Sarah Hodder & Ryan Kidwiler Marry in Stanley , Virginia

Sarah and Ryan’s story began when Sarah worked at a running store. Ryan smitten by Sarah, became a frequent client. Their firstdate was a hiking trip in the Shenandoah Mountains and in the six years that followed they climbed the Rocky Mountain Region countless times. Naturally, Ryan proposed on a mountain top during their annual winter trip to Vermont. The couple hiked in the snow to their favorite peak. As Sarah was admiring the view, Ryan waited on bended knee. As she turned around, Ryan asked her to marry him and Sarah remembers the moment as pure magic. The couple decided to elope on top of their favorite peak, the Stoney Man, located at the Shenandoah National Park.

The following day, Ryan and Sarah invited their closest friends and family to a reenacted ceremony, followed by a reception at Rivers Bend Ranch in Stanley Virginia just 20 minutes from the park.The couple chose to incorporate an autumn color scheme to complement the foliage. Some unique decor features include the table numbers named after the different peaks in the Shenandoah they’ve climbed, as well as broken terracotta clay pot pieces with guest names calligraphed on with paint. Ryan and Sarah’s vegan lifestyle inspired them to have a vegan charcuterie board for cocktail hour, all the while their love of coffee was highlighted through a staffed coffee bar throughout the reception using thrifted mugs the guests could choose as a wedding favor to take home.