Natasha + George | Bridge Between Two Hearts

A love story beginning on the streets of NYC finds fulfillment in a Cincinnati summer wedding filled with military flair.

Natasha and George met for their first date at the Canal Street Station in New York; they walked around the city, chatting easily about life. From the start, Natasha noticed that George would acknowledge each person he walked by, rather than ignoring various passersby as she was accustomed to doing on busy NYC streets.

What was supposed to be a lunch date, turned into an all-day event, traversing the city and the Brooklyn Bridge, grabbing gelato, and heading to a local restaurant to top off the evening where Natasha eagerly agreed to a second date.

While navigating career moves, long distance, shuttered churches, and a pandemic, Natasha and George held on to the hope of being married in July, before George would be subject to deploy at any time.

God faithfully answered their prayers as they entered the Sacrament of marriage in a beautiful Church surrounded by navy blue hues and bright white florals. They then celebrated their union with their bridal party at the base of another very special bridge.

From the Bride:

I was a journalist at Bloomberg News, and George was a senior at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. On our first date we dove into our faith lives, talking about growing up Catholic, attending Mass with the Pope, and participating in various young adult groups.

I could barely believe it: George was a devoted Catholic, a gentleman, a motivated learner—and not to mention, very good looking!

Falling in love in New York City was a dream. We strolled through Central Park, attended Sunday Mass in the Lower East Side, visited the Met, had a rooftop picnic, saw a Broadway play, and cheered on the home team at Yankee Stadium. I was even able to see George’s graduation from West Point and his commissioning as an officer.

George helped me move to North Dakota for a short-term job, and he moved to Oklahoma for his first duty station. Neither of us enjoyed long distance, but we tried to make the best of it as we watched movies over FaceTime, cooked new recipes for dinner dates, and prayed together each night before bed.

It didn’t take long for the two of us to realize we wanted our relationship to last forever; in fact, it only took a few months. George asked me to marry him during our first Thanksgiving holiday as a couple. He gave the sweetest speech, ending it with, “Will you marry me?”

Leading up to Christmas, we prayed a Novena to the Holy Family and began an intensive marriage preparation program. We learned more about our faith, our roles as man and woman, and our responsibilities to each other and the Church through marriage.

We were able to talk more deeply with each other. I felt very lucky that contraception was not on the table for either of us.

Although George was worried that would mean we would have 11 kids and counting, I reassured him that through Natural Family Planning we could faithfully plan our family together with God. The actual NFP course reassured us even more that we were doing the right thing for our marriage, future family, Catholic community, and God.

However, planning a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic really put us to the test. George was quarantined at his duty station in Kentucky for months, and I was an emotional wreck at my parents’ home in Ohio.

We faced uncertainty and a lot of changed plans surrounding our July 11 wedding date, but we felt this was our one shot, as George could get deployed at any time in the months following. We prayed more, but it was often a struggle, as we both felt distant from God because churches were shut down.

In preparation for our wedding day, we prayed a second Novena to the Holy Family, begging Jesus to keep us and everyone else from getting sick and to bless our marriage. To our surprise, when the day rolled around, everything fell into place.

When George saw me for the first time, walking down the aisle, he cried, and I felt even more assured in that moment that God had led me to the right man. During our wedding Mass, we together sang our hearts out, held hands and prayed, received Communion, and laid flowers before Mary.

After Mass, in a small room by ourselves, we washed each other’s feet as a symbol of service to one another.

Even with all the uncertainty of wedding planning during the pandemic, I would do it a thousand times over, as long as I’d get to spend forever with my sweet husband, George.

From the photographer:

Natasha and George’s wedding day had so many special moments. During Natasha’s first look with her father, I was privileged to witness firsthand the joy and admiration on his face. The love of a father for his daughter is so tender and special, and this moment was truly priceless.

The couple chose to exchange letters and pray together before Mass. This was such an intimate moment between them, right before they became husband and wife.

We took bridal party photos at Smale Riverfront Park beside the Roebling Suspension Bridge. This bridge held special meaning for the couple as it connects Ohio and Kentucky—where they each grew up.

It also happens to have been designed by John A. Roebling, who went on to design the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, the setting of George and Natasha’s first date!

Despite the pandemic and all of the restrictions, the Lord blessed this couple abundantly. It was so evident how much they loved the Lord and each other.

Their wedding Mass was the center of their day, and it was clear how seriously they took sacrament. It is always so life-giving to encounter faithful Catholics whose witness provides me with so much hope for the future.