How They Met

Like many love stories, JD and Raci’s started at a party.

While JD claims he liked Raci from the start, she was not too sure about him. A few days later, he talked her roommate into giving him Raci’s number. After many calls and text messages, she finally agreed on a first date. And guess what, he was 2 hours late.

Raci thinks she must have seen something in him because she agreed to a second and a third date. Before she knew it, he was taking her to meet his amazing family at their reunion after only a few months of dating.

Now seven years later, new jobs, two cats, an auto immune diagnosis and countless hospital stays (where JD stayed by Raci’s side through it all), they have moved back to his home town and started new business together.

They are finally ready to tie the knot and officially become husband and wife.

The Proposal

JD, being the amazing man he is, actually let Raci design her own ring.

He knew she wasn’t a diamonds kind of gal.

JD said she “has a fiery personality, great taste, and I just wanted her to have her dream ring.”

The ring came in right before Christmas and they went together to Kay Knight Designs to pick it up. Even though Raci was  involved in the whole process of designing the ring, JD refused to let her see it until they got home. That’s where he got down on one knee in front of the Christmas tree and their two fur babies, Chester and Chloe, and asked her to be his forever. The rest, as they say, is history!

The Ring

They bought the ring form Kay Knight Designs.

“Working with Kay was such an amazing experience. From sourcing the perfect Emerald cut Sapphire to the custom platinum setting, she was there every step of the way making the whole process a dream come true,” said the couple.

The Gown

Raci found her gown at Olivia Grace Bridal.

“What an amazing boutique,” she said. “They had ice buckets for our champagne ready in our own private room! And even though COVID was happening they let me bring my Matron of Honor and a close friend. I love that they let us all shop in the store. We were given a bag of clips and  allowed to go around the store looking at all the gorgeous dresses. We put a clip on the ones we thought I should try on. Even though the dress I chose ended up being pulled by my amazing stylist it was such an fun experience!”

The Venue

The couple will be married at the Lodge at Country Inn Cottages.

“We love Fredericksburg,” said the couple. “After looking at all the venues online, we found The Lodge and fell in love with the beautiful pictures they had on their website. Then, we found out they have on-site accommodations for up to 150 guests. We were sold! We actually booked the venue before we saw it in person. When we did see it in person, it did not disappoint. The hall is gorgeous, and there are multiple ceremony sites to choose from and the cabins are adorable. We are so excited to spend the weekend there with our guests at our dream wedding.”