Amanda moved from Illinois to Arizona in pursuit of a Master's degree in Social Work and warmer weather! She stumbled upon Tempe First United Methodist church while searching for one of her classes on the ASU campus. She was raised Methodist and regularly attended church with her family growing up. Amanda struggled finding a church that felt right throughout her undergrad years at Northern Illinois University. So, Amanda was excited and a little nervous about attending church at Tempe FUMC. She was warmly welcomed by everyone she met. She initially attended the 11:11 Journey service; however, she was soon drawn to the beautiful sounds of the sanctuary church choir and felt called to join, despite the fact that her choral experience was extremely limited. Amanda quickly discovered that she loved being a part of the choir and began to attend the 9:30 service, during which the choir sings each week. The choir provided Amanda with many things including a way to worship and praise God, new friends and comradary, and lots of fun! But, she never thought being a part of the choir would lead her to meeting the love of her life...

Amanda first noticed Chris during the Fall of 2007, when he played his flute for a piece the sanctuary choir was singing. Amanda was intrigued by the fact that Chris played the flute because Amanda played the flute for about seven years, although not nearly at the level that Chris could play. Amanda thought Chris was cute right away, but did not put much more thought into him as she was in a relationship and Chris appeared to be quite a bit younger than her (or so she thought). Chris soon joined the choir, but the interaction between him and Amanda was surfaced and brief.

Amanda's relationship at that time ended in February 2008, and for months, Amanda did not want to think about meeting anyone, much less getting involved in another relationship. However, as time went on Amanda became less bitter and often found herself stealing glances at Chris, whom she referred to her friends as "church boy", during choir. Amanda wanted to exchange more than just a "Hi" or "Good Morning" with Chris, but would always chicken out at the last minute. Finally, during the summer of 2008, while on a break from choir, Amanda began attending the 11:30 worship service. Chris was a part of the band that played during the 11:30 service and Amanda was hoping to get the opportunity to get to talk to Chris more. Chris and Amanda began spending time talking while in group settings. Then, they started spending time together, just the two of them, getting to know each other. Amanda learned that Chris was only a year younger than her and in graduate school at ASU. Although their interests varied, Amanda and Chris found that they really enjoyed each other's company. After a while, Chris and Amanda began dating in August 2008. Once they started dating, they both realized, very quickly, that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other. Chris proposed after six months of him and Amanda dating and Amanda said "Yes!" without a doubt in her mind.

Chris and Amanda are getting married at Tempe First United Methodist Church (located at 213 E University Dr Tempe, AZ 85281) on Saturday, December 19, 2009. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 pm. Attire is formal, but relaxed. After all, everyone has to be able to bust a move on the dance floor during the reception in whatever their wearing. Oh - and don't forget to bring a Santa hat or reindeer antlers! A small Christmas sing-a-long will occur at the end of the reception for all!

Once they decided to get married in Arizona, Amanda and Chris didn't have to think too hard about where to hold their ceremony. Amanda has been attending Tempe First United Methodist Church since the Fall of 2003, when she moved to Arizona, in order to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work. Chris began attending Tempe FUMC in the Fall of 2007, when he left the East Coast to pursue a graduate degree in School Counseling at ASU.

Although he didn't transfer his church membership until 2009, Chris immediately became actively involved in the church upon moving to Arizona. Chris is a member of the santuary choir, leader of the Young Adult Group, and continues to participate in activities with the Wesley Foundation Campus Ministry for college students. Recently, Chris also began playing the bass guitar for the 11:30 Journey service. Amanda continues to be a member of the sanctuary choir, co-chair of Church and Society, and is training to become a Stephen Minister. Amanda also enjoys being a part of the Young Adult Group.

As one can see, Chris and Amanda spend a good part of their spare time involved in church activities. Unfortunately, Chris and Amanda are only able to visit with their families about twice a year, due to the physical distance that seperates them. Because of these circumstances, being a part of the incredible church family at Tempe FUMC, in addition to having their wonderful parents and siblings, means so much to Chris and Amanda. The people whom Chris and Amanda see at church at least once a week, if not more, have become so much more than, "someone I go to church with." The church family has celebrated with Chris and Amanda, individually and as a couple, during the good times and has been there to provide them with love and support throughout the not so good times. So, when deciding where to get married in Arizona, it was quite clear to Chris and Amanda that Tempe FUMC was their first choice, so that they could be married in the prescence of God, surrounded by their families and friends, from near and far.

Chris and Amanda's reception will be held in Ross Hall at Tempe First United Methodist Church, directly following the ceremony held in the church's sanctuary. The reception will begin roughly around 3:00. Light refreshments will be available along with non-alcoholic beverages, including water, punch, coffee, and tea. A buffett style catered dinner from the Macaroni Grill will be served beginning around 4:00. Guests will be served a garden salad and a choice of two entrees, Macaroni and Cheese or Honey Balsamic Chicken (there is enough for guests to have both!). The wedding cake will be served as dessert.

Music for the reception is being provided by Music By Bryan Disc Jockey. Bryan has over 20 years of experience as a full-time DJ and is sure to help make the reception a fun and memorable event for all!

Josh Milne will be providing the photography for the ceremony and reception.

A block of hotel rooms is reserved at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Tempe, AZ, near the ASU campus. For more information, please contact Chris or Amanda at choerber@gmail.com or akrussell1981@yahoo.com.

Phoenix has nearly 300 days of sunshine per year and only gets an average of 7 inches of rain! December weather is generally quite pleasant, although it can still get cold. Forget your shorts. Pack a light jacket, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, and pants. Please pray for clear skies!

We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives who want to help us celebrate our love as we get married on December 19, 2009.

We will be leaving the very next day after our wedding to fly to Hawaii to spend a week on the beautiful island of Kauai! We are so lucky to have this time to spend together as we begin our lives as husband and wife!

We are very fortunate in that we do not need a lot of items for our home. We created this user friendly registry as a way to invite others to help us make the most of our dream honeymoon! Thank you for being a part of our lives and helping us to create memories that will last a liftetime.