2020 was an extremely difficult year for us all, and due to obvious safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, we had to do our wedding a little differently. It was small but beautiful. We wish you could have been there to celebrate with us, but because we couldn't have all of our friends and family join us on that day we'd like to share some memories and photos with you now. It isn't quite the same, but you are important to us and we want to include you in whatever little ways we can. Hopefully, we will get to celebrate in person someday in some fashion, but until then, please enjoy.
09.19.2020
Lydia and Matt
got married!
The Story
Lydia and Matt met on a rock climbing trip to the Red River Gorge in October of 2016. They became friends and continued to spend time around each other in their circle of climbing friends (they called themselves The Bag of Climbers). They maintained a level of interest and curiosity in each other for months, but waited until Matt was set to hit the road and leave Chicago in the late spring of 2017 to find out if there was something more there.
Lydia made her feelings somewhat known and they went on their first date, a bike ride on the lake front, just a week before Matt was supposed to leave. Over the next week, and after a welcomed delay due to mechanical issues with Matt's van, they discovered they were definitely interested in each other, but assumed that things may end with Matt's departure.
When Matt showed up to say goodbye, Lydia, half-joking, suggested she could join him on his trip.
This is roughly how the conversation went:
Matt: “You should!”
Lydia: “Really? Would that be weird?”
Matt: “Life is weird!”
Lydia: “Okay! I'll do it! Let me go pack a bag!”
And so she spent 10 minutes packing a bag and they were off! Lydia made some quick searches and laid out a rough plan to join Matt for four days and fly back to Chicago from Denver, Colorado. Matt immediately threw what little travel plans he had put together out the window and they spent what turned into 6 days driving across the country, figuring out the logistics of living and working out of a van together, and fell in love.
Here are some hightlights from our adventures together:
June, 2017
Here we are at what became one of our favorite places — the Black Hills of South Dakota, on our first week-long adventure together in the van.
June, 2017
Lydia saying good morning to some bison in Wyoming on our way to Denver
July, 2017
Our group of climbing friends gathered around a campfire after a day of climbing at Kincaid Lake, Illinois
August, 2017
"Hubbardville"—where we lived out of our van for a month in Chicago before hitting the road.
2018
Ice skating in Yosemite Valley
2018
Lydia rock climbing in Yosemite National Park, California
October, 2018
Lydia asleep in the van before a day of climbing in The Red River Gorge, Kentucky
July, 2019
Lydia showing off her guns after topping out on a multipitch climb in Cody, Wyoming
Climbing in Boulder Canyon
February 8th, 2019
Birthday breakfast in the van when Lydia turned 30
July, 2019
Getting stuck in a thunderstorm while climbing on Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
2018
Backpacking in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah
January, 2018
One of our favorite spots in Big Sur, California
March, 2018
Rock climbing in Hawaii
October, 2018
Kayaking along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior
April, 2019
Bikepacking the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park
2019
Enjoying the foliage in Joshua Tree National Park, California
Enjoying the sunset at one of our favorite places—Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah
Lydia and some mountain goats on Quandary Peak, Colorado
August, 2019
Rock climbing on probably one of our favorite routes ever in Banff, Alberta, Canada
Sept. 28, 2019
Lydia wearing her engagement ring right after I proposed to her in Washington
September, 2019
Lydia after we found her engagement ring that was lost in a pile of leaves in Bend, Oregon
October, 2019
Climbing to the top of "The Monkey Face" rock tower at Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
The Wedding
We got married in Hendy Woods State Park, among the redwoods and ferns, with just our parents present.
It was intimate, peaceful, and full of love.
We wish you could have all been there with us, but we would like to share the photos from that day with you now.
The Honeymoon
After the wedding we hopped in Susanne and made the almost 1000 mile drive down the Eastern Sierras, through Nevada, to Grand Canyon National Park, where we hiked down to the bottom of the canyon and spent a night at Phantom Ranch.
Afterward we drove out to Joshua Tree, California and spent a little relaxation time enjoying the quiet solitude of the desert, and skateboarding at a ramp that we gained access to through a friend of a friend of a friend as a wedding gift.
The Future
We feel fortunate to have been able to get married in such a beautiful place during such a turbulent, uncertain time. It was a reminder that love is an incredibly powerful gift that should not be taken lightly, and should be celebrated. It brings us together, even when we are unable to be in the same place.
If you're seeing this now then we know that you're someone we care about deeply, and we're certain that we'll be able to spend time with you in the future to celebrate our love and friendship together.
Thank you for all of your love and support, which was essential in making our union possible.
With love,
Lydia & Matt