Docklands Riverfront

Rehearsal Dinner

Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront

Meet and Greet

University and Whist Club

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Constitution Yards

After Party

Our Wedding

It was August 24th, 2019, the day of the first date. After nearly a week of chatting online after meeting on Bumble (an online dating app for those who may have met before these apps made it this easy to pick a partner), the stage was set for an epic first date. Pam originally declined my first “date idea”, so I had to plan something else, and since first dates can be awkward, the thought of mini golf sounded fun without the pressure of planning anything too elaborate. Afterall, who doesn’t like the idea of feeling like a kid again. Fast forward to the 18th hole and it was apparent that something special was in the works, and it was even more apparent that I was too distracted to pay attention to the game at hand, and lost the game to Pam, who has the score card to prove her victory! The rest is pretty much history. Dinner, and hours of talking in front of a fountain in West Chester paved the way for many more dates and conversations that continue to this day. It didn’t take long to find my new best friend, move in together, and start to develop something truly special with Pam. She has proven her dedication to our relationship, became a great home maker and dog mom to Kona, all while doing it with a big smile on her face. I write my perspective of our story after 2 years of time spent together, and each day proves I have a partner who would do anything for me, and it is hard to believe we have accomplished so much in our short time together and I was incredibly lucky to meet a gal like Pam!  

Our Story from Dave’s Perspective

After a long day of moving into a new apartment in West Chester, I took a few minutes to go on Bumble. Bumble is the dating app that Dan and Kelly (my brother and sister-in-law) met on and of course recommended to me! Bumble allows both men and women to swipe, but the woman has to be the first to initiate conversation. After Dave and I matched, I decided to message him (even though it seemed like a few of his photos were quite dated!) because he looked handsome in all of them and seemed like someone I wanted to get to know from his profile. I wasn't very creative with my message, but we messaged back and forth a bit, even though I was busy with unpacking. This was the weekend right before I went back to work for a new school year, which means it was a busy time of year for me. After quickly exchanging phone numbers and texting throughout the week as well as talking on the phone, we had our first date. Dave tried to get me to go to his house to play pool and have him cook me dinner, but I told him I thought it would be a better idea to go out for our first date. I did allow him to pick me up from my apartment (I had a feeling it would be okay) and he showed up with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. We ended up going mini-golfing, which was fun, but we totally did not do a good job of keeping score because we were talking so much. Dave says I won, but I'm not sure that was really true. We were really both winners for being together! Dave suggested we go to Philly for dinner, but I was already hungry and suggested we just go to dinner in West Chester. We had a lovely dinner outside at Mercato and then sat in front of the fountain outside of the court house and talked for hours. We threw pennies in the fountain that night, and I think both of our wishes came true. Dave deleted his Bumble profile after our first date (I needed to tie up a few loose ends first), but it was clear to both of us that we found someone special. He did super cute things like surprise me with a picnic lunch before going on a hiking date and then made a beautiful keepsake box for my birthday, which was less than two weeks after our first date. We wanted to spend as much time as possible together, while both balancing busy schedules. I ended up not living at the apartment in West Chester for very long because I moved in with Dave and Kona after a few months. Seeing Dave as such a good dog dad helped me quickly see what a great father he will be one day. We've already shared lots of great times together and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with this man!

Our Story from Pam's Perspective

Our Story

Bridesmaids

Although they went to rival high schools, Pam and Jill quickly became friends when they worked together at the YMCA as camp counselors during the summer of 2007. They have had lots of fun together over the years from vacations in Ocean City to binge watching Netflix and crafting with Jill’s kids. Their friendship has remained strong and Pam is looking forward to having Jill stand by her side on her wedding day! 

Jill Tarzwell

Pam and Trish met at West Chester University while having a math class together. While the math class was not the most memorable, their times out in West Chester over the years definitely were! Pam and Trish have shared their love of teaching over the years. Even when Trish lived abroad in Okinawa, Japan and England with her husband, who was in the Air Force, they kept in touch and made sure to spend time together when Trish came home. Pam is glad that Trish is local again!

Trisha Adami

Keri and Pam met at West Chester University during their sophomore year in 2008. They became close friends and lived together during both junior and senior year. Pam and Keri shared many meals both in West Chester's dining facilities as well as their home-cooked meals. They spent many hours watching TV shows together, worked at the same day care, and eventually shared a love of Jamberry nail products after college. Pam, Keri, and Trish spent many nights out in West Chester together and were V.I.P.s at Barnaby's. Keri always made sure to visit the West Chester area to re-live their college days. Fortunately for her, Pam has significantly upgraded her sleeping accommodations over the years. 

Keri Norton

While it took a while for Pam to meet Katelyn, Dave met her the day she was born. Dave's younger sister, smarter, more fashionable, and wise beyond her years, Pam and Dave are thrilled to have her in their wedding. Fun fact: When Katelyn was younger, she enjoyed when Dave would pick her up from school. She thought his tinted windows were the coolest thing. Dave remembers taking her to the playground when she was little, and even taking her on bike jumps when she was in the child seat on their Mom's bicycle. 
Pam is looking forward to getting to know Katelyn better as her future sister-in-law and sharing many more fun family times together. 

