HOW WE MET

Erica & Joe met in the Fall of 2012 through the dating website Match.com. Some of their shared interests include: hiking, skiing, ice-skating, camping, beach-going, reading, movies, and board games. Together, they are active with the LLS's Team in Training Hike Program (Erica is a HL survivor). They reside together in a Kingstowne condo.

THE ENGAGEMENT

After a hike, that included the hill of doom, Erica and Joe, along with some friends went for the obligatory dinner at Griffin Tavern & Restaurant. After a delicious meal Erica and Joe took a delightful stroll across the Tavern’s front porch when Joe dropped to a knee and asked Erica to be his wife. Of course Erica said yes and the rest is history.

VENUE MAP

VICINITY MAP

ABOUT LEESBURG, VA

Leesburg is a historic town within and the county seat of Loudoun County, Virginia. Leesburg is located 33mi west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according to the 2010 Census is 42,616. The town is also the northwestern terminus of the Dulles Greenway, a private toll road that connects to the Dulles Toll Road at Washington Dulles International Airport.

  Go here and here for more information.

HISTORY OF IDA LEE PARK

Ida Lee Park was made possible by the generous donation of prime, undeveloped land formerly known as the Greenwood Farm by the Rust Family. In 1986, William F. Rust and his wife, Margaret Dole Rust, donated 138 acres to the Town of Leesburg for perpetual use as a public park which was named in memory of Mr. Rust’s grandmother, Ida Lee, to preserve an important historic link between the Lee Family of Virginia, and the Town of Leesburg. Ida Lee Rust was the daughter of Edmund Jennings Lee, first cousin of Robert E. Lee. Ida Lee spent her married life at "Rockland"; the Rust family home located near Leesburg, and in her later years lived in a house built by her sons at 113 East Cornwall Street in Leesburg. Ida Lee Park stands for the memory of Mr. Rust's grandmother, the continuation of the Lee family name, which played a key role in Leesburg's history, and Mr. Rust's sentiment that Leesburg should remain a "personal" town.

After receiving the donation, a Citizen Advisory Commission was created. At the time, the few parks that were established within the Town of Leesburg were operated by the Public Works Department. The donation of Ida Lee Park led to the creation of the Town of Leesburg Parks and Recreation Department.

Overtime, construction and renovations were made to the property; Ida Lee Park Recreation Center was opened in July 1990 and expanded in November 2002. The Farmhouse, which houses the Department’s administrative offices, was renovated and dedicated in August of 1991 and serves as a reminder of the park’s history. Outdoor tennis courts were added in September 2001 and the A.V. Symington Indoor Tennis Center was completed in January 2008. The latest edition, an outdoor swimming facility known as the A.V. Symington Aquatic Center opened in May 2009.

In lieu of gifts, Erica and Joe invite you to make a donation to one (or more) of the following charities:

• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

LOVE NOTES FOR Erica & Joe
Email us at notes (at) ericaplusjoe (dot) com

• What to wear? We are requesting dressy casual attire. Ladies, be aware the ceremony will be outdoors on grass and the reception will be indoors.
• Is there a rain plan? Yes, if there is bad weather, the ceremony will be held in the banquet hall inside of the Ida Lee Recreation Center.
• So, I hear you're having a reception post wedding, but where is it? The reception will be held in the banquet hall, located on the west side of the Ida Lee Recreation Center.

Please feel free to email us with any other questions at notes (at) ericaplusjoe (dot) com