LOVE AND ROMANCE
LIVING HISTORY
19
BEACH WEDDING
In 2008, Natalie Rutoski went to the library at her local
college in Michigan to work on physics homework. Little did
she know that she was about to meet the man who would
capture her heart. Erik Smith was working on algebra problems
there when he quickly spotted a pretty, petite blonde.
Seizing the right moment, he approached her and asked if
she needed help with her homework.
“It was at this moment when all the butterflies started,”
Natalie remembers.
She didn’t need help but was certainly interested in talking
to him. After their first meeting, the couple made a point of
showing up at the library regularly and soon began dating. It
wasn’t long before Natalie realized that Erik was the one.
“I went home and told my mom, ‘I think I met the guy that
I’m going to marry,’” she recalls.
Eventually in 2015, Erik popped the question amid a brilliant
sunset at Shepherd’s Park in Stuart.
“She’s an angel,” he says. “I realized then that I’m never
going to find someone more beautiful, inside and out. So, I
needed to get things moving.”
They spent the next two years planning for their big day.
Erik’s mother opened Natalie’s eyes to the right venue by
sending her an oceanfront picture from the House of Refuge.
“I didn’t know about the place, at first,” Natalie says.
“When I saw the water, I said, ‘That’s absolutely a beautiful
beach. Where are you?’ When I found out where, I wondered
if they did weddings.”
It turns out that the century-old landmark was the perfect
spot for their romantic beach wedding. >>
BRAD’S CREATIVE IMAGES
A brilliant sunset over the Indian River provided a romantic background for
Natalie and Erik Smith’s wedding.
Your history begins
at the Heritage Center
A proud part of our community since 1935
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Heritage Center
offers a unique and memorable venue for all of your special events.
772.770.2263 ~ info@veroheritage.org
2140 14th Ave ~ In Historic Downtown Vero Beach
/www.choctc.com
/www.veroheritage.org
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