This past Friday, April 20, Frank Solivan and Jillian Lea were married in a spontaneous ceremony officiated by David McLaughlin at his bed and breakfast in Winchester, VA.
Frank tells us that the couple had been discussing marriage for some time, and had even picked a date, but decided last week to go ahead and do it now. They are headed to Cuba for a brief honeymoon trip, and have an Italian vacation planned together in the near future.
Solivan, of course, is mandolinist, lead vocalist, and bandleader of Dirty Kitchen, while Jillian grew up in the classical music world. After studying flute in college, her passion has switched to penny whistle in Celtic music, though she and Frank perform together these days with her on bass.
The two first met when Jillian was running the Cornstalk Festival in Pennsylvania. But Frank said they sparked when they met up again after several years.
“We hit it off quickly in 2019, and spent the pandemic together. She learned grass, I learned Celtic.”
They make their home in Stafford, VA, where they share the raising of Jillian’s two teenaged daughters. She has one older child, 21 years of age.
Congratulations, Frank and Jillian!
