Ben and Elizabeth's story begins over 6,000 miles away in Iwakuni, Japan!

In April 2023, Elizabeth received word from her Commanding Officer that the veterinarian at the Marine Corps Base in Iwakuni would be out on maternity leave shortly, and Elizabeth would be traveling from Yokota to Iwakuni to care for her military working dogs in the interim.

The happy couple met in Iwakuni just two days after Elizabeth's arrival. They visited a local izakaya shop for their first date, and the rest was history. They spent almost every day together for five weeks before Elizabeth had to return to Yokota, and Ben remained behind in Iwakuni.

For the next 14 months, Ben and Elizabeth traveled over 500 miles to visit each other several times a month. They adventured all across SE Asia, from backpacking in the Yamanashi Mountains, to skiing the famous Shigakogen slopes, to snorkeling in Bali, Indonesia.

As 2023 came to a close, Ben proposed to Elizabeth during the NYE fireworks while overlooking Yokohama Harbor, and Elizabeth said yes. Shortly after, Elizabeth and Ben decided that eloping together best fit their personalities, story, and life circumstances.

On July 1st 2024, Elizabeth's grandfather, Neil Woodley, helped them tie the knot surrounded by a cathedral of California Redwoods. Shortly afterwards, they moved to Quantico, VA where they will remain until 2028. Elizabeth now works as a part-time Relief Veterinarian in the Washington D.C. area, while Ben completes his military commitment at the Expeditionary Warfare School on Marine Corps Base, Quantico.

Since July 2024, Ben and Elizabeth have been eager to celebrate their young marriage in the company of their closest family and friends, and wish to express that they could not have traveled this path without each and every person in their lives offering both love and support.