Garden Valley Ranch

Wedding Day

Our Wedding

It may sound a bit odd to begin writing our love story with an ode to a billionaire, a man whom neither Sydney nor I have ever met, but considering the way we found each other, I’d be remiss not to shout out Mark Zuckerberg. Sydney and I met online, but not through the traditionally popular dating apps like Tinder, Bumble or Hinge. We met via Facebook Dating. As Sydney tells it, she wasn’t interested in downloading any new apps for dating purposes and being able to sign up for Facebook dating was the easiest form of entry back into the dating world. Facebook also showed us that we have a mutual friend, one whom she is extremely close with, so that helped calm her nerves that I probably wasn’t a serial killer. I was Syd’s first-ever match and the only person she ever met from Facebook dating. My brothers used to frequently tease me that I spend way too much time on Facebook, but now I can say, “hey, while that may be true, it paid off in the best way!” Our first ever conversation had us hitting it off over a shared love for the film Top Gun, as well as our mutual travels to the beautiful town of Banff, British Columbia. After conversing for a few days over the app, I asked her out to brunch at Opa in Santa Clara. Syd almost didn’t show up. She was hungover from a work happy hour the night before (her co-manager Wes is probably to blame for that). Somehow, despite her not touching her food (to be honest I didn’t even notice until she told me later), and despite me believing she was out of my league, I managed to charm her just enough to move the first date to a second location! Get your head out of the gutter folks, our next destination was mini golf. All told, the first date lasted somewhere between five and six hours before parting ways in the late afternoon. The next day it was hot as hell and I didn’t expect Syd to text back right away, but to my pleasant surprise she did! We decided to beat the heat and go see a movie, the fifth Indiana Jones movie. She wore a show-stopping blue and white dress and if I wasn’t hooked already, well, I was now. We ended up going five-for-five, five dates in five days of knowing each other. The final three each included a Giants game. Date number four was actually at the ballpark, the cathedral that is AT&amp;T Park, on America’s Independence Day. Given our mutual love for baseball, it’s fitting that our love story began with what sounds like a perfect day at the plate, five for five! We have never admitted this to one another, but, at that point, we probably both knew we were each other’s end game. I mean you literally can’t overrate a perfect day at the plate!

Our Love Story

Our Story

Photos

Chris Bensch

Brian Bensch

Samantha Ordaz

Matthew Tillitt

Kathleen Tillitt

Brooke Stephens

Stefanie Kelty

Elizabeth Barnack

Michelle McCormick

Vanessa Murphy

Blayke Stephens

Brooklynn Stephens

Liam Bensch

Lucas Tillitt

Callum Tillitt

Wedding Party

Q + A

Rate includes the standard King and Double Queen, upgrades are available. If you would like a suite, call to book directly through the hotel and tell them you are with the “Bensch Butler-Terry room block.” If you book through the link/block, the rate will include free parking! If you try to book and no rooms are available, please let Andrew or Sydney know so we can add more!The entire hotel went through an upgrade in 2025. It has rooms overlooking the water, a full bar and restaurant onsite. Added bonus it is only 12 minutes from the venue.If the link above shows no rooms available, it is because the block is full. We are no longer able to add more rooms, but you can always book directly through the Sheraton website.

Sheraton Sonoma Wine Country Petaluma

In lieu of a traditional shuttle we will be offering Lyft vouchers to and from the venue. We highly recommend using this option as we will have a full day of cheers and celebrating! The voucher is good for one hour before the event until one hour after (10:30am to 9pm). The start or end destination of the ride must be within 0.5 miles of the venue. VOUCHER CODE: BBTWEDDING2026 or click web link or scan QR code. Limit 1 per person. Each has a a $50 value.

Transportation

Home2 Suites by Hilton Petaluma — A convenient alternative to the Sheraton located close to the venue. While we don’t have a room block at this hotel, it offers spacious suites, complimentary breakfast, and free parking. If you’d like to book, call (707) 992-4900 or visit their website: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/oakptht-home2-suites-petaluma/

Home2 Suites by Hilton Petaluma

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

Sydney & Andrew

Sydney & Andrew

S&A

Wedding Day