When Sara Parnell and Josef Crosby met in 2003, she was interviewing for a position at a Capitol Hill news service, Crosby, who had to take her on a test assignment, didn't think she was the right fit. Parnell eventually got the job and would go on to spend the next six months working closely with him. Soon after, a romance developed. The couple was married on Oct. 10 at the Rocky State Gap Park in Cumberland, Md.
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"It was obvious from the beginning," says Alexander Fedoryka, Crosby's former roommate, when talking about the couple's chemistry. Here, Parnell arrives at the wedding venue with her mother Janice, center, and her bridesmaids.
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After their first kiss, Crosby quit journalism to dedicate his time to his Celtic rock band Scythian. A few months later they were officially an item. Early on, however, they had doubts about their differences. Parnell was raised in a liberal Jewish household, while Crosby was raised in a conservative Catholic home. "There was always so much pressure -- 'Oh, you have to marry someone who is Jewish," she recollects.
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Parnell shares a moment with her father Larry right before the wedding ceremony.
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In honor of Crosby's musical background, the couple decided to exchange vows during the Sunflower Festival at Rocky Gap State Park, where Crosby's band played afterward. The festival drew 750 fans, in addition to the couple's 220 guests.
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The bride's dress was a strapless, formal gown from Allure Bridal.
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Crosby's best friend Patrick Garvey and his wife Angelica Oliveira read the lyrics to Leonard Cohen's "True Love Leaves No Traces."
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As at any festival, the soundboard engineer made sure their were no audio problems during their ceremony, while guests sat on blankets across the park's lawn.
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Parnell's sisters, Jessica, left, and Erin, far right, look on as the newlyweds say 'I do' with their niece Miriam, center. Flowerland Florist provided the sunflower arrangements.
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"I wanted to be a family with him," Parnell says.
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Crosby strikes a pose in his wedding suit for some friends.
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After the ceremony, the new husband and wife went off to spend some time alone at a nearby lake.
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"Now it's just the two of us -- best friends. All we have to do is pursue the right adventures," Crosby says.
Tracy A. Woodward-The Washington Post
Gallery Credits:
Photo Editor, Producer Troy Witcher
Text Editor Andrea N. Browne
