Brooke Tatum & Ben Studstill: A Vestavia Hills Wedding

September 12, 2020

Photos by Photos By Heart

How We Met: A modern love story, Ben and I (Brooke) met through Tinder! Ben had just moved to Birmingham from Auburn for his master’s program at Stamford, and I downloaded the app just for fun. We got to chatting, and texted for about a week before meeting at a sushi restaurant for our first date. We spent about four hours together chatting, and then the rest is history. Confession: It was my first time eating sushi ever on our first date. I was mortified trying to eat the big pieces, but Ben didn’t even notice my struggle and still asked for a second date.

The Proposal: Ben’s parents rented out a cabin at Lake Martin for Thanksgiving, so we were planning on going down for the holidays. On Black Friday, I went out for a few hours to visit my side of the family. Ben cancelled coming with me last minute to spend more time with his parents, and I did not think anything of it. While I was away, Ben set up the dock with string lights and champagne. When I came back, he immediately got me from the car and walked me down to the dock where he had prepared a letter, ultimately asking me to marry him by “swiping right.” His family was there, and then my family came immediately after and we were able to celebrate!

What We Are Doing Now: Ben and I purchased a condo in the heart of Highland Park that we absolutely adore. We reside there with our two cats, Mick and Phoebe. Ben is a CPA at an accounting firm, and I work in the operating room at a plastic surgery practice. We love being in the middle of downtown Birmingham, while still having the neighborhood feel that Highlands has.