Wedding at The Old Springhouse | Brooke + Garrett

Brooke and Garrett found their happy ending (or beginning) after a long distance love story. Their marriage began on a bright sunny day in late August at The Old Springhouse.

How They Met

The pair met while attending Penn State as members of the Air Force ROTC Program. They were both in the Honor Guard and as fate would have it, they ended up across the hall from one another. As time went on the couple realized all they had in common and how much fun they had together. They were falling in love without even knowing.

It became official in January 2021. The couple dated for nearly a year before Garrett graduated, commissioned, and moved home to Scranton, PA—marking the start of their long-distance relationship.

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Once Brooke graduated and commissioned in May, she moved back to Virginia. That October, Garrett moved halfway across the country to San Antonio, TX. A few months later, Brooke relocated to Little Rock, AR. Although the distance was difficult at times, they embraced their new Air Force careers, flying to visit each other every few weeks. They spent time exploring new cities, which quickly became one of their favorite things to do together.

Less than a year later, Garrett moved to Columbus, MS, to begin Pilot Training, and Brooke deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar for seven months. Despite being worlds apart, their love remained steady. They made phone calls, shared stories, and created new memories from afar.

Shortly after Brooke returned home, Garrett completed Pilot Training and fate stepped in once more. The Air Force brought him to Little Rock to learn to fly the C-130—finally bringing them together.

After their wedding, Brooke and Garrett made plans to move to Texas to start their next chapter, building a home and continuing their adventures side by side.

A Fairytale Proposal

After spending much of their relationship apart, Garrett new he wanted to propose in a special way. He planned to pop the question during Christmastime visiting his mother in Ireland. Being in Ireland, he knew the best place to propose would be in a castle of course! The couple started their evening with a fancy dinner in the castle. Garrett then got down on one knee in front of a Christmas tree. It was another storybook moment in their relationship. 

Time to Tie the Knot

The bride and groom decided to marry quickly, so Brooke could be on Garrett’s orders to Texas in time. They also wanted their wedding as close to Fall (Brooke’s favorite season) as possible.

With a quick wedding in the works, the bride got her dress on sale from Lulus. Brooke said, “I knew what I wanted and wasn’t willing to pay a lot for one wear, so when I found this one for sale on Poshmark second hand I was excited. It ended up fitting perfectly and only needed to be hemmed!”

Brooke also saved time and money by doing the florals herself. With the help of her bridesmaids she put together bouquets that would last forever and could be made in advance. The girls used the extra flowers for the table centerpieces. Brooke added an extra sentimental touch but using brown glass medicine bottles that were her late grandfathers from his days working as a veterinarian. “They were beautiful and very meaningful to our family.”

Memorable Moments

The couple received raving reviews on the music and food. Everyone was up dancing the entire time. The brisket was fabulous and everyone was very happy. There was never a dull moment!

The bride and groom loved everything about their wedding. Brooke said, “The most meaningful to me was being able to include so many of our loved ones.” Her cousin officiated the wedding and her nieces and nephews were the flower girls/ring bearers. They also had a history table with wedding photos of all of their family members displayed. 

Wedding Advice

Brooke suggests you “surround yourself with the people that matter most and make time to see everyone.”  She decided to have all of the women in their family visit during the morning while they were getting ready so she could spend more time with everyone.

They also had a welcome party in town at On Cue the night before. This gave them a chance to see loved ones who traveled from out of town that they didn’t get to see as much during the wedding.

It was 100% free, people ordered their own drinks at the bar and could order food if they wanted. The couple didn’t even have to pay to reserve the space! It was perfect and they were so glad they got to spend more time with their guests.