Katelyn Beird

Groomsmen

Dave and Marc met in kindergarten, grew up in adjacent neighborhoods, and kept in touch all throughout school. During middle school and high school, Marc turned to team sports while Dave was into BMX racing. Dave remembers going to Marc's mum’s house after school to play video games and hang out with Marc and his younger brother, Brad before going to work at the bike shop each night. Years later, Dave and Marc both enjoyed riding motorcycles, mountain bikes, and dirt bikes together, snowboarding in the Pocono’s, and traveling. Dave joined Marc’s family for family vacations to the Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands, and the Outer Banks in North Carolina.  Fun fact: they both ended up buying their childhood homes, which they live in today. 

Marc France

Matt and Dave met in Spanish class at Brandywine High School. Matt was a year younger, and Dave didn’t start taking his second language until 10th grade. Dave remembers Matt wearing a puffy jacket and looking much younger than he does today. Dave and Matt enjoyed many trips to the Pocono’s and the beach, and always made time to enjoy some parties.  One thing that they always look forward to is their annual trip to the Pocono’s for the beer festival, which has been a tradition for the past 5-6 years.

Matt Spann

Dave’s older brother knew him from the day he was born. As kids, the 5 and a half year age difference always gave J.R. the upper hand, although Dave didn’t let that spoil the fun. Luckily Dave had his younger brother Andrew to torment, so J.R. didn’t get the brunt of the “brotherly love”.  While the memories date back over 36 years, their favorite past times may be the family trips to the Pocono’s and spending time with their grandparents. Fast forward to adulthood and Dave and J.R. would end up spending years riding motorcycles together, and always make sure to get together for family holidays.

John “J.R.” Mitchell

As Pam's only sibling, Dan is the best brother she could ask for. While he enjoyed making fun of her growing up (and still does from time to time) their relationship has matured over the years. She can attribute her sports knowledge to Dan as well as her love of eggplant parmesan. Although they don't get to see each other that often since he lives in Pittsburgh, they make sure to keep in touch. Pam and Dan still enjoy family game nights when they spend time together. Dan recently became a new dad and Pam enjoys seeing her brother in this new role. She is also very excited that she is officially an aunt! 

Dan Stewart

There’s no one who does the thumb trick better than Jeff, just don’t ask him to give you two thumbs up. 😉

Jeff and Dave met in 1997 on a warm summer evening when Jeff was 13 and Dave was 14. These two could not get enough of each other. They rode bikes every single day. There were bike trails behind Lane pool and everyone in the neighborhood would meet there to show off their newest tricks. As the years passed, Jeff and Dave became closer and ultimately ended up both working at Bike Line together. Dave thinks these days really meant something special to Jeff. Fast forward over 20 years and Dave and Jeff have had their ups and downs, but also plenty of fun. Many trips away for motorcycle riding, racing, and snowboarding. Jeff thinks it will be truly bittersweet when he walks Dave down the aisle to give him away to Pam. 

Jeff “Nubbs” Schoff 

Chris and Dave met when they worked together at Tweeter. The year was around 2004 and Chris was already a seasoned salesperson, having worked in the consumer electronics industry for several years and Dave was the new guy. Chris and Dave quickly became friends and enjoyed trips next door to Starbucks or going out for lunch when possible. Over the years, Dave and Chris have always kept in touch and made time for the annual trips to the Pocono’s. In Chris's free time, Dave has solicited his help for many home-improvement projects and in return, Dave has helped Chris move at least three times. 

Chris Lindgren

Wedding Party

Questions & Answers

Wedding Day Information

Q + A

Registry

Make sure to book your room as soon as possible due to limited availability. Rooms must be booked by June 9th, but may be unavailable prior to that date. Please sign up to be a World of Hyatt member, which is free if you are not already a member so you can get complimentary breakfast at the hotel. Update: The hotel block is full at Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront after adding as many additional rooms as possible, as the hotel is fully booked for Saturday night. If you are still interested in staying at a hotel, Homewood Suites is the closest hotel to the Hyatt Place. The Westin is also very close. If you walk over to the Hyatt Place, you can still have transportation provided to the venue. Please inform us if you will be staying at one of these other hotels and need transportation. We apologize for any inconvenience!

Travel

One of Pam and Dave's favorite places to ride their bikes is the Jack A. Markell Trail. The main part of the trail is 5.5 miles long, but we like to extend it by going a little further to Battery Park in Newcastle. Even if you're not up for 5.5 miles each way, you can walk or run on the trail, which is very scenic.

Jack A Markell Trail

Enjoy craft beer and delicious food while visiting the Constitution Yards Beer Garden. Located on the Wilmington Riverfront, the Constitution Yards Beer Garden is a fantastic way to spend time with friends while meeting many other beer and food enthusiasts.

Pam and Dave went mini-golfing on their first date, so how appropriate that there is a mini-golfing place on the Riverfront! In addition to mini-golf, you can rent bikes here. There is also ice cream and water ice available.

Riverwalk Mini Golf

This museum instills a love of STEAM subjects in young children, from infants to preteens. Exhibitions cover everything from finances to the human body to the natural ecosystem.

Delaware Children's Museum

Boasting 15 auditoriums, Penn Cinema offers leather seating and the only IMAX theater in Delaware. The theater shows blockbuster, indie, and foreign films alike.

Penn Cinema Riverfront 14 + IMAX

This zoo hosts about 85,000 visitors each year and houses animals from North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, including the North American river otter, the ringed teal duck, the green tree python, and the Italian honey bee. Be sure to check out the beautiful rose gardens right outside of the zoo!

Pam & Dave