Wedding Day

Ceremony

Wedding Location516 Windsong PointColumbia, SC

Our Wedding

Three years ago, we never would have dreamed we’d be writing this story. We were married to wonderful spouses who loved the Lord supremely and loved us dearly. We are grateful for the many years God gave to us with them. In April 2021, the Lord called my (Gordon) wife Andrea home to be with Him following several months of pancreatic cancer. In June of 2022, my (Ann) husband Rick was ushered into the presence of the Lord as a result of an automobile accident.&nbsp;While we have experienced deep grief and unimaginable sorrow, we have known God's marvelous, infinite, matchless grace amid the pain of loss. God has been our source of hope (Lam. 3:19-25).&nbsp; We initially believed that we would never marry again and have been content finding joy in Christ alone (Phil. 4:11b-13). I (Ann) was committed to being a widow for the rest of my life. And I (Gordon) believed initially that I would never remarry.&nbsp;But, as with the first man, Adam, I realized that it was not good to be alone without a companion. I began to call out to God for His will regarding remarriage. He graciously answered and brought Ann to me.&nbsp; How did that happen? &nbsp;In November 2023, at a Wednesday night church prayer meeting following Thanksgiving, I (Ann) sought to greet a visitor and be kind, knowing he was a widower. During that brief conversation, we both recognized that we shared the same bitter-sweet grief following the death of our spouses. We also recognized that we both deeply loved the Lord Jesus and were learning the same incredible lessons of God’s marvelous grace amid our deep pain.I (Gordon) asked if I could send Ann a brief video of a devotional I did at an Interim Pastor Ministries Annual event only two months following Andrea’s death. Ann told me that my daughter, Bethanie, the church secretary, would have my email address. I was giving him the opportunity to do the legwork if he wanted to connect with me. As I (Ann) watched that 7-minute brief devotional, I resonated with the Biblical truth he had shared. I felt that the words he shared were my testimony, and the verses he expounded on in that devotional were my year verses for 2022 and 2023 (Lamentations 3:19-12; Rom 15:13).&nbsp;That began a series of numerous emails over the next month. In these emails, we discussed far more than trite, superficial things. We discussed our love for Christ, biblical perspectives, families, and backgrounds and asked significant questions. I (Ann) had read extensively about God’s perspective on walking through grief and suffering. Therefore, I wrote to Gordon to seek more knowledge of the scriptures and learn how he, as an experienced pastor, was walking through grief. I was seeking a mentor, not a life partner. &nbsp;Later, I (Gordon) began texting about my new great-granddaughter who was born in Columbia, SC. We began more lighthearted conversations and shared our similarities, convictions, desires, and perspectives.We laughed together, having a similar sense of humor. The most important disagreement we discovered is that I am Packer fan, and Gordon loves the Cowboys. But we agree that this is not a deal breaker! I (Gordon) came to Columbia after the birth of my great-granddaughter, which gave us numerous opportunities to spend time together (talking for hours!). This connected us at a deeper level. &nbsp;We began looking for more opportunities for Gordon to come to Columbia so we could spend time together. When not in Columbia, we spent numerous hours in FaceTime conversations. In all those conversations, I (Gordon) recognized that God could be drawing us together in a potential lifetime relationship. Therefore, I asked Ann if I could pursue her. And she said, “Yes”! As we continued our relationship, we remained open-handed about God’s will.&nbsp;The more time we spent together, the more Gordon captivated my (Ann’s) heart.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;God continued to confirm His desire for us as we sought counsel and affirmation from church leaders, church family, close friends, and immediate family. Our love for one another continued to grow, and on Easter Sunday, Gordon proposed.&nbsp; Two key scriptures have impacted our lives as we anticipate our life together:&nbsp; Isaiah 46:9Remember the former things, those of long ago: I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me .We will never forget God’s grace and goodness in giving us the gift of Andrea and Rick.&nbsp; Isaiah 43:18-19Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing!&nbsp;Though we should never forget His good gifts in the past, we do not want to dwell on what we no longer have.We are grateful for this “new thing” and for the love He has given us for each other. We desire to serve Jesus, serve each other, and bring great glory to our great God and King.

Our Story

Photos

Escorting the Bride: Daniel Graff (Ann’s son), Charles (Chad) Bennett (Ann’s Son-in-love) Groomsmen:&nbsp;Jeff Simms, Bryan Simms (Gordon’s sons) Bridesmaids:&nbsp;Rachel Bennett (Ann’s daughter), Rita Hipp (dear friend) Prayer maidens: Trudy Defelice, Jennifer Suddath, Leslie Graham, Manuela Brower (dear friends) Flower girls: Anna-Faith Bennett, Audrey-Ray Bennett, Everly Graff (Ann’s granddaughters) Ring Bearers: Samuel (Ace) Bennett, Sutton Graff (Ann’s grandsons)

Wedding Party

Q + A

Hampton Inn Columbia I-26/Harbison Blvd.

Hyatt Place Columbia/Harbison

Tru by Hilton Harbison Columbia

Travel

Saluda Riverwalk

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Congaree National Park

Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park

Things to Do

Registry

Ann and Gordon's Dream Honeymoon: Canada trip (Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise, Victoria, Calgary) THINGS WE'D LIKE TO DO: Cabin rental in JasperFairmont Chateau Tea, at Lake LouiseBanff GondolaBouchart Gardens in VictoriaAbigail's Hotel in VictoriaMiette Hot SpringsBoulder Mountain ResortGrand Hotel in Nanaimo, BCCalgary Tower If you'd like to give a gift, you can give to Gordon and Ann through VENMO. (Gordon Simms @gdsimms1)You can also write a check to Gordon Simms.THANK YOU!

Wedding Gifts

Want some fantastic Thai food in a casual setting?This is your place!Dukes Pad Thai<a href="https://www.dukespadthai.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.dukespadthai.com/</a>

Want to eat in Downtown Columbia?Here are a few suggestions: Cola's Restaurant<a href="http://colasrestaurant.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://colasrestaurant.com</a> California Dreaming<a href="https://californiadreaming.rest/location/Columbia-SC/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://californiadreaming.rest/location/Columbia-SC/</a> Blue Marlin<a href="https://www.bluemarlincolumbia.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.bluemarlincolumbia.com/</a> Breakfast in Irmo: Eggs Up Grill<a href="https://eggsupgrill.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://eggsupgrill.com/</a>

Coffee Shops: Loveland Coffee<a href="https://www.lovelandcoffee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lovelandcoffee.com/</a> Brickhouse<a href="https://www.brickhousecoffeeandtea.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.brickhousecoffeeandtea.com/</a> Piecewise<a href="https://piecewisecoffee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://piecewisecoffee.com/</a> Knowledge Perkhttps://knowledgeperk.com/

Gordon & Ann

Gordon & Ann

Wedding Party