Lourdes Camp

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

Our Story

We met while hiking Appalachian Trail. Then we were introduced to each other as Throwback (Darby) and Lotus (Elyce). Together, with another hiker (Yak) we watched fireworks in the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant. Later that night, Lotus (trail famous for braids) braided Throwback's then much shorter hair.

July 4th 2017 ~ Rutland, VT

Throwback got off trail for a brief period of time the next day but then caught Lotus a week later north of Garfield mountain (NH). We became fast friends and spent the next weeks scarcely apart. We got along remarkably well and had little trouble filling the silence of 8 hours/day of hiking. I (Elyce) recall falling behind on my podcast listening because I was having too much fun talking to Throwback. We talked about the dumb things we did as kids, how we would run a hypothetical hostel, and about the various plots of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Pictured is our first known photos together (below) taken in Southern Maine. With two others, Yak and Matador, the four of us became a trail family named the Ptera Squad. Both Yak and Matador were nonplussed when we would talk late into the night but mostly we had fun.

Ptera Squad

On August 11th we summited Katahdin (northern AT terminus) together. Following this, Dabry's parents (Ben and Laura) drove us back to NYC. I (Elyce) soon left on a bus from NYC thinking I (Elyce) would likely not see Darby again.

August 11th 2017 ~ Mount Katahdin

As we started undergraduate (Darby) and graduate (Elyce) school it was soon clear we were integral to each other's day to day life. We spent hours on the phone each day. It wasn't long before we planned a hiking trip together. In October, we hiked Max Patch together (pictured).

College

Despite living 8 hours [12 hours by bus] away from each other, we decided to start dating in November 2017.

Long Distance

After a rough year of school, we hiked the Colorado Trail together with Stella. Of note is Darby tanning "the cool S" into his chest.

Colorado Trail

In Fall 2018, Darby transfers to Guildford College, a mere 2.5 hours away from Virginia Tech.

Shorter Distance

In Spring 2019, Elyce attempts to dam up a stream flowing through a culvert with a trash can (graduate school is weird). Predictably, said trash can gets stuck in the culvert. Elyce spends ~40 hours trying to get the trash can out of the culvert to no avail. Darby visits and though claustrophobic, climbs into the culvert (pictured below) and after several hours of lying in cold water we retrieve the trash can. Darby has always been a person who will go the extra mile just to make my (Elyce) life a little easier. After this, I (Elyce) was floored that I meant this much to Darby and felt like he surely was "the one."

The infamous trash can in a culvert story

When tragedy struck the world, the end of in person obligations resulted in Darby moving to Blacksburg and continuing his schooling online. Together we shared a very small room which had it's challenges but mostly it was fun. Those of 608 Preston had many a dinner party and though the fridge space was tight, living with 2 house boyfriends in addition to two roommates made life during Covid doable.

Covid-19

In fall 2021, Darby moves to Colorado Springs for work while Elyce finishes her Ph.D. Elyce defends her Ph.D. in summer 2022 and soon thereafter moves to Colorado. After 5 years of dating, we finally settled into a life together.

Colorado

On April 13th, 2023 Darby proposes to Elyce in Austin Bluffs park in Colorado Springs. Darby made the proposal extra special by waiting until mom and dad Buell were in town to pop the question. Being able to celebrate with them made this day all the sweeter.

She said yes!

The rest of our story is to be determined but we couldn't be more EXCITED to celebrate our union with YOU! Truly, thank you for (1) being in our lives, and (2) spending time and money traveling to help us celebrate.

Engagement Photos ~ Sept 2023

I (Elyce) had a lot of fun putting the remainder of this section together, but it is excessively long. Please do not feel obligated to view all content.

Appalachian Trail ~ Summer 2017

Poughkeepsie, NY ~ August 2017

Max Patch, NC ~ October 2017

Christmas hiking/running, VA ~ December 2017

Long Trail ~ Summer 2018

Colorado Trail ~ Summer 2018

Raptor Observatory, WV ~ October 2018

Goodnow Mountain ~ December 2018

Four Pass Loop ~ August 2019

Haleakalā National Park ~ Sept 2023

Photos

Groomsmen 

Rob Gomez ~ Best Man

Haven LaPorte

Cale Houghton

Bridesmaids 

I met Greta on the first day of freshman orientation at Cornell. She was wearing a yellow Australia rowing shirt and I told her I was trying out for the crew team. We exchanged numbers and later went on a run that was way too fast but neither of us wanted to back down.Greta and I lived together for several years in college and she and I did my first big travel trip together in Iceland shortly after college. Since, I have had the flexibility to visit her for a couple weeks in Alaska.Greta is warm and easy going. She is creative and has a beautiful outlook on life. ELYCE LOOK ON VT COMPUTER FOR THE PIC OF YOU AND GRETA SHARING CHAPSTICK

Greta Healy ~ Maid of Honor

At the beginning of my Sophmore year in college, Lydia cold emailed me saying she had spent a good deal of time in Skaneateles and wanted to talk about the rowing team. She was in the process of walking on. I recall our first meeting fondly and remember walking away from our lunch dizzy with excitement to have this person on the crew team.&nbsp;Lydia is an incredible cook and is an early inspiration for my cooking today. She made me feel welcome in the kitchen and has impacted my life greatly in this way.Lydia is goofy and passionate. She is incredibly smart and has, on multiple occasions been there for me when it was hard to be there for me (for which I am incredibly thankful).

