Ramble Creek Vineyard

Wedding Day

Summer

Our Wedding

Our love story actually began before we even met. Through a series of events, Emily transferred to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA from LSU in January of 2022. Growing up she always told herself she would never live above the Mason-Dixon Line. I, on the other hand, have never lived further south than Pittsburgh, with my family being from the New England states. Surely the Lord had a plan for the two of us, because if it hadn’t been for her move up north, we honestly never would have met.

Our Story, by Nathan

Since Emily was starting at a new school in a new area, she promised herself she wouldn’t date anyone until she had at least one semester under her belt. Near the end of the semester, one of Emily’s swim teammates decided to make her an online dating profile on Bumble to help her meet people in this new environment. She was extremely skeptical but figured she had nothing to lose. Little did she know this would be the best decision ever!   While this was going on, I was living about 30 minutes outside of the city and ironically contemplating deleting Bumble because I was adamant that online dating wasn’t for me. Before deleting the app, something told me to give the app one last glance over. So, after swiping through some profiles, I figured it best to keep the app until the end of the week to see if any of my swipes turned into a match. Sure enough, the next day Emily and I matched!   From the very first message, our conversations flowed amazingly! It was clear early on that we shared the same views and values which was/is extremely important to both of us. After about two weeks of talking on the app, we decided to finally meet up and go on a first date. I decided on a classic “dinner and movie” first date. We ate at Texas Roadhouse and went to see Top Gun Maverick (Emily’s request, which of course I was all for). The date went amazing! On our separate drives home we both immediately called our best friends to share about how it went (Emily called her bridesmaid, Abby and I called my best man, Calvin).   A couple of days later I had plans to go see Brad Paisley in concert with some friends. When I found out I was going to be the only one without someone at the concert, my friend pressured me to ask the girl I wouldn’t stop talking about from the other day. I was nervous to ask, but I finally did (not knowing that Emily’s a huge fan of concerts and country music) and sure enough she said yes. After these first two dates, summer was in full swing, which allowed us to go on a ton of dates back-to-back-to-back.

Fast forward to 2023. Emily and I had been talking about our future together and about the high probability of one day getting married. In June we went ring shopping so she could try on some different styles to see what she liked. About a month later, while she was out of town, I went back to the store and decided on the ring she would end up with. Planning the proposal and putting it into motion was challenging. I am not the best with secrets and Emily isn’t really the best at letting something remain a secret, so naturally… the plan had to evolve several times to try and keep Emily on her toes. I finally settled on October 14th, which is a couple of days after my birthday. Despite several hiccups along the way, which included my original photographer canceling on me less than two weeks before the proposal, the day finally arrived, and everything went off smoothly. I was able to work in a few little surprises within the day to keep Emily guessing, even though she knew more than she should have. I proposed at Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh along the three rivers, where Emily and I have had numerous picnics and walks.

Now we are here, preparing for this big celebration to commemorate our love for each other and embarking on a journey that only God knows where it will lead. Thank you for supporting us through our lives and guiding us to where we are now. Emily and I wouldn’t be where we are or who we are without your love and support. With love, -Nathan

Our Story

Our Photos

Meet the Girls

Allison Pye

Summer Stanfield McGroarty

Abigail Baumagartner

Chase Lahr

Joelle Beaumariage

Shaelyn Walker

& The Guys

High Point High School | Camp-of-the-Woods Resort

Calvin Ottens

CCO Ministries - Slippery Rock University

Tyler Vasil

Gabe Larson

CCO Ministries - Slippery Rock University | Former Roommate

Adam Clark

Jordan Hörst

Austin Padgett

Wedding Party

RSVPs

Please avoid wearing jeans

Special Accommodations

Q & A

McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)

2055 Alcoa Highway, Alcoa, Tennessee 37707

Approximately 45 miles from Ramble CreekThis is Emily’s home airport, just outside of Knoxville!

Chattanooga Metropolitan airport 

1001 Airport Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421

Approximately 55 miles from Ramble Creek

This hotel is 17 minutes away from Ramble Creek. Fairfield also offers free continental breakfast from 6:30-10:00 AM. Rates for the Pye Stillings block are $99 per night.

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Athens

The Holiday Inn Express is newly renovated and is just across the street from the Fairfield. Similarly, it offers free breakfast, and is a quick 16 minute drive from Ramble Creek. Rates for the Pye Stillings wedding are $129 per night

Holiday Inn Express Athens

Travel & Accomodations

As a couple, we love traveling &amp; this beautiful area. We encourage all of our guests coming from out of town to get out and explore while they are here!

The Lost Sea is America’s largest underground lake. It is located inside a cavern, 140 feet below ground level! After taking a tour through the caverns, the tour concludes with a boat ride throughout the lake. Of all of the attractions listed here, this one is the closest to Ramble Creek at just 20 minutes away. Be sure to purchase tickets ahead of time as tours frequently sell out!

The Lost Sea Adventure

Dollywood is a huge attraction for those that are out of town. With plenty of rollercoasters, treats, and live entertainment, this is a great pit stop when traveling in East Tennessee. The drive is a little less than an hour from the McGhee Tyson Airport. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.

Dollywood

The Tennessee Aquarium is just a 15 minute drive from the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport! We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance.

Tennessee Aquarium

The State Park is about a 45 minute drive from the McGhee Tyson Airport and is considered one of the most beautiful parks in the country.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Go see where Emily grew up! Pictured above is the street Emily’s family lives on. This is a 20 minute drive from the McGhee Tyson Airport. There is lots of shopping, restaurants, and of course Cruze Farm Ice Cream, a local favorite. The link below will provide a list of restaurants and shops to check out.

Downtown Knoxville

Rock City is a not quite so hidden gem in the area. There is lots to see and do from gardens, waterfalls, caves, and beautiful views. Supposedly you are able to see 7 different states from the peak. Rock City Gardens is located about 20 minutes from the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.

Rock City Gardens

Things to Do

Local Food & Drink

You may have noticed that we didn’t include much information on Athens in the “Things To Do” tab. As far as activities go, there is not a lot going on in Athens, so we recommend planning your outings near Knoxville or Chattanooga. Below we have listed some restaurants that are closer to the hotels and the venue.

Sit Down Restaurants

- Vittorino’s Cucina Italian Restaurant- Lazy Beagle- Luciano’s- Greek Cafe Restaurant- Ruby Tuesday

Breweries

- Sweetwater Taps- Euchee Grill &amp; Brewhouse - Monkey Town Brewing Company

Quick Bites

- Maddie Mae’s Cafe- Pepos Burrito Bar- Buddy’s Bar-B-Q- Smalls Drive-in

Coffee

- 7 Brew Coffee- Cup Runneth Over Coffeehouse- Northern Delights- Blue Front Coffee- Revival Grounds- There is a Starbucks and Dunkin nearby as well!

Sweets

- The Dairy Barn (owned by relatives!) - Grandma’s Gingerbread Bakery - Mayfield Dairy Farms (they also do tours!!)

Emily & Nathan