Bethany & Pierre: A Modern Wedding in Erie, PA

Even though they didn’t start dating until months later, Bethany Weaver and Pierre van Helden both remember the first moment they saw each other at a Michigan State tailgating party. After graduation, they spent several months dating long-distance while Bethany pursued her master’s degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The Bride Bethany Weaver, 25, dietitian The Groom Pierre van Helden, 26, a materials supervisor for Johnson Controls The Date August 19 The day before Pierre was supposed to arrive to accompany her to her best friend’s wedding, Bethany came home to find her apartment decked out with hundreds of candles and twelve dozen roses. A path of rose petals led to Pierre himself, dressed in a handsome black suit. “He explained some things that I don’t remember because I was trying to stay standing!” Bethany says. After the proposal, Pierre had one more surprise -- a dinner with both their families, who had driven in for the occasion. The couple married in a summer ceremony at the bride’s hometown church.