Ryan & Lisa

Ryan and Lisa met through friends at Virginia Tech initially. Two and a half years later, their paths crossed again. They worked together setting up an outdoor TV on a patio in northern Virginia to watch the Hokies play football. Spending four hours in the backseat of a car traveling to a Hokie football homecoming brought them closer to one another – literally and emotionally.

After four years of dating, and many more VT football games, Ryan Carter Burns and Lisa Marie [Hemphill] Burns got engaged. Since half of Ryan’s friends call him by his middle name, the couple had to use Ryan Carter on invitations and signs, so to balance, she used Lisa Marie. 

“The decision for the Blacksburg wedding stemmed from Blacksburg being the place that brought us together more than once,” Lisa explains. “We decided to bring friends and family back to town to make new Blacksburg memories.”

They hired wedding planner Allie Detzler, owner of Grey Cardinal Events in Roanoke. “We were planning the wedding mostly from Northern Virginia, and it was helpful to have someone familiar with vendors and the venue. I had a lot of specific ideas about what I wanted,” she continues, “including getting married on campus in the beautiful Hahn Horticulture Garden.”

 

The Planning Part

 

Overall, the wedding planning went pretty well. Lisa advises brides and grooms to focus on details you’ll remember most and not sweat the small stuff. “Once the big day rolls around just try to have fun with it. All the preparation and planning is for you to have the most spectacular day, so remember to enjoy it!”

“Your partner should be there to bounce ideas around and help prioritize what’s important,” she continues. “Decision fatigue is a real thing, and the more you can lean on your future spouse, the stronger your relationship will be going into marriage.”

 

The Wedding Weekend

 

The rehearsal dinner and welcome party took place at Lane Stadium “overlooking the football field on one side and a beautiful sunset and the mountains on the other,” Lisa exclaims. “It was an amazing pre-event to the wedding, and we loved incorporating Virginia Tech into the wedding weekend.” 

The wedding day dawned warm with clouds which made the planner and mother-in-law nervous. “The planner tossed the decision to me,” Ryan remembers. “I made the call to proceed with the ceremony as planned in the garden, which ended up under beautiful blue skies.”

They held a farewell brunch at the B&B, then took “honeymoon part one” to Maine. “Honeymoon part two” was enjoyed in Saint Lucia, their first time on a Caribbean island; likely not their last.

 

Married Life

 

The VT alumni both majored in engineering. Lisa works for a consulting firm, while Ryan has a job with the U.S. Navy. They reside in Arlington with a pup named Harley and a baby boy due in February. “We love that one day we’ll bring our kids to Blacksburg, have picnics at Hahn Garden and teach them ‘go Hokies’ at a young age!”

 

 

Photography:

Kaytlin Lane Photography

Wedding Planner:

Grey Cardinal Events, Roanoke 

Catering:

Pumpernickel Pickle, Salem

DJ:

Castillo DJ Services, Radford

Cake/Desserts:

Jill’s Cake Studio, Roanoke

Flowers:

Stonecrop Farm, Giles County

Rentals:

Tents R Us, tentsrusnrv.com

Lodging and Farewell brunch:

Clay Corner Inn (now Blacksburg Bed & Breakfast)

Hair/Makeup:

Hair and Beauty by Stephanie, Christiansburg

 

Text by Joanne M. Anderson
Photos courtesy of Kaytlin Lane Photography
[kaytlinlanephotography.com]