I'm Bethany and I'm the bride! I am 23 years old, and I'm employed as a 5th grade teacher at Old State Elementary in Appoquinimink School District. I am finishing up my first year of teaching!

I have three siblings: an older sister named Katie, and two younger brothers - Donny and Sammy. Katie has two little girls, my wonderful nieces Ainsley and Veya. My dad is currently serving as the District Superintendent for Delaware United Methodist Churches in the Peninsula-Delaware Conference. My mom teaches mathematics classes at Delaware Technical Community College.

A little more about me... I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, reading, watching TV, and playing with my energetic nieces. Working with kids has always been my passion, so I have enjoyed starting my teaching career. Every day is a new adventure, and I always look forward to seeing what the school day might bring. I am excited to start next year as Mrs. Eichenberg!

I'm Justin (or Ike, as many know me), and I'm the groom! I'm 23 years old, and I'm currently employed by a local general contractor doing basic carpentry and labor. I'd eventually like to get into the drafting/design side of construction, and I am looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

I have two older siblings, Nathan and Brittany, as well as a niece and a newborn nephew. My dad was a pilot in the Air Force, and my mom a stay-at-home mom. We had 3 cats and 4 dogs over the years (most of who have now passed on). Growing up in a military family, I moved all over the country, from Alaska to Mississippi to California; I learned to love travelling and visiting new places, and I'm always looking for new adventures.

My freshman year of high school I decided I wanted to join the school band after seeing what a great experience Bethany and my friends had with it. So I taught myself to read music and play the tenor sax, then joined the following Fall--Music quickly became a definitive passion of mine, and I met lots of great people and made tons of lasting memories. I now play the trombone, saxophone, and some piano. I love to write music, and it remains a huge part of my life to this day. As well as music, I also really enjoy video games, hiking, and spending time with my wife-to-be! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us and our marriage, and I look forward to seeing everybody in June!

The story begins in the summer of 2015. Bethany and Justin had 7th grade English class together, and as the school year came to an end, he decided to ask Bethany to attend the end-of-year dance with him. She said no...

She told him that, as a member of student council, she would be too busy to go with a date. Persistent as ever though, Justin went to the dance anyways. He chatted with Bethany where possible, and after the event ended, they got to talking as he stayed behind to help her clean up. They found out that they lived just down the road from each other, and began going on walks together.

Over the course of the summer, they went on long walks nearly every day, walking miles and miles around Bethany's neighborhood. They talked about life, school, movies, family, and whatever came to their minds. Things between them just clicked, and as summer came to an end, Justin finally asked her out. She said no...

Bethany was worried her parents wouldn't approve of her having a boyfriend. Of course, as teenagers do, they soon began to date anyways.

Things went well, and they continued into high school together, spending more time together. Justin wound up joining the school band with Bethany, where they'd see each other at rehearsals, and hang out on weekends. They shared some classes, went to school events, saw a couple concerts, took trips, hung out with friends, and overall enjoyed being together.

However, not all was perfect. As time passed and they faced the stresses of life, cracks started to show. Halfway through junior year, they broke up, and went on to date other people.

After graduation, Bethany and Justin both found themselves single, and they began talking again. They quickly hit it off once more, and after a few dates, they found that their connection was stronger than ever. At the beginning of their first semesters of college, in the midst of the Covid pandemic, they decided to give things another go.

They spent lots of time together during the pandemic. Every weekend Justin would drive down to her place from his dorm in Pennsylvania so that they could hang out, watch movies, play games, talk, and just enjoy each others' company.

Over the past 4 years, they've been through a lot together. Travelling, going on dates, and enjoying each others' company. Dealing with school, work, family, and the stresses of adult life. But their time apart taught them much and helped them grow as people, and the lessons they learned have only served to strengthen their relationship.

After all this time, things are going better than ever, and it was finally time for Justin to ask a question he'd been dreaming of asking for a long time. And this time, on February 10th of 2024, Bethany finally said yes. :)