RICHMOND, Va. -- After the COVID-19 pandemic derailed a young Virginia couple’s plan for their dream wedding, the two decided to wed at the Richmond landmark where they had their first date.
Kevin and Evelyn Lohr, who both attended Virginia Commonwealth University and matched on the dating app Bumble, met up for the first time at Joe’s Inn, the iconic Fan restaurant, in October 2016.
The couple got engaged in 2019 and were planning a large wedding, but those plans were scrapped because of the pandemic.
The newlyweds said Joe’s Inn has served a special place as they have celebrated anniversaries at the restaurant, so they decided to wed on their fourth anniversary at the spot where their love story began.
“We associate it with not only our first date, not only the time we met, but kind of just the honeymoon season of us dating,” Kevin Lohr said. “We spent a lot of time downtown [and] in the Fan.”
The Lohrs are the first couple to get married at Joe's Inn, but they are not the first to ask.
Manager Lars Reisinger said COVID-19 cut back their hours of operation so there was plenty of time and space for a small wedding.
Reisinger met his wife at Joe's Inn in 2010 when he was working as a bartender and his now wife came in for a few drinks.
“There's like a whole crew of people who have met their significant others here. It’s pretty crazy,” Reisinger said. “We have anniversaries here constantly. I think Joe's is a meeting place for a lot of people.”
The Lohrs said they still plan to have a big church wedding when they can safely celebrate with their loved ones.
The couple now lives in Alexandria, but visits Joe’s Inn whenever they visit the River City.
