Alexis Rae Chandler & Christopher Louis Varner
Helvetia | 6.11.22
Photographed by CP Imagery
A shared passion for West Virginia put this couple on track for a Swiss-inspired Helvetia wedding.
Alex Chandler, of Pickens, and Christopher Varner, from Durbin, met while working on the railroad. “I specifically remember the first time I saw Christopher, on the back of a caboose in Durbin,” says Alex. Over the following six years, they dated, fell in love, became engaged, and then married in Helvetia, a charming Swiss enclave Alex’s great-great-grandparents had immigrated to in the mid-19th century
Alex was one of two in her graduating class at Pickens High School. As there was not much opportunity for summer work in her community, so she sought a job nearby. “I ended up being a conductor for the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad. I was the only female conductor, working primarily with diesel engines in Elkins,” Alex says. “Chris was already a conductor, but he worked in Durbin with steam engines.”
Although they had briefly met the year before, it was during the summer of 2015 that the company chose to cross-train Alex and Chris on their respective engine specialties. Chris says he was attracted to Alex’s work ethic, determination, and dedication as well as her beautiful eyes, smile, and laugh. “I thought Alex was attractive, but I was nervous to talk to her,” he says. “I used some corny line, asking if she wanted to ride together to save money on gas. After talking to her during a couple of trips to work, I knew I wanted to be with her.”
At the time, Alex was a history major at West Virginia University, and Chris was a senior at Pocahontas County High School. Both had a passion for the outdoors, so they spent time hiking, kayaking, trail riding, fishing, and camping. “Chris is very passionate about the Monongahela National Forest and the Pocahontas County lifestyle. We really bonded over our love for West Virginia and our desire to stay here,” Alex says.
full steam ahead
Their first official date was at Coopers Rock State Forest. And it would be that same spot where Chris would eventually pop the question. “We dated for six years, and I did pester Christopher about being engaged. He did not propose until I stopped asking if he would marry me,” Alex says. The proposal took place on August 6, 2021. Chris had the stage set. “We had plans to travel to a local campground that our friends and family were already at,” he says. “All I had to do was ask our friends to tell Alex they would like to watch the sunset at Coopers Rock, and they played right along.”
Alex, who had worked all day at Ruby Memorial Hospital, was exhausted. She considered passing on the offer, but fortunately, she showed up. Upon arrival, she became a little annoyed that her mom was taking so many pictures. She is now grateful for the photos—especially one. “Chris is kissing me on the forehead, and you can see his hand in his pocket holding the ring box,” she says.
When the words asking Alex to be his wife finally came out of Chris’s mouth, she says she was shocked and stayed that way for several days. “I was in the process of interviewing for medical school, and the engagement came at such a random time,” she says.
Although Alex had earned a history degree, both she and Chris were steered into medical rescue work. “I was always passionate about the life of a first responder. My grandfather was fire chief in Pickens, and there were a lot of other first responders in my family,” she says. “In Chris’s family, there are several firefighters. Chris hinted around that he was going to paramedic school, and, on a whim, I ended up going, too. We both ended up working for Harrison County EMS.”
all aboard
With the date set for June 11, 2022, the couple had 10 months to plan a wedding. There was no question it would take place in the Swiss-settled Randolph County village of Helvetia. “Over six years, Chris and I spent much more time in Helvetia than in Pocahontas County, so Helvetia was very much a part of his story, too,” Alex says. “He was on board with having the wedding there.” It was important to Chris that the wedding and reception be a fun, relaxing time for all involved. “I wanted Alex to have the best day ever and, as long as I was with her, it was good for me.”
At the Bürki Farm at Oberland Helvetia, the days leading up to the wedding were as celebratory as the ceremony itself. “It was a weeklong party at my Aunt Sandy’s 12-bedroom farmhouse,” Alex says. “My whole family was there all week, and there were always people from my childhood coming and going, and there was always food and someone to visit with and have coffee with in the mornings. It was a wonderful, fun week.”
The farmhouse itself was a treasure trove of Swiss memorabilia, markers of a culture that had been a constant in her life. “We realized we didn’t have a cake topper, so we looked around the farmhouse, and came upon these little Swiss figurines. It’s a very common thing in Switzerland to carve little children’s toys out of wood,” Alex says. “And our caterer, Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawk Acres, went through the house as he was setting up the reception space, pulling things like fondue pots and milk bowls to serve a lot of the food.”
Zion Presbyterian Church is where Alex walked down the aisle on the arm of her Papaw Ed Dulaney, as musical duo Key to Adam played “Shake the Frost.” Alex wore a classic satin ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and off-the-shoulder straps. That moment—that first glimpse of Alex in her wedding dress—was Chris’s favorite moment of the day.
The day before the ceremony, family members had collected wildflowers to accent wedding bouquets, arranged by the bride-to-be. “My bouquet was hydrangeas, ferns, and greenery. The other flowers for decor included foxglove, daisies, mock orange, and lots and lots of ferns.” Traditional Swiss floral ribbon was tied around the bride’s bouquet, and the flower girl’s basket featured a Swiss emblem. Chris, in blue jeans and a gray tweed vest, sported a belt featuring golden milking cows, and his ring was made from a Swiss franc with “Helvetia” inscribed inside the band. Music for the ceremony included “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music.
Traditional vows were exchanged, and a Unity Cross was assembled by the couple. “Wagon Wheel” served as the recessional, after which the couple was whisked away to the farmhouse reception in a 1952 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible.
The reception included a buffet that incorporated the couple’s Appalachian roots and featured flank steak with ramp chimichurri, scalloped potatoes with dried ramps, peach cobbler, and apple crisp as well as a charcuterie spread. Rather than champagne, the couple was toasted with a dry red wine made by Alex’s late paternal grandfather. The couple’s first dance was to Randy Travis’s “Forever and Ever, Amen,” after which Alex and her mom danced to Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.”
Guests danced, played yard games, and met the Swiss Jersey cow, Rösli, who provided one of the most memorable events of the day. “We were in the cow field trying to take pictures, and she got angry that we were in her space,” Alex says. A video of the couple running from the field in their wedding garb captured the moment. Neither that nor a heavy morning rain put a damper on Alex and Chris’s day. All in all, it was pretty much perfect, she says. “It was such a wonderful day. It was everything I wanted.” After honeymooning in Jamaica, the couple set up residency in Fairmont. Alex is a first-year medical student at WVU, and Chris is employed by Bridgeport Fire Department.
BRIDE’S GOWN
The Vow Boutique, Morgantown
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Azazie.com
GROOM’S ATTIRE
Buckle, amazon.com, azazie.com
GROOMSMEN’S ATTIRE
Buckle, amazon.com, azazie.com
CEREMONY MUSIC
Key to Adam
FLOWERS
Bride and family
CATERER
Fish Hawk Acres, Buckhannon
CAKE
Fish Hawk Acres, Buckhannon
ENTERTAINMENT
We Make You the Star Entertainment, St. Albans
VIDEOGRAPHER
Captured Connections Productions
RENTALS
Mountain State Event Solutions, Elkins
CEREMONY
Zion Presbyterian Church, Helvetia
RECEPTION
Bürki Farm at Oberland, Helvetia