These two sweet souls met in high school and were cross-country & track teammates all 4 years. They never dated and were just friends through running that entire time. Then, they reconnected during COVID (when they both had online classes for a semester). Jason Ingle (their former coach and mentor) reached out and asked if they’d be assistant coaches for the cross-country team. Which led them to helping coach the team during the Fall of 2020. They started dating after the season ended in November and the rest is history! They were engaged in June of 2022 and this wedding happened in June 2023!

They even had their track coach be their officiant <3 Do we think he knew what he was doing when he chose the two of them to be assistant coaches?! (Suspicious ;)).

It was truly a beautiful day that was so calm and full of love. Having Chestnut Ridge as a backdrop never hurts anything, for sure. Shall we start with the details of their day?

Let’s have a moment of appreciation for Tristi’s gorgeous, detailed floral embellished dress. I could not take enough photos of the little floral details to do it justice. Just wait until you see the photos of her in it - because as pretty as it is on the hanger…

Speaking of pretty. One of the reasons photographers love Chestnut Ridge is because their reception space is absolutely amazing when it is set up for a wedding - from absolutely every angle. I love that they chose to have pops of blue in their wedding colors.

Chestnut Ridge Wedding Melissa McElrath Weddings

It’s hard to beat Chestnut Ridge’s “Getting Ready” space for brides (or grooms, really). There’s a ton of space, and the lighting is beautiful.

I will forever love those sweet moments between a mother and daughter while the bride is getting ready to walk down the aisle - and I can’t help but think about my own daughter in those moments.

How incredibly adorable is her smile? No wonder he fell for her.

The Bridal Suite is also the perfect place for a private first look without the risk of someone seeing the bride before they are meant to. How cute are her dad and little brother when they see her for the first time?!