Lydia Perkins ~ Bridesmaid

I do not recall when Kelly and I met but we became better friends when our friend groups merged. In our senior year of high school, Kelly and I ended up being alone on New Years. We spent many many hours watching Degrassi and drinking sparkling cider. I recall leaving her house after this being feeling light (maybe it was the sparkling cider). My friendship with Kelly bloomed when we went to college and thereafter. I remember calling her when I was having a hard time and she told me she was experiencing something similar. When Kelly and I talk I feel less alone in this world. Kelly has otherworldly hospitality. She is fun and a wonderful person to hang out with.

Kelly Dunn ~ Bridesmaid

Wedding Party

Overview of Lourdes Camp

<a href="https://www.lourdescamp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lourdes camp</a> (1150 Ten Mile Point Rd, Skaneateles, NY 13152) is a summer camp that rents out for weddings in the off season. It is located on Skaneateles Lake and the closest airport is Syracuse Airport. There will be parking on the road to the boathouse when you pull in (please don't drive on the lawns or paths). You are more than welcome to park a car on site anytime during the weekend.

Staying at Lourdes Camp

There are at least a dozen cabins available to us at the camp, so you are welcome to stay there Friday - Sunday (in addition to the hotel options available). Please note that we will be setting up a wedding and likely have the rehearsal dinner on site Friday so the camp will be busy, but there will be spaces you can hang out during that time! Because this is a summer camp, guests who plan to spend the weekend at Lourdes should expect summer camp accommodations. You are encouraged to bring your own bedding (we recommend twin sheets, a pillow, and a warm [rated at 30degF]) sleeping bag). If you do not have access to this type of bedding or are traveling and cannot fit this in your bag, there will be options (the RSVP will include information on this). Also, there won't be food prepared for the 'non wedding' times, so you're encouraged to bring food (you can use the large camp kitchen and/or team up to make food, but we can't guarantee it will be available at any given time because there will be some food preparation there as well).

Out of town guests

If you are traveling from out of town and are looking to reduce your costs on rental vehicles, please feel free to use this <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p56Ew9MMDEtlUFOzu2snLiPlm6xREdaYIbgU9DNgUYU/edit?gid=0#gid=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">google sheet</a> to coordinate with others.

Staying in Skaneateles

Listed below are hotels that we can commit to transporting you to and from. For information on transportation, please review day of itinerary. Below are a couple of the hotels that we would recommend staying at, Please don't hesitate to reach out to Momma Buell if you have any questions (3152149125). As of May, availability is good for those listed below but Skaneateles is a tourist destination and thus these will likely book fast.

Inn at the Gate

The Bond 1835

Skaneateles Cottages

This is a site that allows people to rent local lake cottages. Please choose a cottage on the east side of the lake north of Lourdes camp (and south of Skaneateles). <a href="https://skaneateles-cottages.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Skaneateles Lake Vacation Rentals</a>

Travel

Wedding Day (9/13/25)

Itinerary can be viewed via<a href="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=Yzk1NTEyZGNiZGVlMTdjNWRiNjMzY2EyMDVkYjdiNDM2Yjg1MDQzNDM3ODI5OGRmNTk1MzRjMWQ0YmJiMTgzZkBncm91cC5jYWxlbmRhci5nb29nbGUuY29t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Guest Google Calendar</a> Or summarized hereTransportation2:25pm School bus pickup at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/B3EnW5Ffa4aHFNpK9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sherwood Inn</a>2:35pm School bus pickup at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/AX6RnyiBU2VXe3KB9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inn at the Gate</a>2:50pm School bus pickup at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/7m8apghLBdT5ZoqP7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Bond 1835</a> Wedding3:15pm All guests arrive3:30pm Wedding ceremony4:00pm Cocktail hour5:00 to 10:00pm Reception After wedding8:00pm Early bus departs10:00pm Bus departs for Skaneateles hotels10:15pm After party (bon fire) for those staying at Lourdes Camp

Itinerary

<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lHwOAh5sA8PIpoOItMyFcn7JABued5-0oTqTNkMxOIA/edit?gid=1201741703#gid=1201741703" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">REGISTRY PAGE</a> Registries often encourage guests to purchase very specific items. We recognize that we have some very talented guests and guests with excellent taste. As such, this registry is designed to be a little more open ended than typical. Some items may not specify color, other items may specify that we prefer you find a local artist; we have even included some items that can be handmade. We would also be thrilled to receive handmade gifts off the registry. If you find the registry confusing, please view this <a href="https://youtu.be/95sJ07u1-PE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">short tutorial</a> - or contact either Elyce or Darby (we don't mind). Please use the link above to view the registry and track your purchases. PLEASE don't forget to mark the items that you purchased (select on the drop down)! Please have gifts sent to Mom &amp; Dad Buell's house105 Packwood PlaceSkaneateles, NY 13152OR bring them to the wedding! Lastly, we recognize that this isn't your typical wedding. More than anything, we want you to come and dance with us. Please do not feel obligated to purchase anything.

E&D Registry

Honeymoon Fund

Things to Do

Q + A

September 11th: We begin having access to the camp on Thursday - you are welcome to come stay with us if your travel plans allow itSeptember 12th:

Elyce & Darby

Elyce & Darby

Honeymoon Fund