Local Love: Marleigh + Elijah

We met in the fall of 2021 at Lincoln Christian University, the college that we both attended. After a few conversations between Elijah and I at the coffee shop that he had been working at, he asked me on a date. One date turned into two, which turned into three… well, you know. Feelings developed very quickly and, as it often goes, we knew right away it was going to be serious. Months later, after a major transition in the university’s model, both of us planned a quick move from Illinois to his parents’ house six hours away, in southern Indiana. It was quite the challenge planning our wedding at a distance from family and friends, but we could not have imagined a better (or colder!) turnout for our wedding in November. It was exactly what we wanted: one big party with family and friends.

We chose a moody theme for our wedding with colors of black, sienna, gold, sage, and pops of warm color in our floral arrangements. Both of us wanted something that spoke to our style – neutral and classy. Though the design of our wedding was fun to create together, both of us agree that our favorite part was being able to celebrate our love and our story with our closest friends and family. We also asked some of our dearest friends to use their gifts and talents to be a unique part of our day. A friend at the local coffee shop Elijah worked at made our cake, Marleigh’s oldest and dearest friend, Rachel, took our photos, friends from our church in Indiana created a stunning video, and a sweet friend from college arranged the florals. It made our day so much more special!

Marleigh is local to the Quincy area, and Elijah is native to the Kentuckiana area, where we now live. Our favorite things to do together are lift, play soccer on Sundays with our soccer league, play music at our church, and do lots of studying together. We live in an apartment with our three kitties, and we stay busy with our hobbies, family, work, and school. It’s been such a joy to learn about each other, encourage each other through tough days, and celebrate each others’ victories.

We love our story. The road certainly hasn’t been easy, but life never is. Over the past year, and even the few months we’ve been married, we have been challenged to learn and understand what it means to choose one another, to strive for complete selflessness and service to each other, and to truly work as a team. We have also wept, celebrated, and laughed until we cried. We have both grown exponentially through our experiences, and become better versions of ourselves. We have continuously prayed for and with one another, for our families and friends, and for the ministry we will get to do in the years to come. And we are so excited to see the ways in which God will use us in the future. So yes, we decided on forever! He popped the question on April 2, 2022, and on November 19, 2022 we were married. And it has been the best adventure of our lives.

Photography: Rachel B Photography
Desserts: Guest House Coffee & Pastries
Video: GG Films
Venue: Illinois Wesleyan University Weddings
Floral: 4everfloral