IMPORTANT UPDATE: PLEASE READ

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S. and in France, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our wedding (originally planned for May 9, 2020 and postponed to September 6, 2020). Together with our families, we were truly looking forward to celebrating with you and regret having to so drastically change our plans. However, our top priority is keeping our guests and loved ones safe.

Instead of a big celebration , Ben and Lillie will instead have a private ceremony and exchange of vows on that same day. Though only Ben and Lillie will be in attendance, we hope you will be able to join in virtually for a Facebook live stream of the ceremony at 3pm CST on September 6, 2020. Scroll down to the section titled 'Our Wedding' for more information on how to access the live stream.

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You know the age old joke that singles use their pets to meet other eligible pet owners? Well it worked for Ben and Lillie! Their dogs Bernie and Fin brought them together at a dog park in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a crisp fall afternoon when Lillie brought Bernie to the park for the first time. Bernie ran straight towards all the other dogs, a lot less shy than she was, and some guy in a Saints shirt who could throw sticks at impressively long distances for his Doodle walked up to her. Of course, that was Ben. That day they realized they lived in the same building, just one floor apart. Fast forward to 2017 when Ben asked to walk home from the park with Lillie one evening. In all that time, that was the first time they'd really gotten to know each other, but that short walk was all it took for them to realize something special had happened. Ben and Lillie started dating shortly after that and discovered their mutual love for great food, great wine, long hikes, and BBC's nature documentaries (on their first date they watched a documentary about human migration and genetics... Lillie knew that'd be a great way to catch Ben's interest).

Ben graduated from his doctorate at UAB in April 2019, and in May, Ben followed Lillie to Paris, France, on his first international trip. Lillie had no idea that as they shuffled through airport security, sat packed like sardines on a plane, and arrived jet lagged to her parents' house outside of Paris, Ben had an engagement ring he'd kept hidden in his jacket the whole time. He wasted no time in proposing: that first night after eating at a crêperie in the Marais, Ben proposed to Lillie on the Pont Louis Philippe as the sun set over the Seine and Notre Dame (what's left of it) gleamed in the background. Now they look forward to a lifetime of travel together, park time with their puppies, and yes, even more nature documentaries.