Dunluce Castle

Elopement Ceremony

A Secret Garden

Elopement Celebration

Cocktail Hour

Dinner & Main Event

Dancing & Entertainment

Summer

Photo of our ceremony location at the cliffs of Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland (Bushmills, UK)

Photo of our reception space at A Secret Garden in Independence, Missouri

Our Wedding

Our Story ~ A Summary

~ Mrs. Swartz's Kindergarten Class 2004-2005 ~Ruben is pictured in the back row to the left of Mrs. Swartz and Madison is pictured directly in front of Ruben in the second row. Our first ever picture together.

Madison and Ruben first met when they were in the same kindergarten class at Daniel Boone Elementary in 2004. Although they first met when they were 5 years old, they didn't actually begin to date until their junior year in high school. Madison was interested first and began to sit at the same lunch table as Ruben where they exchanged numbers and began talking. Eventually on March 16, 2016, (Madison's 17th birthday) Ruben had given Madison a birthday card and a candy bar. Inside of the card, Ruben had asked Madison out on their first date to the Warrenton 8 Cinema (R.I.P.) where they watched Zootopia because Madison was too scared to pick a more serious movie. The pair then went on to their junior prom together before they had officially decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend on May 1, 2016. After they graduated high school together on May 13, 2017, they went on to go to the same college in the fall at the University of Central Missouri.

Fast forward 4 years, both Madison and Ruben graduated from college in May 2021 with their Bachelor's degrees. They then had moved back home to Warrenton to start working and saving money to buy a house. Madison had started her full-time job as a drafting technician and Ruben had decided to pursue a Master's degree in teaching from Lindenwood University in Fall 2021. The couple had been house hunting and saving money for a for a full year before they had finally closed on a house a moved in together on June 26, 2022. Since moving in together, Madison and Ruben had always wanted to go on a couple's vacation together besides camping, so they had planned on going to New Orleans, Louisiana for New Year's weekend in 2023. While on their trip, the two had planned on taking couple's photos at the Tree of Life in Audubon Park. That day on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2023, Ruben proposed to Madison under the tree, and she said yes!

They now are planning to elope at Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland (Bushmills, UK) in June 2025 while on a two-week trip around the entire isle of Ireland as they embark on a nomadic honeymoon across the country. Once Madison and Ruben have literally "tied the knot" at their traditional Irish handfasting ceremony, they wish to have an intimate elopement celebration after they return on August 2, 2025 to celebrate their union.

Our Memories

Our Story

Photos

People of Honor

Since we are eloping abroad, we decided on not having a traditional wedding party. Even so, we'd like to recognize a few important people in our lives on our website as people of honor. These people are our biggest supporters and are the people we hold most dear in our hearts.

Most Likely to ~ be planning our next Disney family vacation

Jennifer Varga

Allison Khan

Bud Burgmeyer

Most Likely to ~ spend all day outside in the yard

Atta Khan

Most Likely to ~ grind his own coffee beans

Thomas Varga

Keagan Michelson

Cody Crump

Sibling Spotlight

Of course, Madison couldn't go without also highlighting her favorite people. Her brothers and sisters mean the absolute world to her and she wouldn't be the person she is today without them.

Geoffrey Burgmeyer

Most Likely to ~ ask you to get a matching tattoo

Raymond Varga

Most Likely to ~ be getting coffee from Starbucks

Samantha Coley

Tonia Burgmeyer

Erica Varga

Most Likely to ~ be doom-scrolling YouTube Shorts

Sheridan Varga

Our Lil' Pets

And last but not least, we wanted to highlight our furry friends at home since they won't be at the elopement celebration. Behold, our cute lil' pets.

Kirby is the best girl around. She loves to go for long walks and show you her tricks to get treats. Ruben has raised Kirby since she was a puppy and often affectionately calls her his "son".

Kirby

Beauty is just the sweetest lap cat and sleeps with Madison every night. We took her in off the street and has lived with us ever since. We also call her "Booty" for short and because we think she's funny.

Beauty

Q + A

Travel around Independence and Kansas City is super easy to drive! As long as you have a car to get around, you are good to go. There are also plenty of hotels to choose from if you plan on staying in the area. There will not be set hotels or hotel blocks that we are providing, but there are some hotels we could highlight based off varying prices, amenities, and locations. You also don't have to pick any of these hotels either, choose whichever place best suits your needs!

