Heather Ratcliff and Benjamin Sanders

Heather Ratcliff and Benjamin W. Sanders were married on Saturday, July 8, in a ceremony at the home of the bride’s parents in Newtown.

Mr Sanders is the son of Jack and Sally Sanders of 91 Olmstead Lane, Ridgefield; Ms Ratcliff, who is keeping her name, is the daughter of Keith and Sheila Ratcliff. The groom’s mother, who is a justice of the peace, performed the ceremony, which was followed by an outdoor reception at the Ratcliff home.

In honor of the couple, friends and family contributed funds for the education of the children of Ms Ratcliff¹s friend, Thach Nget, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Ms Ratcliff spent the summer of 2002 in Cambodia as a reporter with The Cambodia Daily.

Ben Sanders graduated from Ridgefield High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Connecticut. A former reporter for The Wilton Bulletin, he is now with the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Washington, D.C.

Heather Ratcliff graduated from Newtown High School and Western Connecticut State University and earned a master’s degree from Columbia University School of Journalism. She worked as a reporter for Ridgefield Press and later held editing positions with Wilton Villager and The Norwalk Hour. She earned a master’s degree in international peace and conflict resolution from American University. She is a writer/editor for The Advocacy Project in Washington.

They are living in Alexandria, Va.