Heritage Hill Events

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

RSVP Date: June 2nd

Our Wedding

Our story isn’t necessarily your fairy-tale start. The process would involve healing from past brokenness, fighting through struggles, and trusting that what the Lord wills, no one can stop." It was Valentine’s Day in the winter of 2023. Emma was finishing her junior year at Grace College and Seminary, and I was just finishing my sophomore year at Wabash College where I played football. We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend from high school who thought that I might be a good fit for Emma, who was ready to meet her husband. On the other hand, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. We met that Valentine’s Day evening, and the three of us went out for Mexican food. I loved her heart and thought that God might have something here for us and so how could I say no? She had a cute smile and was the most mature woman I had ever met, with a witty sense of humor. Who was I kidding though? I went to an all-guys school and hadn’t been in a relationship for almost three years. I was SCARED TO DEATH. The relationship attempted a romantic turn soon after, but I quickly pumped the brakes for fear that things were moving too fast. To be honest, I never thought I would see Emma again, but I couldn’t tell you if it was the Spirit or intuition but something about our future just wasn’t quite finished. Little did I know, Emma would message me in May, wanting to check in and give me an “extra bookmark that she bought from a friend selling bookmarks for ministry.” Which, I mean c’mon- a bookmark? She missed me. I now know this is just my pride talking. I had some time to reflect on how quickly I ended things though and wanted to see her face again. From the very beginning, I knew that Emma’s love for Jesus was the only foundation on which our relationship could be built for true, selfless love to form from the inside out.I longed for a greater love than what I had experienced in past relationships, where there was lust and selfish desire written all over our actions and minds. I longed for something that only Jesus could provide. And so we tried again, and I found a friend in my sweet Emma. Throughout that summer in 2023 we laughed, spent time with one another, and dreamt of a possible future together, but the true potential me and Emma wished to have would only be peeled back one layer at a time. I was struggling to commit to a woman that I didn’t know if I would marry or not. I wanted to have the plan 100% laid out and to know that success was guaranteed. As I learned though, if I wanted to find out, sooner or later I would have to let go in order to see the results I was hoping God would give me.We would start dating in July and soon after I would head back to fall camp for football. Struggling with the idea of long distance, I wasn’t sure how to manage a relationship, especially since it had been years since I was in one. Not to mention, I would see her at most twice a month. I felt like I was walking in a fog that God wanted me to experience one day at a time.The fall was hard to be frank, but Emma made a trip every chance she had to watch my games at Wabash. She was the glue that held us together for that entire semester, and I can’t thank her enough because, at the time, I couldn’t see what she saw. She saw something good, something worth fighting for. I was too blinded by fear of our relationship failing to care if it were good or not. I wanted perfection. Throughout the school year, we would continue to peel back layers into past trauma and struggle that we had experienced individually, and one step at a time, God allowed Emma to selflessly love and understand me and I with her. While God was teaching me to be honest and obedient, he was teaching Emma to be patient and to fight for what was incredibly good. But it took time, patience, and a whole lot of endurance from the Lord to give one another the grace needed to keep fighting. The great thing about the furnace of refinement though is that it has the potential to make a relationship durable and strengthened through intense testing. That is exactly what I got to experience with my Emma. She loved me, fought for me, and listened to me when I didn’t deserve it or feel I wanted to keep fighting for our relationship. I believed that love would solve all of my problems, I was wrong. What I learned after the refinement though was that when you allow yourself to truly be known and loved, you give yourself freedom from your past. And that is exactly what we did, we kept fighting, we kept trusting in what the Lord had created, and we leaned on the community around us to keep us fighting for a rare love built on the foundation of the Lord. On a side note, thank you to the counselors, pastors, friends, and family members who we leaned on to ask for wisdom, receive counsel, begin to heal, and continue laying the groundwork for our marriage. Standing here today I didn’t think it was possible, but here we are, a product of God’s sovereignty. After Emma graduated from Grace, it was time for my senior year of college. I had quit football and was looking to lean further into God’s calling for my life. I also knew that I loved her, and I knew that she loved me like no woman ever had, besides my mother. She served me, accepted me, and challenged me to become a Godly leader for our relationship. So why was I still scared to commit? We had done the hard work, we were continuing to peel back the layers, and we grew to love each other more and more purely along the way. Emma knew that I was “the one” a year earlier (which I now know). On the other hand, I’m a perfectionist. I wasn’t willing to have anything but the greatest most perfect example of love that anyone had ever seen. If you’re reading this and have ever loved anyone though, you know this is a load of crap. No love is perfect, and one of my biggest hurdles was my insecurity of joining myself to another imperfect human and coming together for a lifelong commitment. Thanks to the love that Emma showed me, she softened my heart, and I now look forward to the mistakes, struggles, and endurance that marriage would take because I realized that God would fill the gaps, I didn’t need to be someone I could never become. Jesus was doing a significant work in Emma’s life and I wanted to do life with her and be a part of that journey. So from that point on the decision was simple. She was my wife. I was done denying the potential life I knew God had for us, we were free. We didn’t need to have everything laid out. I was finally excited to obediently take one step at a time with Emma trusting the Lord was taking care and us and establishing our plans. On December 23rd, 2024, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. I write this testimony, not because I am a man that has it together, or because I can take credit for the change in my life. I am able to write that I am marrying Emma because we both surrendered to the cause of Christ in our lives and fought for something good. We don’t want perfection, we want truth, and we want to live life to the fullest, sharpening one another and living for something greater than our own purpose.

The Story of Emma Ruth Chambers and Samuel Abram Shockley

Our Story

Photos

Ella is not only my sister but also my Maid of Honor and Wisdom. She has been a constant source of love, encouragement, and insight throughout my life. Her kindness, strength, and wisdom have shaped me in countless ways, and I am beyond grateful to have her standing by my side on this special day. If you ever need a deep conversation, a good laugh, or the best advice, she’s the one to find!

Ella Chambers

Austin has been a longtime friend of Sam and is the kind of person who keeps everyone laughing while also being one of the most intentional friends you could ask for. Whether it’s cracking a joke at just the right moment or showing up when it matters most, he’s always been there. He’s been a big part of Sam & Emma's relationship, and there’s no one better to stand by his side as his Best Man!

Austin Mayo

Grace Shockley 

Justin Browder 

Mallory Steiger

Noah Kent 

Tessa Rolfson

Jacob Ransford 

Lauren Ooley 

Grant Berry

Ani Chaney

Justice Wenz 

Ella Wiley 

JD Sherrod

Maya Delong 

Zeph Johnson 

Samantha Vondersaar 

Mike Mcconkey 

Wedding Party

Q + A

Reservations can be made using Chambers/Shockley Wedding or the Block Code: CSW. Reservation cut off is 7/21/2025 for the discounted rate.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites 

Everyone needs to call 812-663-5000 to book under Shockley/Chambers Wedding before July 15, 2025 to be guaranteed the special rate.

Hampton Inn & Suites Greensburg

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

Garden Party Attire 🌿✨Dress to impress with light, airy, and elegant looks! Think&nbsp;florals, pastels, muted tones, long flowy dresses, and dapper suits—perfect for celebrating love under the sun. Stay stylish yet comfortable for our outdoor celebration! 🌸🌼Check out the outfit inspirations below! ⬇️💕

Wedding Attire 

Samuel + Emma

Samuel + Emma

S&E

Wedding Day

4:30 PM–5:15 PM

Ceremony

5:30 PM–6:30 PM

Cocktail Hour

6:30 PM–11:00 PM

Reception

RSVP Date: June 2nd