Yen Ching Henrico

Rehearsal Dinner

St Peter Catholic Church

Wedding Ceremony

Main Street Station

Cocktail Hour and Reception

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Wedding Day Schedule

COVID-19 Safety Precautions

We kindly request that everyone in attendance must have their COVID-19 vaccinations including their booster. We will be following current CDC guidelines for all events. Masks are not required in Richmond, VA at the moment, but you may wear one if you feel comfortable.

Schedule

Hadley and Jeremy met on a delightfully warm August day in 2017. The two of them were at a happy hour at Pasture, what used to be a great southern restaurant/bar in downtown Richmond. It was Hadley's first year in grad school at VCU and having just moved, she was invited by her roommate at the time, a mutual friend of Jeremy, who was in his third year. At the time, the two would have no idea the amount of happiness they would bring into each other's lives. A couple of weeks later, Jeremy and Hadley found themselves sharing a class together. Jeremy had definitely not forgotten the way Hadley smiled from the first time he met her and the two of them became fast friends. The two bonded over nonstop thought-provoking conversation, a mutual love of fancy beer (Jeremy was impressed that Hadley knew the correct way to pronounce "gose"), and many hangouts. The two had several unofficial "dates" in those crisp, fall months. One in particular involved walking 20 blocks back from a speakeasy in Shockoe Bottom to Hadley's apartment. Even though it was a cold walk through the entire downtown, Jeremy would've walked countless more blocks just to keep enjoying Hadley's company. Eventually, Jeremy decided to ask Hadley out on a double date, on which the other couple had cancelled last minute (Hadley still jokingly insists it was a date trap). From that moment forward, the two continued to grow in their love together and the rest is history!

How We Met!

The first question people always ask is: Were you surprised?&nbsp; Well yes, and no.&nbsp; People who know us well will tell you that Jeremy and I have wanted to be married for a long time. I always told Jeremy that I wanted him to propose by giving me a kitten with a ring attached to its collar. However, when a stray cat turned up on the doorstep and quickly became a part of our family, I accepted that a kitten proposal was probably off the table. Jeremy would just have to find another way to surprise me. How he would surprise me though was a bit of a mystery. We had my ring size measured in early 2021 when the pandemic was still in full swing. When April approached and I was scheduled to receive my second vaccine, I think we both felt that the time was finally right. Jeremy suggested we should have a date that Friday when we could stay in (i.e., quarantine style), dress up, and cook a nice dinner (a vegan steak dinner). The perfect proposal setting, no? That same week, Jeremy declared that he was expecting a package. That package never arrived. I wasn't too concerned until it was clear that Jeremy was quietly panicking, rapidly shooting off messages through his phone. Did Jeremy order the ring through the mail? Did Jeremy LOSE the ring the through the mail?! So I asked him, "What did you order, hon?" He paused. "Nothing," he replied, not terribly convincingly. Umm. Now it was my turn to quietly panic. That conversation took place on Wednesday, just two days before the big Friday date. Fortunately a package addressed to Jeremy DID arrive on Friday. He opened it and showed me the contents: a candle, scented sea salt and rose. This was the package he was waiting on. He wanted to give it to me as a gift, he explained, so we could light it for our dinner date. I love candles. It honestly smelled great. I breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't lose the ring. Maybe he wouldn't actually propose to me that evening after all? We lit the candle and enjoyed our meal. After some time, Jeremy interrupts and asks me to check out the candle. "It looks like it's not burning right," he says. I get up to look at the candle and all I can think is: Is the ring INSIDE of the candle?! Of course, there was no ring inside the candle. But when I looked down into the candle jar, under the thin layer of melting wax, the curly words looked back at me: Hadley, will you marry me? And of course, I said yes. After exchanging the ring and a few joyful tears, I finally asked him what happened to the package. It turned out that the original package with the candle was stolen, and Jeremy emailed the small Etsy business with his plight, and they miraculously agreed to make him a new custom candle to send to him overnight. Now we giggle thinking about the surprise someone must have received after lighting the stolen candle. Was this candle given as a gift to someone's wife or girlfriend? If so, they are probably VERY keen to figure out who this Hadley person is...

