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Headliners: The couple wore the same suit design by Bar III from Macy’s in different colors: Walters wore navy blue, and Ramsey wore gray.
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Red Carpet-Ready: The newlyweds walk down the aisle together as husband and husband on a red carpet that their planner David Campbell rented for the occasion. “This moment was just pure happiness for me,” Walters says.
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Party Animals: Walters’ friends from Ohio, his niece and her girlfriend, and some of the couple’s Richmond friends pose with fun props in the reception photo booth. “I love that this photo incorporates all these different people in our lives,” Walters says.
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River City: Though the weather was cold and drizzly for a late May afternoon, wedding guests got to enjoy a fantastic view of the city of Richmond from City Hall’s observation deck.
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Personal Touch: Walters helps tie Ramsey’s tie while the couple gets ready for the ceremony in their home in Church Hill, only a few blocks from the Robinson Theater.
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Gettin’ Down: Despite some technical difficulties during setup, Walters and Ramsey’s DJ kept guests partying on the dance floor late into the evening.
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Favorite Things: Walters’ grandmother’s antique table served as a base for the couple’s wedding-related items: their vows written on notecards, Ramsey’s silver tie and a sign that read “Here Come the Grooms” for the ceremony.
Josh Walters and Ryan Ramsey tell people they met at Gold’s Gym in the Fan, but there’s much more to the story. Walters had seen Ramsey there several times but had never introduced himself. One day, he noticed Ramsey was wearing an orange shirt and wasn’t wearing glasses like normal. In a bold gesture, Walters posted a “missed connection” ad on Craigslist titled “Orange Crush,” asking Ramsey if he’d be interested in going to dinner. Amazingly, Ramsey responded a week later, and after a year of dating, he returned the gesture by proposing to Walters on their first anniversary in 2012.
The couple planned a simple-yet-chic springtime affair themed around their favorite things. The ceremony, held at City Hall’s observation deck, reflected urban planner Ramsey’s love of architecture, while their reception at the Robinson Theater Community Arts Center connected to Walters’ love of the performing arts. The pair owns a second home in Florida, which was represented in their DIY centerpieces made up of fiddle-leaf figs and river birch tree leaves.
Walters and Ramsey’s favorite-things theme continued with their food selections: Guests dined on a buffet of comfort foods such as pizza, chicken tenders, and macaroni and cheese, as well as Mumford’s Potato Chips from Walters’ hometown in Ohio. In lieu of cake, the couple served Country Style Donuts in flavors of blueberry, chocolate and cinnamon sugar. As for signature cocktails, Ramsey chose a frozen margarita, while Walters went with a classic Cosmopolitan.
Ramsey’s most cherished part of the day was taking photos with his husband, family and friends in Capitol Square. But for Walters, the best part of the day was finally getting the opportunity to make their relationship official: “We never thought we would be able to get married, especially not where we lived,” he says. “When it became legal to get married in Virginia, we were so excited. So finally being able to formalize it was huge for us.”
Doughnuts: Country Style Donuts
Coordinator: David Campbell
