The Barn At Shady Lane

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

Sam grew up surrounded by nature on Monte Sano Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama. He was raised in a family that prioritized faith, and he stayed involved through high school. The youngest of three boys, he was always trying a new sport or hobby. Eventually, he found a love for tennis, even winning a state championship in high school.

Ellie grew up in the small town of Dallas, Georgia. The oldest of three, she spent most of her time either singing or listening to music, taking after her mom. Ellie loved all things art, random projects and performing; she was always involved in chorus and theater, and loved being a part of the worship team throughout middle and high school.

It all started at the end of Freshman year at UAB; Sam was studying Biomedical Engineering and Ellie, Biomedical Sciences, when we met at a friend’s birthday dinner. One first date turned into study dates, hikes around Birmingham, and long conversations about life, goals, and faith.

We began to fall in love the following summer, despite being in different states. In between working with FCA and Chick-fil-A, we got to know each other through the famous list of “900 questions” over Facetime calls, and met up when we could to explore each other’s home towns.

Faith has always been a big part of our lives, and together we’ve spent a lot of time involved in our church, Redeemer, and its college ministry. Sam is on the prayer team and Ellie is on the worship team. We have also worked together at an outpatient surgery center, both dreaming of going into the healthcare field.

Sam had always felt called to be a doctor, and Ellie found a passion for the PA profession through college. Together we worked hard and supported each other through the trenches of applications, MCAT studying and interviews. Thankfully, our hard work paid off! Sam will be starting medical school at UAB and Ellie, PA school at Samford later this year.

Sam proposed this past June, and since then it’s been a whirlwind of wedding planning and getting ready to move onto the next chapter of our lives: graduation, marriage and grad school. We couldn’t imagine doing it alongside anyone else, and are incredibly thankful for the amazing friends, families and mentors who have gotten us to where we are today!

Our Story

Photos

Jack is Sam's oldest brother. He is a teacher and coach at Madison Academy, where all 3 boys attended school.

Jack Fulkerson

McKenna and Ellie have been best friends since high school. They are in school together at UAB, sharing the goal of becoming PAs.

McKenna White

Tate is Sam's older brother. He is a CVICU nurse at Vanderbilt and will be starting CRNA school in April.

Tate Fulkerson

Lucy is Ellie's younger sister. She has a big, loving personality, plays soccer and is a Freshman at the high school Ellie attended.

Lucy Hobbs

Landon is Ellie's younger brother. He is a Freshman at UGA studying mechanical engineering, and has big dreams for the future.

Landon Hobbs

Avery and Ellie have been friends since Freshman year. She will graduate as an RN in the spring and hopes to be an NP in the future.

Avery Fischbach

Nick and Sam have been friends since middle school. They worked together at FCA, did choir together, and Nick is currently a student at Auburn.

Nick Nelson

Lydia and Ellie have been friends since Sophomore year. She will graduate as an RN in May and has big dreams for the future as a nurse.

Lydia Price

Reid and Sam grew up together and reunited in college, staying close ever since. They will be going to medical school together in July.

Reid Hale

Scout and Ellie met through church and became a part of the same small group. Scout graduated last December and is always looking for a new adventure.

Scout Moellering 

Evan and Sam met through their church, Redeemer. They were in a small group together while he finished his degree in mechanical engineering at UAB.

Evan Van Beek

Ellie and MK became friends through church and school, and they are now roommates. MK will be going to PA school at UAB this fall.

MK Walton

Ben and Sam became friends after meeting at the gym, and have been roommates since Sophomore year. Ben will be starting OT school at UAB this summer.

Ben Gleason

Wedding Party

Our ceremony will be held outdoors with the reception to follow indoors. We invite guests to wear semi-formal attire. Ladies: Midi or knee-length dresses, dressy jumpsuits, or elevated separates. Gentlemen: Suit and tie or dress shirt with slacks and a jacket. Please note the ceremony will take place on grass, so wedges, block heels, or dressy flats are recommended Kindly note that our bridesmaids will be wearing light blue; we simply mention this in case you’d like to choose a different color

Dress Code

Listed below are a few options for hotels in the area!

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Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa

Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham/Lakeshore Drive

TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South

Travel

If you have extra time while you're in town, here are a few of our favorite spots, including a couple that are special to our story. Whammy CoffeeOur favorite local coffee shop! A perfect stop for a relaxed morning pick-me-up. Seeds Coffee Where we had our first date, coffee here will always be special to us. Trattoria Zaza A downtown favorite for pizza and pasta. Their brunch is only available on weekends, but is the best thing ever! The Garage CafeA hole-in-the-wall sandwich spot that Ellie loves. Great for a casual lunch. Vulcan TrailA scenic, mostly flat trail overlooking the city. It’s where we walked on our first date before grabbing coffee. Birmingham Botanical GardensBeautiful gardens perfect for a peaceful stroll, and where Sam proposed to Ellie 💍

Sam & Ellie

Sam & Ellie

S&E

Wedding Day

5:30 PM–6:00 PM

Ceremony

6:00 PM–10:00 PM

Reception