It didn’t take long for Danielle Fuchs to know she was dating the man of her dreams. “After just a week, I knew I was going to marry him,” she recalls. She had joined an online dating site more for fun than anything else and found David Bernholt the first day. “It was a weird outlet for how we were supposed to find each other,” she says. “But there would have been no other way we would have met.” She wasn’t the only one who knew they would end up together. “There wasn’t any back and forth, no second guessing for either of us,” Danielle says.

After dating for almost a year, David, a resident in orthopedic surgery, asked Danielle to join him for dinner at The Chase during an orthopedic conference as a cover-up for the night’s real plans. The couple arrived at the hotel to check in, then David took her to Taylor Park, one of their favorite spots. “I thought we were just killing some time,” Danielle says. “But when we turned the corner, there were musicians playing our song, and David had made floral arrangements that he put everywhere. He hired a photographer to document the whole thing. It was so over-the-top and wonderful!”

The two had discussed wedding plans prior to their engagement because they knew they would have to work around David’s residency schedule. “My family is really small, but his is huge, so we had to find venues that were beautiful and could accommodate a lot of people,” Danielle says. “You don’t have to do anything at the Missouri Athletic Club for it to look stunning, so it’s perfect.” Because she liked the skirt of one gown and the bodice of another, her dress will be customized to create her dream look. “The woman at Clarice’s Bridal is the Yoda of dresses,” Danielle laughs. “It was just my mom and me shopping for dresses, which was a great moment for us. We’ll go back with our friends for me to try it on as one dress for the first time.”

Danielle is a hematology/oncology nurse at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and David is a resident at Washington University at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. They both live in University City. The couple will be married Sept. 19.

[resources]
Ceremony | Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Reception | Missouri Athletic Club
Photographer | Jen & Dayton Photography
Florist | Magnolia’s European Florals
Honeymoon | Kauai & Maui, Hawaii

[wedding party]
Maid of Honor | Katelyn Lauck
Bridesmaids | Taylor Bowling, Peggy Bernholt, Staci Beukman, Jeanette Pieper
Best Man | Andrew Miller
Groomsmen | Chris Fuchs, John Bernholt, Sandesh Rao, David Narotsky
Flower Girl | Marley Beukman
Usher | Tyler Fuchs
Bride’s Parents | Dave & Liz Fuchs of Wildwood
Groom’s Parents | Scott & Janelle Bernholt of Versailles, Ohio

Photo: Jen & Dayton Photography