These men got #HockingHitched and can’t stop gushing about the wedding or their lovely brides
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we found out what the men had to say about getting married in the hills.
Now that they’re living #HockingHappilyEverAfter with their gorgeous brides, these five guys were more than happy to share all the lovely (and sappy) details, right down to how they met their Valentine and the love of their life, and the day they finally said, "I do."
If these love stories tug at your heartstrings, grab bae and plan your romantic getaway … or get ready to say “I do” under a majestic waterfall. Get everything you need -- permits, officiants, locations, even that cozy honeymoon cabin at our website.
The Lovely Couple:
Brian & Bonnie Mominee
How did you and your spouse meet?
My wife and I first met in 2005 while working at an office supply store. I was too scared to tell her that I liked her before she moved away and got married. We lost touch. We reconnected via Facebook in 2010 and little did I know everything this amazing woman had been through. In those few years apart, she battled cancer during and after her first pregnancy in 2006 and also birthed another child in 2009 making 2 beautiful little girls. I am so proud to call her my wife and proud to call those girls my daughters today!
Why did you choose to get married at Hocking Hills?
My wife and I both love the outdoors and hocking hills was our perfect tranquil little paradise.
Where in the Hills did you tie the knot?
We got married at Old Man's Cave in front of the falls.
What was the best part about getting married in Hocking Hills?
The beautiful tranquility and intimacy felt as the rain came down on us that fall morning.
Have you been back to the Hills much with your spouse since the wedding?
Have not been back yet. :(
Anything else you’d like to tell us about your Hocking Hills Wedding story?
It was just simply amazing! The perfect place to say "I do!"
The Lovely Couple:
Jeremy & Karen Allshouse
How did you and your spouse meet?
I was living in Akron at the time but I have a property by Tappan Lake and stopped by my buddies house when I was down for the weekend. It was July 6, 2014 and I asked Darrell where are all the single women down here and he yelled for his call your sister to get butt down here. She wasn't able to come then but we talked on the phone and talked and texted until the next weekend when we met in person and have been together since.
Why did you choose to get married at Hocking Hills?
We wanted to get married at waterfalls and were thinking of Virginia but decided that would be too far for everyone we wanted to be there to travel. Karen's sister goes to Hocking Hills for vacation every year and suggested we get married there so we took our grandson and drove down for a day to look it over and decided to get married at the falls at Ash Cave.
Where in the Hills did you tie the knot?
At Ash Cave on July 4, 2015. Pat Morgan did a wonderful job with the ceremony and when we had to wait on a couple of people that got lost to show up I tried to pay him extra for the 45 minutes we got started late he would not accept it.
What was the best part about getting married in Hocking Hills?
The scenery was excellent. The waterfalls were beautiful and there are so many different places to venture to
Have you been back to the Hills much with your spouse since the wedding?
Not yet we are going back in July for our 1 year anniversary and a vacation for a week
Anything else you’d like to tell us about your Hocking Hills Wedding story?
I could not think of a better place to get married the nature and scenery is just wonderful.
The Lovely Couple:
Jason and Melissa Vermilion
How did you and your spouse meet?
Melissa and I met at a bonfire she threw at her house. My best friend's girlfriend was a childhood friend and had recently reconnected. I didn't have anything to do so I tagged along. When I first saw her, I was awestruck. She ended up stepping into a hole and twisted her ankle. I "assisted" her in and offered to help put ice on it and prop her foot on my leg. I didn't know that she was quite capable of handling this as she was in nursing school, but she allowed me to "help". The next day I couldn't stop thinking about her so I called my friend and asked her to call Melissa and ask permission for me to have her number. Our first date was a nature trip to a scenic pond for a picnic with wine and cheese. There was an amphitheater nearby with an orchestra playing. The gentle notes carried softly in the wind. I knew I was going to marry her in that moment.
Why did you choose to get married at Hocking Hills?
After we became an "official" couple, our first getaway was a cabin in the fall at Hocking Hills. We both love nature and especially enjoy the cool, crisp air while taking in the scenery in the fall. We discussed many different locations when I suggested Ash Cave which has always been a favorite of ours. As soon as those words came out, we knew it made perfect sense. We both wanted our marriage to resemble nature. To be hot like the summer, comforting like the fall, resilient through the winter, and everlasting like a perennial spring bloom.
Where in the Hills did you tie the knot?
We were married in Ash Cave across from the Preacher's Rock. We are both faithful Christians and to have our wedding in nature where many sermons and gospels have been sung tied us even more to the cave. We also had our reception at the Dining Lodge, which we feel is the best little secret of the area. Greg, the manager, and his wife were the most gracious of hosts and even checked in on us during our reception. He commented that our decorations, which were done by us and family, were the most beautiful he had seen. They made us feel like family.
What was the best part about getting married in Hocking Hills?
