Oro Restaurant

Welcome Party

Garden of the Gods Resort

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Our Wedding

Julia and Ben met in June 2022, two brand new resident doctors among 12 starting at Allegheny General Hospital’s Emergency Medicine program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By complete chance, they had both moved into the same apartment building, in the up-and-coming Strip District of Pittsburgh. For the first, easy orientation month of residency and during the summer months, Julia and Ben got to know each other as friends, enjoying their apartment building’s pool, going out to neighborhood bars and restaurants, and spending time with a brand new group of people in a new city. Their bond grew as residency became more strenuous throughout their 1st year, with long hours, difficult cases, and humbling experiences that all new doctors experience in training.On May 31st, 2023, their friendship blossomed into something more. After a particularly taxing shift, Ben was sitting out on his apartment’s porch in warm, late Spring weather as the sun was setting drinking a glass of wine. He texted Julia to see how she was doing, as she was on the dreaded OB/GYN rotation. Julia was done with all of her required deliveries, and after a few texts, Julia decided to leave her OB/GYN shift early to join Ben for a glass of wine. One glass of wine turned into two, and two turned into three as soft music played in the background and the warm weather lingered pleasantly into the early hours of the morning. It was in those hours that they realized that they had feelings more than that of just friends.Julia and Ben started to date shortly after that evening. They supported each other as best friends throughout the trials of residency. During their time off, they went on adventures together, including road trips across the US, hiking on the coast of Wales, and a month long search and rescue course in Utah. They met each other’s families and saw how each other’s loved ones could become their own.As Julia and Ben was wrapping up residency, they decided to pursue attending physician opportunities in Colorado Springs, Colorado, taking a giant step into moving and working in a totally new place for both of them. During their travels, they fell in love with the West’s natural beauty and laid back culture and wanted to experience living and growing there together. They saw how strong of a partnership they have formed and how it could last for a lifetime.Julia and Ben graduated residency together on June 27, 2025. They got engaged the following day, celebrating with their families and friends. They drove out to Colorado the following week. Since being in Colorado, they have enjoyed hiking up 14’ers (mountains at 14,000 feet), skiing, camping, and exploring the breweries and restaurants in Colorado Springs. They have had challenging but fulfilling jobs as ER attending physicians in Colorado Springs, with a supportive group of colleagues in a good hospital system.Even with all of these amazing experiences, Julia and Ben look forward to the biggest adventure of their lives, marriage! They cannot wait to celebrate with all of their family and close friends as they begin their lives together in the place that they call home.

OUR STORY

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Williams Sonomahttps://www.williams-sonoma.com/registry/z25shfchsj/registry-list.html Crate and Barrelhttps:

Registries

Colorado Springs AirportColorado Springs Airport is a small airport about 6 miles from downtown and about 25 minutes from Garden of the Gods Resort.

Denver International AirportDenver International Airport is a large international airport located outside of Denver. It is about 1-1.5 hours from downtown Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods Resort.

Shuttle ServiceThe Groome Transportation shuttle takes you from Denver International Airport to several locations in Colorado Springs for about $60. <a href="https://groometransportation.com/colorado-springs/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=19712474107&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADPWtqYTPzj9f3wH1C4UjIdmukXQE&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtcHPBhADEiwAWo3sJvwI8l6m3jwZ9zOZtm3W5PiVGxnPZ5eLSkjDrqXgsnMko8y2VJuI-RoCHWAQAvD_BwE&amp;sd_client_id=398a893c-cc00-4675-8b44-9b18e6033c6e" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Groome Transportation </a>

Getting to Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs Marriott

Hyatt Place Colorado Springs/Garden of the Gods

Places to Stay

We are planning to do a few activities leading up to the formal events of the wedding. We would love for you to join us for some or any of these activities as you are able.

Meet-Ups

Some of our favorite local restaurants:Loyal Coffee (coffee and pastries)Provision Bread and Bakery (coffee and pastries)Totem (Mexican comfort food open all day, amazing coffee and beverage menu)White Pie (pizza and cocktails)Rabbit Hole (vibey underground restaurant)Dos Dos (tacos and margaritas)Night Ramen (ramen and cocktails)Josh and John's (ice cream!)

Food and Drink

One of our favorite places in Colorado Springs, this is a great public park nearby the wedding venue, with many miles of hiking/walking trails in spectacular scenery. Walks can range from short paved loops through the rock formations to longer hikes over uneven terrain involving a little scrambling, so there is something to enjoy for those of all physical abilities here.

Garden of the Gods

Drive up to the summit of Pikes Peak at an elevation of 14,115 feet (weather permitting)! There are various stops along the way, including a lake, an old inn, and viewpoints to see Bighorn sheep. The summit has a great visitor center and panoramic views of the Front Range on a clear day.

Pikes Peak Highway

For those who would rather avoid driving up a road with many switchbacks and no guardrails, The Cog Railway provides an alternative to get to the summit of Pikes Peak (especially if the road is closed due to weather conditions). The ride up provides great views and a guide to tell you about the geography and history of Pikes Peak. However, it is more expensive, and your time at the summit is limited to roughly 40 minutes.

The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway

This is a paid park with gardens maintained by the Broadmoor, which follows up a canyon to a 7-tiered waterfall called Seven Falls. The walk is relatively short and paved to the waterfall itself. There are several viewpoints of the falls which are handicap accessible, with an elevator through a tunnel to the top of a rock formation. There are also stairs that follow the falls up to the very top.

Seven Falls

This is a smaller "mountain" town nearby Colorado Springs with many art galleries, eclectic boutiques, an old fashioned arcade, dive bars, and restaurants, which is perfect for a casual afternoon stroll.

Manitou Springs

Take a tour of where the US Olympic Team athletes train and live prior to the games! Tours include the aquatics center, strength and conditioning gym, wrestling gym, and various sport centers.

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center

Visit a zoo with giraffes, elephants, tigers, penguins, hippos, and many more, but on a mountain. There is a chairlift ride that takes you to different exhibits as well.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

For those really wanting a challenge, the Manitou Incline is an iconic hike in Colorado Springs. It follows the route of an old incline train line up Mount Manitou. The trail climbs 2,000 vertical feet in less than a mile, with a total of 2,768 steps. For those wanting a slightly easier route, the end of the Incline connects with the Barr Trail, which is the way down for those who complete the Incline. One can take the Barr Trail up 3 miles to the top of the Incline. The Barr Trail is also the main hiking route to the top of Pikes Peak (13 miles from the bottom to the top). We really would only recommend this hike to people that are in very good shape (especially if you are coming from sea-level) and do not have a fear of heights.

Julia & Benjamin

Julia & Benjamin

Places to Stay

Garden of the Gods Resort

Colorado Springs Marriott

Hyatt Place Colorado Springs/Garden of the Gods