BETHLEHEM, Pa. — According to Jason Benning, his first-ever handshake with his soon-to-be wife, Brianna, was as "limp as a wet noodle."
It was August 2015, and Brianna Gessner, of Emmaus, was freshly out of a relationship and hoping to have a fun girl's night out at Musikfest with a friend.
She became discouraged, even a bit irritated, when she discovered that "Girl's Night" would include two boys...cooties included.
"If it was just me and her for the rest of my life, I would have been just fine with it."Brianna Gessner
"My friend let me know last-minute that she was bringing her boyfriend at the time," said Brianna Benning, speaking from her home in Virginia Beach, Virginia. "I was like, that's fine."
She had a daughter, Evelyn, from her previous relationship and said she was perfectly content with that duo.
"If it was just me and her for the rest of my life, I would have been just fine with it," she said.
However, a tall, bearded Navy vet with blue eyes and "a kindness about him" had other plans.
Musikfest each year produces millions of memories for attendees, but Jennings and Gessner are among couples who found love at the massive music festival in Bethlehem.
Musikfest concludes its 41st year on Sunday, Aug. 11.
'You only live once'
A seasoned Navy veteran, Jason Benning's travels have taken him all around the world. He was stationed in San Diego, California; deployed to Dubai; and saw the sandy shores of Kuwait.
However, he said the most important trip of his life was to Bethlehem.
Following two years of service in San Diego, where he was a U.S. Naval Chief, the adventurous veteran embarked on a two-month-long road trip across the country with the intention of eventually getting back home to his family in Norfolk, Virginia.
"I've always had this mentality that you only live once. I was tired from my travels, but still excited to try new things."Jason Benning
He said he was in Newport, Rhode Island, when he got a text from one of his buddies from the Navy, who also happened to be the beau of Brianna Benning's friend.
There was a so-called "music festival" happening in a so-called place, the Lehigh Valley. Given that it was on Jason Benning's way, the friend invited him to stop by on his way home.
"Well, the first thing I thought was, 'That's not how you spell 'music!'" Benning recalled with a chuckle.
"It's German," his wife chimed in.
"I've always had this mentality that you only live once," Jason Benning said. "I was tired from my travels, but still excited to try new things."
So, he said, he batted down the hatches, lifted the anchors and set course for Bethlehem.
'There was a kindness to him'
The Bennings' first encounter in August 2015 was far from romantic, unlike theJess Madzik and Stu Elsenbaumer's "love at first swipe."
"Suddenly, this girls' night turned into a double date," Brianna Benning said. "So I wasn't thrilled."
"The stars aligned with the Moravian star that night."Jason Benning
Jason Benning said he didn't let Brianna Benning's "wet noodle" handshake and sour expression deter him. He said that upon seeing her, he was simply captivated.
"I was discouraged by her frustration at first, but I convinced myself that I was going to have a great time with this beautiful girl in her hometown," he said.
As the night continued, Gessner said, she felt herself becoming more comfortable with Benning. She said she showed him all the spots: German Cup, Island Noodles, Hotel Bethlehem.
Wide-eyed and still just as captivated, he followed her happily, amazed by the sheer vastness of the country's largest free music festival.
By the time they found themselves sharing a drink in the lobby of Hotel Bethlehem, they agreed that they felt as if they had known each other for years.
He shared a piece of himself, too, showing her the "Texas two-step" under the stars on the way home.
"He was genuinely interested in me as a person," she said. "There was no pressure."
Benning said, "The stars aligned with the Moravian star that night."
He bought the ring four months later.
'I found the rest of my life'
Nine months later, they married in a small chapel on Dam Neck Base in Virginia Beach, shortly before Benning deployed again.
In 2024, they're fully settled in Virginia and have become a family of five, recently welcoming daughter Madelyn in September 2023.
Hanging in their home, above children's toys and stuffed animals, is a framed poster from Musikfest 2015.
The two juggle child-care, trips to Disney World and dance recitals, but they try to follow the Bethlehem Star up Interstate 95 each year to recreate and relive the night their love story was set into motion.
"I didn't know that at Musikfest, I would find the rest of my life," Benning said.
