Wedding

Ceremony

Reception

Spring

Our Wedding

༺ How They Met ༻

On May 23, 2018, Emily and Brandon met on VRChat, an online chatroom in which users masquerade as various "anime" characters. The two of them just so happened to join the same chatroom at the same time, and Brandon's avatar was one of Emily's favorite video game characters. This encouraged her to approach Brandon and strike up a conversation. The two of them ended up talking all night and adding one another on social media, but things were just on a friendship level. Fast forward to Spring 2019. At this point, Emily and Brandon were close friends who had spent hours playing video games together with their friend group and chatting over voice call on Discord. They had also video called a few times, which led both to the secret realization that they found one another really attractive! But as life often goes, the two of them had been dating other people and hadn't had the chance to think about how they felt about one another. Until, that is, reality hit Emily in the face - Brandon was the exact person she needed all along; she had just been too blind to see it right away. With a little encouragement from their friend Matt, she mustered up the courage to tell Brandon how she really felt. And guess what? Not only did Brandon feel the exact same way about her - he had also harbored feelings for her for much longer! On May 11, 2019, the two of them decided to make their relationship official.

༺ Their Relationship ༻

Brandon and Emily spent the next several months playing video games together, video chatting, and talking over Discord. But the desire to meet one another in-person was always at the forefront, so Emily scheduled a flight to visit Brandon in Florida. They met in-person for the first time in October 2019, and the two of them immediately hit it off! Their first official date was at Clearwater Beach, a memory both of them cherish to this day. It was Emily's first time seeing - and swimming in - the ocean, too. During Emily's visit, the couple also went kayaking and visited what quickly became their favorite nightclub, The Castle. From that point on, the couple made sure to visit one another twice a year. While waiting to see one another again was certainly difficult, they kept in contact with each other every day in-between visits, strengthening their bond even further. This pattern of traveling to visit one another continued on for another five years. Finally, in January 2024, Brandon moved up to Ohio. He started out living with Emily and her parents until the couple got an apartment of their own in May. And that is where they are today - grateful to be able to spend every single day together! Brandon proposed to Emily on September 7, and the best is yet to come!

Our Story

Photos

Dayce (pronounced DAY-see) and Emily met on VRChat in January 2018. They were initially part of the same "internet friend" group who chatted and played video games together.  While Emily was cautious at first, not really knowing much about Dayce, Dayce quickly took a liking to Emily and was the first to give her the nickname "Emmie." After that, the two started talking more often and quickly became close friends. Brandon joined their friend group that May, and he and Emily finally got to meet Dayce in-person in November 2022 and again in June 2024. Needless to say, tons of fun was had during those visits, with countless memories made!

Dayce Gerringer

Alison and Emily are co-workers at the same law firm. They first met in August 2021 and started chatting during their breaks at work. Their friendship really blossomed when they decided to hang out at a bar together, enjoying bar food and discussing details about each other's lives. Alison has always been a source of encouragement for Emily, especially when things get rough, and Emily does her best to reciprocate. Now, the two look forward to chatting during their lunch hour every day at work!

Alison Thomlison

Matt and Brandon met in high school in 2015. Both have always been huge fans of playing video games, so when the topic of gaming came up, the two hit it off! Matt and Brandon initially bonded over Warframe and Civilization V, but they spent a lot of time together in person, too. One of the first times they hung out was at a local movie theater to see The Avengers: End Game. At a later point, they went to IHOP to play Magic: The Gathering, a card game the two enjoy to this day. When Emily came into the picture a few years later, she joined Matt and Brandon on a lot of adventures - to the beach, to a card shop called Warehouse, and to the house Matt grew up in, to name a few. Matt is thrilled to be there for Brandon and Emily on their special day!

Matt Epp

Although they're Emily's second cousins, Maria and her sister Katie are the closest Emily has had to siblings.  They spent countless hours together as kids playing outside, coming up with make-believe games, and sharing meals together. Life happened, preventing them from keeping in regular contact for the next decade, but Emily and Maria reconnected in 2021. They found out they still had more in common than they thought, and suddenly the metaphorical term "sister" took on a much stronger meaning!

Emily & Brandon

Emily & Brandon

Travel

Extended Stay America Suites- Cleveland - Great Northern Mall

Hampton Inn North Olmsted Cleveland Airport