“Well, I’ll be your rainy day lover, whenever the sunny days end. And whatever the weather we have each other, and that’s how the story will end. Well, I’ll be your shade tree in summer, if you’ll be my fire when it’s cold. And whatever the season, well, we’ll keep on breathing ’cause we’ll have each other to hold…” —Ben Rector
Rachel & Marshall picked a really unique venue near Bedford, Pennsylvania. Clearidge Event Center has a little something for everyone and is a truly beautiful location. We were a little sad that their outdoor ceremony got rained out, but with a solid backup plan in place, it was still a perfect day! They were the second of our three weddings that weekend. While the wedding before theirs certainly got the worst of the weather, they still had bouts of rain pop up throughout their day. Rachel had done a lot of pre-planning, and her timeline was perfect for the flexibility we needed when dealing with a semi-rainy day. Enjoy this glimpse into their magical pastel wedding!
How they met: “Marshall moved to Claysburg heading into their 4th grade year and immediately became friends with the boys Rachel and her friends would hang out with during class and at recess. By the time 6th grade rolled around, Marshall and Rachel were so close that their 6th grade English teacher predicted they would get married someday. Marshall spent plenty of time picking on Rachel about her “old school shoes” and Rachel got Marshall in trouble for talking too much during class. (Yes, he had to write his name on the chalkboard as a warning in case you were wondering.) It wasn’t until the end of 7th grade that they became “boyfriend and girlfriend,” and by 8th grade they were seen at each other’s lockers, Rachel was wearing Marshall’s junior high football jersey, and they were doing every science project together. After a successful egg drop project and a toothpick bridge built to hold 200+ pounds, they couldn’t resist each other’s smarts and decided they made a pretty cute couple. They spent the next 4 years of high school together, practically inseparable and becoming the best of friends in the process. As they say, the rest is history.”
How he proposed: “We had ran the Pittsburgh half marathon for the first time in May 2019 and we were planning to run some more races together in the fall. Rachel signed up for a race Marshall didn’t want to run, a 10 miler in Pittsburgh at the beginning of November. At the finish line Rachel was greeted by Marshall and Kaitlyn, one of the bridesmaids, who were there to cheer her on. When Kaitlyn went to take a picture of Rachel and Marshall post-race, Marshall got down on one knee and proposed. Kaitlyn got the entire thing on video because she actually wasn’t taking a photo, and Rachel was one happy girl, having her video request fulfilled.”
