Beth Kania & Hayden Sawyer

Hayden Davis Sawyer and Beth Michelle Kania met in June 2011 in Tuscaloosa. They were both about to start their junior year at the University of Alabama, and they were neighbors in the same apartment complex. It didn’t take long till Hayden pulled together some courage and asked Beth on their first date. Hayden asked Beth to marry him five years later.

While on vacation in Chicago, Illinois, in August 2016, Hayden and Beth rented bikes for the afternoon. They rode along Lake Michigan, stopped by the Navy Pier to ride on the Centennial Ferris Wheel and even stopped to eat a famous “Chicago Dog” from one of the local stands. They made their way to Millennium Park and took pictures at The Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean. Beth was beginning to think their last day in Chicago could not get any better, when Hayden asked if they could stop in front of Buckingham Fountain to take one last picture. At this stop, Hayden asked her to marry him. Of course, she said yes. That night, they celebrated at a wonderful little Italian restaurant.

Beth remembers thinking the morning was a bit of a blur, until she and Hayden had their “First Look” and read their vows to each other. Being walked down the aisle by her father is a moment Beth will never forget. At the end of the evening, when their guests were lining up for their sparkler exit, Hayden and Beth danced to one last song together.