With This Ring: Bastable – Poitevent

In the fall of 2005, Leigh Courtney Bastable and Edward Scott Poitevent met in San Diego, Calif., where the two were both stationed for the Navy. Leigh is a nurse while Scott serves as an Explosives Ordinance Demolition Officer. Scott was preparing to deploy for one year while Leigh was working in the San Diego Naval Hospital. In 2006, almost one year later, the two reconnected in Kuwait while Leigh was deployed there and Scott was on his way home from deployment.

The two were both transferred to San Diego for a short while before Leigh was stationed in Japan for three years and Scott was deployed to Italy. The two stayed connected through e-mails and a few sparse phone calls, but mainly stayed in contact through written letters. Both were finally transferred to the Washington, D.C. area.

After returning from his third deployment, Scott decided that he wanted to ask Leigh to marry him. While he was deployed, he stayed in constant contact with Symmetry Jewelers to design a ring for Leigh using a diamond that had originally belonged to his great-grandmother, Alice Grehan Schramm Ficklen. For the Thanksgiving of 2010, Scott invited Leigh to spend the holiday with his extended Poitevent-Banos family on their sugar plantation in Thibodaux, La.

The night he proposed, Scott took Leigh to New Orleans, and he brought her to Soniat House for cocktails. Leigh was thrilled and immediately accepted. Scott then brought Leigh to one of his favorite restaurants, Antoine’s, to top the exciting night off with baked Alaska to celebrate the engagement.

Today the couple is stationed in Virginia, where Leigh is working as an active duty nurse and Scott is deployed. Upon his return in the early months of summer 2012, both will enter graduate school with Scott pursuing an MBA and Leigh pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing.

Bride: Leigh Courtney Bastable, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Jeffrey Bastable of Syracuse, N.Y.

Groom: Edward Scott Poitevent, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Butts Poitevent II of New Orleans

Date of the wedding: September 24, 2011

Ceremony location: United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

Reception location: Port Annapolis Marina, Overlook Pavilion

Wedding gown: Designed by Romona Keveza, purchased from Terri Lynn Bridal Shop in Bethesda, Maryland

Bridesmaids: Katie Fenton, Mary Murphy, Rebecca Brittain and Mary Poitevent

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Designed by Two Birds, purchased from Ella Bridesmaids in Bethesda, Maryland

Groom’s attire: Navy Dress White Uniform

Groomsmen: Michael Pappas, Edward Poitevent, Jonathan Jones and Garrett Bastable

Groomsmen attire: Grey suits by JoS. A. Bank with coral-colored NOLA Couture ties

Rings: Symmetry Jewelers, New Orleans

Florist: Sandi’s Flower Shop, Annapolis, Maryland

Caterer: Ken’s Creative Kitchen, Annapolis, Maryland

Cake: In the form of mini cupcakes made by Cakes and Confections, Annapolis, Maryland

Photographer: Rachel Ainsworth from Syracuse, N.Y.

Music: Kaleidoscope from Annapolis, Maryland

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