Most couples say the months leading up to marriage are quite a trip, but for Jamie Case and Chris Hodges, they really were on a trip. The Wedding Road Trip, to be exact.

On August 15, 2009, the trip came to an end and the journey began. They are officially Mr. and Mrs. Ford. Wait a tick – that’s not Chris’ last name. And it’s not Jamie’s either, for that matter.

That’s right. Jamie and Chris decided to take a new name, and that name is Ford. Here’s an excerpt from the blog post explaining the rational they followed for picking a new last name:

1) The word “Ford”, as defined by dictionary.com, means “to cross a river.” It implies strength and determination, two qualities Chris and I hope to embody in our marriage.

2) President Gerald Ford, an adopted member of the Ford family, was from Grand Rapids, Chris’s hometown. Chris holds Gerald Ford in high regard, as does the rest of his family.

3) Betty Ford helped raise awareness for breast cancer and was considered a leader in the Women’s Movement. She is also the founder of the world-famous Betty Ford Clinic, which helps treat substance abuse and addiction.

4) Ford is the only American car company that didn’t take bailout money.

5) Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company with the idea that the common man should and would be able to afford his own car. The Ford Motor Company still works to achieve this goal today.

6) Roxy has been like a family member to us, and since her last name is Ford, we’re happy to share it with her. Even though we’re going to have to say goodbye to her this week, she’ll always live very large in our memories.

7) Driving around the country seeing the Ford sign everywhere made Chris and I feel like a part of a larger family- we loved that.

8 ) Chris’s mother has an extensive history with Ford.

9) My father, who was the student body president of Fresno State, was given a Mustang fastback during his presidency.

10) My first truck was a Ford Ranger- a vehicle that is infamous to anyone who ever drove with me in high school. My brother, who was one of my best friends growing up, always had Mustangs.

11) My grandfather Bud loves the entire country in his Ford truck

You can view their blog entries at Ford on Blogs by clicking here, or go to www.weddingroadtrip.com to read their entire blog.

You can also jump to the previous Wedding Road Trip stories on the Ford Story by clicking the links below:

Wedlock in a Fusion

Introducing Roxy, Part of the Wedding Road Trip Blog

The Wedding Road Trip Rolls Through Dearborn and Pays Us a Visit

Wedding Road Trip Exposes the Downside of an American Road Trip

Ford Fusion as a Wedding Utensil

Officially, the wedding road trip was a pre-wedding road trip around the country to see friends and family prior to signing a marriage certificate. The trip focused on learning more about marriage and the commitment therein.