The proposal - from Hadley's perspective

Our Story

Photos 

Airport Information

The Richmond International Airport is a short 10-15 minutes from downtown Richmond. The airport has frequent Uber/Lyft traffic as well as car rental options.

Richmond International Airport

We have reserved a block of rooms at The Omni Richmond Hotel. You can reserve your room using the link below or by calling 1-800-THE-OMNI and asking for the "Rahrig Barsell Wedding Room Block." If you are staying at the hotel, shuttles will be provided to and from the wedding ceremony, as well as to and from the reception venue! Please book by May 17th!

Omni Richmond Hotel

Travel

Brie is Hadley's little sister and very first friend! As little kids, Brie and Hadley did everything together, and they even cried the first time their parents suggested they have their own rooms. Although they live far from one another now, Hadley and Brie still manage to burst into a fit of giggles whenever they see each other. 

Brie Rahrig

Jeremy and Matt met in 2012 and quickly bonded over League of Legends, plenty of laughs, and discovering new beers and whiskeys. Over the years, the two have remained close despite Matt's many shenanigans. Jeremy not only considers Matt to be his kuya, but is proud to call him his best man.  

Matt Veland

Hadley met Andi in their second year at Colgate when they became roommates and instant best friends. Fond memories include trekking around Europe with the University choir, getting the stomach flu at the same time on Andi's 21st birthday, pushing the beds together to binge watch Netflix, and of course, dinosaurs (if you know, you know).  

Andrea Maistros

Jeremy and Jeff have technically known each other since high school, but really became close during college over many fun times. The two share many memories of cooking together (Jeremy ruined the rice one time) and plenty of nights out on the town in Richmond. Even though Jeff has moved away to several different states now, the two remain close friends.

Jeff Chow

Hadley met Sam at Colgate where they shared the same major (neuroscience),  job (sports trainer), and more than a few hijinks (including convincing professors that we were the same person). Although Sam is now far away in Chicago, she and Hadley are still long-distance best friends who stay up way too late talking on the phone. 

Sam Nelson

Sarah is Jeremy's first friend that he made in grad school back in 2015. Despite Jeremy forcing Sarah to briefly go to the gym with him, they are still incredibly close friends. Sarah is a fellow EDM fan, a great confidant, and a burgeoning D&D player. 

Sarah Maloney

Jeremy and Thy have been siblings since 1997 and spent much of their childhood teasing, pranking, and shooting Nerf darts at each other. Growing older now, Jeremy is always constantly humbled by the depth of Thy's compassionate heart for others (especially cats!). 

Diem-Thy Bui-Le

Jeremy and Minh-Thy have been siblings since 2000. Even though Jeremy accidentally gave Minh-Thy buttered toast with MSG instead of sugar one time when they were young, the two still enjoy watching martial-arts and action movies together. 

Minh-Thy Bui-Le

Jeremy and Sultan met in grad school in 2016. The two of them bonded over their time working in advising and their mutual passion for anime and Smash Bros. Jeremy maintains a roughly 50% win rate against Sultan whenever they play Smash together.  

Sultan Hubbard

Wedding Party

Great vegan-friendly dive bar that offers amazing burgers and cocktails. They also do delivery!

Cobra Cabana

Our favorite local Thai restaurant. They also do takeout and delivery!

The Patio Thai Restaurant

Looking for some amazing sandwiches? Look no further than Cheddar Jackson, which specializes in melts and grilled cheese sandwiches. They also have vegan ham and cheese sandwiches and a vegan tuna melt! Make sure to pair with their tomato soup.

Cheddar Jackson

Craving some sweets? This completely vegan bakery has incredible pastries, cookies, cakes, and coffee. It's also located in the middle of Carytown, which is an incredibly fun outdoor shopping area.

Minglewood Bake Shop

A great place to pick up onigiri (Japanese rice balls) as a snack and a variety of boba drinks! This awesome shop located in Carytown also has a small authentic Japanese market right next to it.

Chum Chum Onigiri

One of our favorite breweries in Richmond with plenty of outdoor and indoor space. They usually have food trucks as well!

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery - Richmond

Beautiful museum full of modern art, antiquities, Asian art, and Faberge eggs. General admission is free!