Christina GulickAs the sunset approaches over the Blue Ridge Mountains, the wedding guests collect their first cocktail of the evening. Each drink sits inside a custom koozie, featuring a cartoon version of the couple, their cat, Toast, and the fourth member of their family, their white 1994 Defender 110, whom they jokingly have named “Shelia.” Through the chatter of the crowd comes the raucous mix of a bagpipe and the clatter of a 300 Tdi, signaling the arrival of the bride and groom at the wedding reception.
The choice of our Land Rover as our wedding carriage arose out of our “meet-cute” on a dating app. Two dates later Bryan Gulick declared he’d be traveling during what we now refer to as “The Summer of Bryan.” This trip began from Beaver Island, MI, and then to Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the Serengeti, but most of his season’s adventure would be with his sister in Sydney, Australia. I would love to think (and would advise him to agree) that our dates served as the highlight of his summer, but I know otherwise, because that summer, he decided to buy a Land Rover.
Bryan’s sister and brother-in-law, Lisa and Gavin Smith, had decided to sell their beloved Defender 110 after the birth of their first child, Everley, but Bryan arrived just in time to explore the Australian coastline in the Defender with them. While touring the coast and beaches, he realized he couldn’t let Gavin and Lisa sell their Defender to just anyone. Instead, he would buy it and ship it to America.
That’s where our story began and where the nickname “Shelia” was born. I remember the day well; Bryan told me that he had purchased something large, but he wouldn’t tell me what, as he wanted to surprise me. For months I thought he had bought a boat. I remember panicking about how little he knew about boating and having flashbacks to my parents navigating getting a boat onto a trailer.
Then July rolled around and he picked me up from the Orlando, FL, airport in the Defender. If you’ve ever been to Disney in the summer, you will know the heat level I experienced, especially in a Defender! If you told me then that this mobile furnace would be my wedding car I would have laughed in your face.
Within a year into ownership, Bryan expressed interest in attending Land Rover events. Our first was at the Rover Owners of Virginia’s (ROAV) at Wintergreen (RAW) at the stunning Wintergreen Resort. I have always loved the mountains, so I planned to enjoy the view while lounging with a book. I had no idea what lay ahead. I remember that first “Scenic Sunset Trail” vividly. What I thought would be a a peaceful drive with scenic mountain views became a rocky trail descent that bent a tie rod. I held on for dear life. Let’s just say the beer that I ordered when we got to Devil’s Backbone Brewpub at the base of the mountain was very welcome.
Every year since, we have made the trek back to Wintergreen for RAW, and the Land Rover events are the first thing on our calendar for the year. Bryan was all in from the second he got on the trails, but for me it was the community that won me over.
I had a boss that used to explain the field of hospitality as, “it’s just people helping people,” and I think that is the best way to describe the Land Rover clubs as well. I have met so many wonderful and knowledgeable people who aren’t just kind, but also fun. This is what made me start to be proud to be a Land Rover owner and feel blessed to be a part of the community.
Our off-road experiences convinced us to hold our wedding at Wintergreen, and we knew it would be incomplete without incorporating the reasons behind the choice of our venue. While we could have instructed Bryan and his groomsmen to jump out of the Defender at the Blue Ridge Overlook, I wanted to honor my Scottish mother, Nickie, and add her preferred traditions. Thus began the successful search for a bagpiper.
When we told my mom, she collected tons of pictures of cars decorated for weddings and formulated a plan. I wish I had a dollar for every time she called and begged us to clean our mud flaps before the big day. Bryan did find a local detailer to get the Defender looking its best. (I honestly didn’t think the car could clean up that good.) “Shelia” looked almost naked without the remnants of mud from our adventures. We decorated the car with white ribbon, wisteria and Scottish heather, and placed a wooden wreath with “Just Married” on the spare tire. I’m just glad we have pictures because I don’t think it will ever look that fancy again.
With Shelia looking good, we decided to skip the formal exit from the ceremony or reception and do something that felt uniquely us. With the resort’s permission, we would drive up the back hill and make our entrance to the reception with the sound of bagpipes in the background, in true Land Rover fashion.
The day of the wedding arrived before we knew it. One might think Bryan’s nerves driving up to the altar tensed up with the excitement and anticipation of seeing his bride, but anyone who has driven the mountain up to the Wintergreen Resort knows otherwise: it involves praying, as the long, twisty drive up the mountain resembles a British cinematic epic and a scene from The Gods Must Be Crazy. He made it up though and we will never forget the looks on everyone’s face as they knowingly muttered, “Only Bryan.”
These are memories from our day I will cherish. Bryan’s sister served as our officiant and made the Defender a part of the ceremony: “Christina and Bryan, in this ceremony you’re not just saying ‘I do’—you’re saying ‘I will,’ ‘I promise,’ and ‘I’m in this with you, even when we’re stranded on the side of the road because the Defender broke down again.’”
Her words demonstrate the big impact that this community has made on us. When the Defender rolled into my life, I never would have imagined that one of my favorite moments of our wedding day would be driving up the hill to the sound of bagpipes, laughing at everyone’s reactions. Bryan’s brother-in-law rode shotgun, as was only fitting, and my best friend was in the rear with me, making sure I didn’t face-plant in front of all our guests upon exiting.
We did have a special trip planned after the wedding. We could not let the Defender stay that clean, so we took it to the Mid-Atlantic Rally last Fall to get it nice and muddy again. Of course, we couldn’t let our “Just Married” sign go to waste so we hung it on the back as we completed the RTV course.
Married life, it turns out, is a lot like off-roading. It can be bumpy and unpredictable, but it is always better with your favorite person by your side. And while Shelia may have carried us up that hill at Wintergreen, she has really carried us through so many chapters of our story. As we look toward the road ahead, I know there will be detours and breakdowns, but also breathtaking views, and I would not want to navigate any of it with anyone else.
We’ll be on a honeymoon in Italy, Switzerland, and Germany this Spring, but back in the US in time for the 2026 Rovers at Wintergreen!