Smithsonian Museum

Wedding Day

Die Vereinigte Kirche - The United Church

Ceremony

Reception

Rehearsal

Rehearsal Dinner

Our Wedding

James and Leah met using the dating app, Bumble. He was intrigued by her claim to be “indoorsy“. She was smitten when he described himself as a “curmudgeon”. They took the plunge after a few weeks of messaging and met in-person in Richmond, IN, halfway between their homes on August 28, 2021. After a near-perfect first date of used books, presidential memorabilia, a garden stroll, and frozen custard, they decided to try to make long-distance work.

How We Met

It was a race to see who would propose first. James and Leah talked about marriage and sent ring options to each other for a few months before making it official. June 12, 2022, James was on his way to Leah to get her and the kids for a summer camp in his hometown. Unfortunately, he was in a car accident halfway there. He was thankfully uninjured, but the collision left James and Leah scrambling trying to find a way to get him back on the road. Leah drove to get James and while he was waiting watching TV, he saw the episode of Mike and Molly where Mike proposes. That, along with the fact that he was stranded in the town where James and Leah had their first date, he took that as a sign to go ahead and pop the question a bit earlier than he had planned. Leah proposed a few weeks later at a showing of Young Frankenstein at the Ohio Theater, the first movie they watched together. 

The Proposal

Our Story

Photos

Mark is Leah’s son and is excited to welcome James into the family. He loves theater, music, and hanging out with friends.

Mark Bussell

Jade is Leah’s youngest and is thrilled to stand next to their mom on the big day. They love dancing, drawing, and watching YouTube.

Jade Bussell

Wedding Party

Q + A

The River Inn

Arc Hotel DC Georgetown

Hotel Hive DC

Travel

The Smithsonian Institution is quintessential DC. If you have the time, a visit to any one of their over a dozen museums is well worth it. Being museum buffs, we had to suggest this.

Smithsonian Institution

James was a docent here, the “Brewmaster’s Castle”, home of DC’s most successful brewer, Christian Heurich.

Heurich House Museum

A hidden DC gem, Hillwood is the beautiful estate and gardens of Marjorie Merriwether Post.

Hillwood Estate

The Arena Stage is an American flagship theater, focusing productions on American artists. James was an usher here while living in the city.

Arena Stage

James was an usher for Ford’s Theater. This theater has a rich history and consistently showcases world-class entertainment. 

Ford's Theater

The Kennedy Center is a world-renowned performance venue with multiple theaters and concert halls. It showcases hundreds of performances each year.

Leah and James