Miss Jeanne Katherine Hoover and Mr. William Wren Hitt were united in marriage at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2015.

The bride is the daughter of Rick Hoover and Cindy Hoover of State College, Pennsylvania. She is the granddaughter of the late John and Jeanne Fitzgerald of Lake Mohawk, New Jersey and Melvin and Kathleen Hoover of York, Pennsylvania.

The bride graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 2005 with a bachelor’s in English and in 2008 earned a master’s of library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh. She is employed as an assistant professor and scholarly communication librarian at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

The groom is the son of Bill and Martha Jo Hitt of Hamlet. He is the grandson of the late Joe and Ruth Maurice and the late William Marious Hitt and Brownie Hitt McLean, all of Hamlet.

The groom graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2008 with a bachelor’s in English and in 2011 earned a master’s of science in counseling from East Carolina University. In 2014 the groom received state and national certification as a licensed professional counselor. He is employed as a counselor at Pitt Community College in Greenville, North Carolina.

The outdoor wedding ceremony was held at the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens on the campus of The Pennsylvania State University in State College. The wedding was officiated by the Rev. Carol Lindsay. Music was provided by Centre Brass Quintet. A reading from “A Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh was given by the bride’s cousin, Sean Fitzgerald, of Houston, Texas. Alex Henderson, friend of the groom, of Brooklyn, New York, gave a second reading, a poem, “The World is a Song,” written by the groom’s late grandfather, Joseph Franklin Maurice.

The bride, given in marriage by her parents, was escorted by her father. Her dress was a white strapless slim fitted gown featuring a sweetheart neckline, satin ruched waistband and lace applique with Swarovski crystals. She carried a rounded clutch bouquet of orange roses, succulents, white hydrangeas, seeded eucalyptus, pin cushion protea, peach berries and hot pink spray roses. The bride and groom participated in a unity tree planting ceremony. Soil from each of their childhood homes was used to symbolize the foundations from which each of them came and the ongoing nourishment required for a strong marriage. In memory of deceased loved ones, a rosemary plant was placed beside the unity tree by Brittany Fitzgerald of Denver, Colorado, cousin of the bride.

Matron of honor was Candice Szczesny, friend of the bride, of State College, Pennsylvania. Bridesmaids were the bride’s sister-in-law, Liz Hoover, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; friends, Christine Andresen of Greenville; Caroline Dewey of San Francisco, California; Megan Russler of Paris, France; and Ashley Bartley of State College, Pennsylvania. Miss Zoey Bartley was the flower girl.

The groom’s brother, Dr. David Hitt of Helena, Montana, served as best man. Groomsmen were Tim Boyd of Cary; Michael Murr of Raleigh; Justin Fowler, also of Raleigh; Cullen Mahany of Greensboro; and Rich Hoover, brother of the bride, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The ring bearers were Bobby Suter, nephew of the bride, of Springfield, Pennsylvania and Michael Bartley of State College, Pennsylvania.

Following the wedding ceremony, guests were invited to Celebration Hall for a reception of cocktails, dinner and dancing hosted by the bride’s parents, Rick Hoover and Cindy Hoover. Music was provided by Nittany Entertainment. As the bride and groom both received degrees in English, the reception carried a literary theme. Guests were given library cards in pockets with their seating assignments. Each table was decorated with vintage books and bookmarks. The reception included a mix of foods from both Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

North Carolina favorites included barbecue with various sauces, sweet tea and Cheerwine. The Pennsylvania Dutch cookie table, a Pennsylvania tradition, included favorites such as raisin-filled cookies and whoopie pie cookies. Cupcakes, named after favorite authors of the bride and groom, such as Yeats, Chekov and Austen, were served. Guests were invited to leave good wishes for the bride and groom on Penguin Book postcards.

The bride and groom were honored with a rehearsal dinner given by the groom’s parents, Bill and Martha Jo Hitt, on Thursday evening, July 30. Guests were invited to dine at Mario’s Italian Restaurant in State College. Each guest received a booklet of favorite quotes as a gift from the groom’s parents.

Following a brief honeymoon to Washington, D.C., the couple will reside in Greenville. They are planning a longer honeymoon to France and Ireland in December.

Contributed photo Jeanne Katherine Hoover and William Wren Hitt
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_Hitt-Wedding-Photo-21.jpgContributed photo Jeanne Katherine Hoover and William Wren Hitt