t want to wait until year to get married after they had already postponed their wedding twice due to Covid. So, because their initial plans had to be changed because of safety guidlines and regulations, Allie and Brian opted to elope in the foothills of the Shenandoah in Virginia. “Allie joked that this celebration is their Phase 1 wedding,” says Stefanie. And the photos are a must-see. “Because we couldn’t have our friends and family with us, we wanted to make sure we captured the moment to share with them,” says Allie. “Photography ended up being very important to us so we could share our wedding story with our loved ones.” After exchanging “I dos” on top of an overlook in Zion Springs, the couple explored their forrest setting for some scenic photo-ops.”We’re both big hikers and even though it wasn’t what we had originally planned, getting married on the trail was beautiful and just felt like us,” explains Allie. They then celebrated by having their first dance as newlyweds to a fiddle played by the Zion Springs’ trail keeper. “Being just the two of us really made the day feel special,” says Brian. Check out their scenic elopement below for more details.
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How They Met
Allie, an analyst and Brian, a member of the US Navy, met when Brian joined Allie and her coworkers “on a very sophisticated and classy lunch to Taco Bell,” jokes the couple. However, while at Taco Bell, despite sitting in front of Allie, Brian didn’t say a single word. “Not one,” explains Allie. A few months following their lunch meeting Brian was deployed to Africa, but he hadn’t forgotten about Allie.
So, Brian decided to ask Allie’s close coworker to be his “wing woman” for him so that he could get to know Allie. Through the coworkers help, Allie and Brian began to communicate through the remaining months of deployment. “A few short conversations evolved into 2-3 hour long video chats most every night, despite some crazy time differences,” says the couple. Brian would later tell Allie he stayed up far too late and woke up far too early so he could make those video chats. Once Brian finally got home from his deployment, he made the trek up to the DMV-area to ask Allie out on their “official first date” to Ocean Prime. The rest, they say, is history.
The Postponement Story
The couple says decided to elope because they just couldn’t wait any longer to be husband and wife and despite the pandemic, “love was not canceled.” Allie explains, “[w]hen our original wedding was postponed and then postponed again due to Covid, we decided that it was safest for all of our friends and family to push it until next year. However, we had waited through deployments, long distance and separate duty stations and just couldn’t wait any longer to be husband and wife. So even though we didn’t have our friends and family with us, we know next year will still be so special.”
The Details:
Photography: Stefanie Kamerman Photography | Venue: Zion Springs | Planning & Design: Lisa Hall of Zion Springs | Invitations: Paper in the Park | Makeup and Hair Stylist: Michelle Makeup and Hair | Bride’s Attire: BHLDN
Jacqueline comes to Washingtonian with close to five years of digital content experience and SEO best practices. She previously was a senior editorial associate at WeddingWire, specializing in wedding fashion, and before that, an assistant at Vow Bride. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, she now lives in Columbia Heights.
