St. Ignatius Orthodox Church

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

Many of you have heard this story, perhaps multiple times. But for those of you that don’t know, we actually met thanks to Elise’s older brother Eric. After graduating high school, Eric attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. There, he met the group of men who are now his closest friends, and Scott happened to be one of those men. One random weekend, Eric told Elise that Scott would be coming over, and Elise, who was used to Eric and his friends having their secluded “guy time” was excited to meet him but didn’t expect to be around him that much. However, when she came home from classes and saw Scott and Eric walking to the car to get lunch, Scott’s first words to her were, “Do you want to come with us?” And for the rest of the weekend, Scott was always offering to include Elise in the games and activities he and Eric were doing together. Though there was no romantic interest between us at the time, Scott’s kindness and thoughtfulness made a permanent impression on Elise. The next time Scott came over, it was almost a year later, but this time, we were able to spend more time getting to know each other, and we even exchanged numbers (but only to have a mutual writing friend to talk to; no hidden intentions at all, your honor). And when Scott went home for the weekend, he immediately texted Elise. She eagerly and excitedly texted back, and we continued texting and eventually talking on the phone every day after. We made sure to be intentional and take our time, but at a certain point in our relationship, we realized we wanted something deeper than friendship. We started dating on September 18, 2023, and we quickly realized we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. After Scott was chrismated into the Orthodox church, he proposed to Elise on Valentine’s day of 2025. Neither of us wanted a long engagement, so we decided to get married in July. And though the planning has been busy, we’re so glad we aren’t waiting any longer and can’t wait to be married. We both firmly believe and acknowledge that our union has only been brought about by the grace of God. Looking back, it’s easy to see God’s hand in our initial meeting and every step after. We thank the Lord and, of course, we thank all of our family and friends who have supported us along the way.

And here are a few of the engagement pictures we took in front of our church, where the wedding will be!

Our Story

We had our first date at the Opry Mills mall. This was the spot where Scott asked Elise to be his girlfriend.

Here are some pictures we took together after Elise said yes!

Backside of water! If you know, you know.

This was one of the first times Elise spent the weekend at Scott's parents' house. They made her feel like family immediately, and she always loves her visits.

We didn't take pictures of many of our dates, but this was when we went to Third Coast Clay and painted each other mugs.

Elise met George and Lindsey (Scott's brother and sister-in-law) for the first time for Lindsey's white coat ceremony in Wichita, Kansas. We all had a great time together and were even able to do a little sight seeing. We also went to a great seafood place with some Disney paraphernalia. This trip was also the first time Elise met George and Lindsey's dog, Yoda. She is still trying to earn her affection to this day...

This was another date we went on, to the Nashville Zoo. Scott's high school friend, Ashley invited us to go with her and some other school friends. This was actually the first time Elise went to a zoo, at least as far as she could remember. Unsurprisingly Scott spent the most time with the amphibians. And the bear, of course.

We went back to Opry Mills to celebrate our one year anniversary.

We didn't take many pictures of the move itself, but not long ago, Scott bought a house in Mt. Pleasant. The house is supposedly about 130 years old and actually used to be a funeral home. We both love the house and can't wait to make lots of memories there together. We had to banish the dogs outside while we were packing everything into the van. Here they are, begging for attention.

For Christmas last year, we went to New Orleans to spend time with Scott's extended family. His grandmother on his mom's side graciously allowed us to stay in her beautiful home. Elise was so grateful to be able to meet so much of the family and, of course, to finally try some authentic New Orleans cuisine. We even went to a Saint's game! They... didn't win. And on the way home, we stopped by a gas station that had been taken over by some very friendly cats! It was a great trip.

After we went to New Orleans, Scott went with Elise's family to the Cumberland Mountain State Park Mill House. The views were breathtaking and the cozy old-fashioned mill house was the perfect winter retreat.

On January 18, 2025, Scott was chrismated into the Eastern Orthodox Church at Saint Ignatius, Elise's and her family's home church. It was a beautiful ceremony, and we are so grateful to Fr. Philip for all he has done for both of us.

It was Valentine's Day, February 14, 2025. We took a hike through the Winding Staircase in Hendersonville. There was a slight chill in the air as well as the likelihood of rain, so we had the park all to ourselves. We wandered down into the valley, climbed up the waterfall, and there, Scott got down on one knee and asked Elise to marry him. Elise, who had no idea it was coming, could hardly speak out of pure elation. But of course, she said yes.

And of course, we can't forget all the memories we made with Chewy and Gumbo along the way.

Photos

Kerisa Shorthouse

George Schroeder

Sedona Van Gorden

Eric Van Gorden

Laura Schroeder

Matt Carpender

Lindsey Schroeder

Matthew Mason

Heidi Thomas

Tim Shorthouse

Cathy Van Gorden

Beth Schroeder

Tim Schroeder

Wedding Party

Registry

If you need a place to stay, here are some hotels nearby!

Comfort Inn & Suites Nashville Franklin Cool Springs

Roughly $80 per night with good reviews from friends and family!

Hampton Inn & Suites Franklin Berry Farms

Roughly $100 per night, very close to the wedding location!

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Franklin - Berry Farms, an IHG Hotel

Roughly $110 per night, very close to the wedding location!

Travel

While you're in town for the wedding, here are some popular spots in the middle Tennessee area!

Scott & Elise

Scott & Elise

S&E

Wedding Day

3:00 PM–4:00 PM

Ceremony

4:00 PM–7:00 PM

Reception