Hocking Hills is our family. It is a woven piece of our personal history and is filled with love and fond memories. The best part of getting married in Hocking Hills is going back and reliving all of those memories. Every time we go back, we relive all the emotions and joys from that day. We also were married by my wife's cousin who traveled from Virginia to marry us.
Have you been back to the Hills much with your spouse since the wedding?
we try to go back at least every other year but we have not been able to make it down the last two years.
The Lovely Couple:
James & Holly Lewis
How did you and your spouse meet?
We met in middle school. We dated on and off all through middle and high school. Soon after we graduated we lost touch for about 15 years. I went to an old HS basketball game and ran into her and her 2-year-old daughter at the time. We exchanged numbers and over the next year or so we would go to lunch now and then to catch up. We lost touch for another 2 years and then she e-mailed me out of the blue asking if we could do lunch. Lunch turned into dinners, dinners turned into hanging out more, hanging out more turned into getting married, having a gorgeous baby girl and being the best 3 years of my life. A true fairy-tale story!
Why did you choose to get married at Hocking Hills?
We love hiking, the hills the outdoors. So a small outdoor wedding was a must. We really like the Inn at Cedar Falls. We invited 40 of our closest friends and family - perfect setting surrounded by the closest people in our lives.
Where in the Hills did you tie the knot?
Inn at Cedar Falls
What was the best part about getting married in Hocking Hills?
There were many! The weather, the cabin, the spa - best of all being married to my best friend and having the closest people in our lives there to witness our love for each other.
Have you been back to the Hills much with your spouse since the wedding?
We have been back a few times. We are staying in the same cabin for our 1 year Anniversary.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about your Hocking Hills Wedding story?
We plan to go back every year on our anniversary. Hocking Hills is a second home to us.
The Lovely Couple:
Corey & Chrystal Shofroth
How did you and your spouse meet?
We met on a magical night, the night mars was the closest to earth in 60,000 years October 1, 2003. Guided to each other by the hand of astrology we were love at first site. That fateful night we kissed high on the roof of his home with the city lights of Pittsburgh below us and the stars above us. We were inseparable from That moment on. We moved back to his hometown and he asked me to marry him not long after and four years later had our baby girl, Iris Aiyana. We got caught up in our love and our new family and didn't actually get married for ten years. A long wait for the union of two souls meant for each other, you will never meet two people more made for each other. The artist and the writer: star-crossed lovers. We are the rarest kind of true love. After ten long happy years together We finally had a beautiful rustic cave wedding at ash cave. All of our decorations were handmade by Chrystal and Corey's mother Diane. Our daughter iris was a precious little flower girl. a few years later chrystal who is disabled had a stroke from an unknown heart condition and Corey nursed her back with his never-ending love and they were blessed with their second daughter Violetta Lee. Now their family was complete and they lived happily ever after in their little cottage by the lake with their two flower children iris and violet.
Why did you choose to get married at Hocking Hills?
We researched many locations in and around Ohio but fell in love with the picture s and history of ash cave. A sacred cave used by native Americans for shelter and ceremonies and then Later used as a church by early settlers ash cave was rich with history and beauty. It was considered a lucky place to be married with its stunning horseshoe-shaped cave. It was also easily accessible to Chrystal with her disabilities. We had never been to ash cave before so when Chrystal walked around the bend thru the woods and saw the cave for the first time with the love of her life standing there waiting to finally profess our love after all these years she was brought to tears by the raw beauty of the cave. When Corey surprised her with beautiful vows and a new ring the sunlight thru the trees the diamonds shown so brightly with a new start for our little family.
Where in the Hills did you tie the knot?
The beautiful ash cave in front of pulpit rock.
What was the best part about getting married in Hocking Hills?
There were so many fabulous moments from our wedding and honeymoon at hocking hills. Chrystal's favorite moments was walking thru the cave as a wife with my husband and enjoying the natural beauty of ash cave and sharing our love with our family in this sacred location. And seeing our daughter and her cousin playing in the waterfall in their dresses. Corey's favorite moment was our private zip line tour of hocking hills and our private tour of an ancient underground cave where we saw the names of so many lovers carved into the rocks. It was so special it's hard to pick only one favorite moment. It was the best days of our lives together.
Have you been back to the Hills much with your spouse since the wedding?
No, unfortunately not but I hope we go back soon!
Anything else you’d like to tell us about your Hocking Hills Wedding story?
There were some funny aspects of our wedding, two of our bridesmaids were late they went to old man's cave and ran frantically thru the Caremark looking for us and finally showed up at ash cave just in time to see us finish and be there for pictures. thanks to one of your park officials. So we had to send our bridesmaid down the walkway with two of Corey's best men, it was so funny. Then we had gotten the bridal bouquet the night before in our hometown and somehow half of the flowers on one side died so we had to stop on the way to the cave and pick wildflowers to put in the bouquet it was even more beautiful and special with the wildflowers. Everything was perfect and now thirteen years together we are still in love so passionately.
