CUMBERLAND — On Oct. 2, 2010, Benjamin Andrew Cowan and Erin Elizabeth Muir were united in marriage. The double ring ceremony took place at The Ali Ghan Shrine Club, with Pastor Steffan Carr officiating.

The bride is the daughter of James and Ruthie Muir of Midland and the granddaughter of Robert Turner and Bea Muir, both of Midland. She is also the granddaughter of the late Mildred Turner and the late James Leo Muir.

The groom is the son of Richard and Patricia Heishman of Mathias, W.Va. Ben is the grandson of David Cowan of Midland and the late Pauline Cowan of Westernport.

The bride was given in marriage by her parents and was escorted by her father down the aisle, which was adorned with pumpkins and lanterns that hung on wrought iron shepherd hooks at the romantic outdoor ceremony on the Shrine Club’s lawn.

The bride wore an Alfred Angelo taffeta gown embellished with lace, metallic accents, crystal beading and sequins. The gown featured a  sweetheart neckline and chapel-length train. The bride’s jewelry consisted of diamond drop earrings and diamond accented bracelets with a Swarovski crystal hair comb, which was a wedding gift from her sister. The bride also wore a ring that was her late aunt Lana Turner’s engagement ring. The ring was a very special gift to the bride from her mother. The bride carried a bouquet of fresh calla lilies, roses, hypericum berries and mums, all in fall colors, with rust-colored satin ribbon. Peggy Atkinson, owner of P&S Salon and friend of the bride, provided hairstyling for the bride.

The groom wore a black, two-button tuxedo with satin-edged notched lapels complemented with an espresso colored vest and tie.

Serving as matron-of-honor was April Knipple, sister of the bride. The maid of honor was Sarabeth Whetzel, best friend of the bride. Bridesmaids were Jennifer Growden, cousin of the bride; Jessica Johnson, friend of the bride; and Katie Cowan, sister-in-law of the groom. The bridesmaids wore cinnamon colored Mon Lee chiffon gowns in various styles. The bridesmaids carried bouquets of fresh mums and roses in fall colors, with rust-colored satin ribbon. LaVale Martin’s floral service designed and made the bouquets, as well as the floral arrangement that hung on the arbor that the bride and groom stood under during the ceremony.

Serving as the best men were Andrew Cowan and Patrick Cowan, brothers of the groom. Groomsmen were David Brashear Jr., cousin of the groom, and Matthew Coleman and Chance Jones, friends of the groom.

Kailyn Staggs and Aleea Jones, daughters of friends of the bride and groom, served as flower girls. They wore elegant dresses made of taffeta and organza with floral embroidery. The flower girls carried baskets of fall-colored flowers which were made by the bride’s sister. The ring bearers were Carter Knipple, nephew of the bride, and Issac Growden, cousin of the bride. The bride’s nephew, Carter Knipple, carried a tiny white Bible, a gift from Margie Llewellyn. The toddler ring bearers wore tuxedos with vests and bow ties that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Prior to the ceremony, Kayla Lowdermilk and Mallarie Thomas, friends of the bride, greeted guests and distributed programs. Following the ceremony, Kayla and Mallarie attended the guest book as guests entered the ballroom at the Shrine Club for the reception. A memorial slideshow was playing by the guest book table in memory of the bride’s and groom’s grandmothers.

Katie Benson, cousin of the bride, provided the vocals during the ceremony. Katie sang “I Hope You Dance” while the mothers were being seated and “Save the Best for Last” after the bride and groom said their vows. Katie Wolf, cousin of the groom, provided the special reading during the ceremony, including two of the bride’s and groom’s favorite Biblical Scriptures.

A reception immediately followed the ceremony in the ballroom at the Shrine Club. Cookies and other sweet treats provided by Roxanne Apple, Tammy Detrick and the mother of the bride, were available for the guests as they waited for the wedding party to finish getting pictures taken. The formal plated dinner included herbed chicken and marinated sirloin. The centerpieces consisted of lanterns and wrought iron pumpkins, with candles and garland accented with acorns and fall-colored leaves.

The wedding cake, made by Teresa Whetzel, friend of the bride, was five-tiered with layers of vanilla cake with strawberry filling, chocolate cake with mousse filling, and spice cake with cream filling. The icing on the cake was a light ivory buttercream accented with an elegant cornelli lace design. The cake was decorated with flowers to match the bouquets and rust-colored ribbon encircling the bottom of each layer.

Photography was provided by Stan Eisel and Katelyn Gallagher. Videography was provided by Ray Sheetz and Alyssa Butler, former students of the bride. Reception music was provided by the band Surrender Dorothy. The bride and groom danced their first dance to, their song, “Collide,” which was sung by Jim House, lead singer of the band. The bride danced with her father to “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw, and the groom danced with his mother to “My Wish” by Rascal Flats. The wedding party danced to “Johnny and June” sung by Sarabeth Whetzel, maid of-honor.

The bride and groom currently reside in Swanton with their dachshund, Bryson, and cat, Trooper. Their wedding night was their first night in their new home, which was finished being built just prior to the wedding. The couple enjoyed a week-long honeymoon in Riviera Maya, Mexico at Barcelo Beach Resort. They are currently expecting their first child, due in March of 2012.

The bride is a 2002 graduate of Westmar High School. She obtained her bachelor of science degree in English in 2006 from Frostburg State University. She is currently working on a master’s degree at FSU in education while teaching English at The Center for Career and Technical Education in Cresaptown.

The groom is a 2001 graduate of Westmar High School. He is currently employed as a lineman with Allegheny Power in Oakland.

Ben and Erin would like to thank everyone who attended and helped with their wedding. The day for them was truly a dream come true.