This polished B&amp;B in a stately stone mansion built in 1900 is 2.9 miles from the center of Independence and 7.3 miles from downtown Kansas City. This is the closest place to stay near the event venue.

Hawthorn, A Bed and Breakfast

A 7-minute walk from the Amtrak station, this romantic B&amp;B in an 1890s residence is 0.9 miles from downtown Independence. This the second closest place to stay near our event venue.

Woodstock Inn Bed & Breakfast

Just off Highway 78, this historic B&amp;B in a circa-1856 home is 0.7 miles from the National Frontier Trails Museum and 1.1 miles from the Truman Historic Courthouse. The third closest location to our event venue.

Silver Heart Inn & Cottages

This simple budget hotel is a 7-minute drive from Kauffman Stadium and a 16-minute drive from the Oceans of Fun amusement park. This is a more budget-friendly choice in the City of Independence straight off of Highway 70.

Super 8 by Wyndham Independence Kansas City

Just off Interstate 70, this classic hotel is 3.7 miles from Kauffman Stadium and 4 miles from Arrowhead Stadium. Another budget-friendly choice in Independence.

Quality Inn & Suites Kansas City - Independence I-70 East

Off I-70, this functional budget hotel is 4 miles from the Kauffman Stadium pro-baseball complex, 5 miles from the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, and 12 miles from the Kansas City Zoo. A budget-friendly option in Independence.

Countryside Suites Kansas City Independence I-70E Sports Complex Hotel

Travel

These are are our favorite attractions and places around the Independence and Kansas City area! We have highlighted all of the best places to walk around, find shopping and food places as well as entertainment. Feel free to pick and choose from any of the locations we have listed below!

Today the Independence Square is an exciting area to live, work, shop, dine, play and discover. A cute little place near the event venue to walk around, eat food, and look at shops.

Independence Square

Englewood Arts District&nbsp;is a place of charming shops, beauty-filled art galleries, rich dining options, significant local history, and unique people. This is the area in which the event venue is located. Feel free to walk around to see what else is in the area!

Englewood Arts District

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an art museum in Kansas City, Missouri, known for its encyclopedic collection of art from nearly every continent and culture, and especially for its extensive collection of Asian art. This attraction is free of cost.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri was opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial. In 2004, it was designated by the United States Congress as the country's official war memorial and museum dedicated to World War I. Tickets are $18 per person.

National WWI Museum and Memorial

Crown Center is a shopping and entertainment district dominated by its namesake mall, which overlooks a plaza with an ice rink. Just a nice little place to walk around. Parking is free on the weekends and you can also use the walkways to get to Union Station.

Crown Center & Union Station

The Country Club Plaza is a privately owned regional shopping center in the Country Club District of Kansas City, Missouri. Nice little place to walk around, find cool shopping places and restaurants.

Country Club Plaza

~This is the Bride and Groom's favorite area of the city!~ Evolving West Bottoms is a quiet area that comes alive once a month, when antiques and vintage goods markets open in old warehouses for the First Weekends event, which also includes food trucks and live music. This address takes you to our favorite coffee spot, the Java Garage! You can then walk around the area to look at all the cool vintage resale shops!

West Bottoms & Java Garage

Busy River Market centers on City Market, dating to 1857, where casual global eateries, gourmet grocery stores and indie boutiques surround pavilions hosting a weekend farmers’ market. Nearby, the Arabia Steamboat Museum displays paraphernalia salvaged from a ship that sunk in the Missouri River in the mid-19th century. This is another one of Madison and Ruben's favorite spots! Home to their favorite ice cream shop: Betty Rae's.

River Market

Worlds of Fun is an entertainment complex with more than 235 acres located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is the largest amusement park and water park in the Midwest. Admission is $35 per ticket.

Worlds of Fun

The Kansas City Zoo &amp; Aquarium is a 202-acre zoo founded in 1909 and is located in Swope Park at 6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Admission to the zoo &amp; aquarium is $22 per person. WARNING: The walking volume at this zoo is very high and will take you a long time to get to see every exhibit, zoo-goers beware.

Madison & Ruben

Madison & Ruben

M&R

Elopement Ceremony

Elopement Celebration

6:00 PM–7:00 PM

Cocktail Hour

7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Dinner & Main Event

8:00 PM–11:00 PM

Dancing & Entertainment