The Wedding Story of...Christa & Ben Hulin

A strong faith. Those three words are thrown around so much so they’ve almost become meaningless. But sometimes when two people fall in love, you can’t help but know that something bigger brought them together. 

 

That can be said without hesitation about Christa and Ben Hulin. When Christa was walking down the aisle toward her future husband, Ben, the first thought that crossed her mind was “ why did I get chosen by God to be blessed enough to be married to him?”

 

Their story is kind of a like a long and winding path – full of turns and bumps in the road. Ben and Christa originally met in 2005 while working at Camp Tecumseh YMCA in Brookston, Indiana. A year later, Ben was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in Indianapolis. 

 

Several years had passed since the accident and Ben’s rehabilitation. Christa ran into Ben’s mom, Linda, in 2012. She asked about Ben and Linda responded that Ben was doing competitive alpine skiing and training for the Boston Marathon. Linda asked Christa to say a little prayer for him as he took on these difficult challenges.

 

Christa sent Ben a pretty general message saying she had run into his mom and wished him luck in the marathon. The two started texting and sending facebook messages and the conversations continued through daily telephone calls. 

 

They met again when he flew back to Camp Tecumseh for a speaking engagement. And before you know it, an engagement was announced.

 

 

 

On August 6, 2012, Ben was visiting Christa for a few weeks and the two went to the Indiana State Fair and then decided to take a walk along the canal downtown. Near the Eiteljorg Museum, he told her that he had completed a project and pulled out a photo album. In it were pictures of their time together as a couple, some pictures of them as individuals (he loves skiing and she loves the 80’s). 

 

The album continued with the words: “with all that being said and all the pictures of memories we have had together, there is only one more question for you.” There were three more pages in the album. The third said, “Christa, will you marry me?” 

 

The last page was a picture face down. Christa pulled it out of the album and there was a photo of Ben down on one knee holding a ring. “Because of the spinal cord injury, he knew it would be incredibly awkward to try to get on one knee in the moment to pop the question,” Christa said. “When I looked up, he was holding the same ring in his hand and wearing the same clothes he wore in the picture.”  She didn’t hesitate before saying “yes.”

 

 

 

“I see the big picture but struggle to think of all the little details that need to take place to create the big picture,” Christa said about the task of wedding planning. Because the couple lived 1400 miles apart during the engagement, planning was a bit difficult at times. Christa delegated a lot of the duties as they juggled work schedules, ski-training and budget. They decided to marry at Christmas as Ben would already be home for the holidays. 

 

Christa characterized the theme of their 400-person wedding as a “Romantic Winter’s Evening” with her “planners” being her mom, her sister, her sister-in-law and a close family friend. Because her mom always puts baby’s breath in the Christmas tree, baby’s breath balls made up the centerpieces. Groups of lanterns hung at different heights over the tables and bare tree branches were sprayed to look as if they had just been gathered outside in the snow.  Evergreen and pine branches adorned with ornaments also were arranged on tables.

 

The bridal bouquet was made of brooches from family members. The bridesmaids carried furry winter muffs instead of flowers.

 

“I am not a decorator or event planner, but I LOVE the art of fashion and the color gray,” Christa said. They opted to have the groomsmen wear dark gray dress pants and vests rather than suit coats and the bridesmaids wore classic long-sleeved  black dresses. 

 

“I was extremely aware of the desire to NOT become a bridezilla, so I left all of the details to those who like to plan and have the gift.”

 

 

 

Christa at first thought she wanted a traditional white wedding dress until she tried on an off-white one that totally worked on her. “You know how people say finding the dress is like finding the groom? It’s true! I looked at it, thought it looked nice, thought this might be the one…yes this is the one!” She said the hue complemented her fair complexion. Knowing they’d marry in winter, she pictured the entire wedding party standing outside in the woods with snow falling gently. She knew she wanted a fur wrap and fur muffs for the bridesmaids. A birdcage veil added just the right touch. 

 

 

 

The couple opted to do photography prior to the ceremony so that they would have more time to enjoy their guests afterward. Christa said the drive around Monticello with photographer Hannah Grace Pendl and her husband in one car and her sister and brother-in-law in another car was a really fun memory, despite the fact it was such a cold day. 

 

During the ceremony, Christa gave her dad a handkerchief with a little embroidered message on it. As her dad gave her away, they exchanged a little ritual they did when her dad tucked her into bed as she was growing up:  give a salute, blow a kiss and bow to each other. 

 

 

 

When asked what she would advise other brides, Christa did not talk about flowers or gowns or invitations. 

 

“Pursue strong premarital counseling. Marriage is not selfish – love God first, spouse second, family third. Strive to put your spouse before yourself. Always assume the positive.”