How did you meet?
We met in high school, my sophomore year, his junior year. He slid in my DMs, and we set up a date to go on a picnic at the park. We clicked instantly, and stayed at the park for hours talking until the sun set.
When did you become engaged, and how?
We got engaged in 2022 on the beach in Maui. We traveled to Maui for my birthday, and my fiance’s birthday gift to me was a photo shoot on the beach. He helped me pick out a beautiful white floral dress to wear for the photo shoot. During the photo shoot our photographer had me turn around and walk away from my fiance. She instructed me to turn and run towards him when she said go. When I turned around, my fiancé was down on one knee with the most beautiful ring. After he proposed, we got to spend the rest of the time taking pictures together newly engaged (with the biggest gleaming smiles on our faces), and playing in the ocean.
Our main goals of the day were that we spent as much time together as possible, that we got to see all our guests, and that our wedding was fun. Once we said “I do,” we did not leave each others sides the rest of the night. While planning the wedding day timeline, I scheduled in time to ensure we got to join cocktail hour, and go around to each table during dinner. To keep the energy up and get people dancing, we got party props for the dance floor and had everyone dancing all night long!
#WeddingGoals
Our main goals of the day were that we spent as much time together as possible, that we got to see all our guests, and that our wedding was fun. Once we said “I do,” we did not leave each others sides the rest of the night. While planning the wedding day timeline, I scheduled in time to ensure we got to join cocktail hour, and go around to each table during dinner. To keep the energy up and get people dancing, we got party props for the dance floor and had everyone dancing all night long!
How did planning go? Favorite time? Worst moment?
There were parts of planning that I really enjoyed, and things that were difficult. I loved creating the signage and personal details for the wedding, and coming up with creative ideas that were special to us and our families. I loved going to our venue and meeting with vendors with my fiancé, because each meeting felt one step closer to the big day. The worst moment was feeling pressured by others to make certain decisions for the wedding—ultimately my fiancé and I made decisions that were best for us, but the outside pressure definitely made things more difficult.
What was the biggest challenge of wedding planning?
The biggest challenge of wedding planning was not knowing how to ask people for help. I had a hard time making so many decisions for the wedding, because I was always worried I was going to mess something up or make the wrong choice. The best thing to help me overcome that was to stay as organized as possible.
#CeremonyGoals
Our ceremony was special to us because my mom officiated the wedding. Since weddings typically give the father of the bride more specific roles like walking the bride down the aisle and the father/daughter dance, it was really special to have my mom with us during the ceremony. My mom shared our love story, we read our personal vows to each other, and our photographer captured our perfect first kiss. It was the perfect balance of love, tears, and laughter.
Any funny or unexpected wedding moments that happened throughout the day?
Yes! Our venue has a space called the Bird’s Nest, and right after the ceremony couples typically go there to have a few moments together before starting photos. After walking back down the aisle, we immediately went up to the Bird’s Nest. Our caterers brought us Hors d’oeuvres (tri tipand drinks from cocktail hour. I immediately dropped the whole plate of food onto my dress and got BBQ sauce on my wedding dress, before we even took any photos! Luckily we had baby wipes, and all the BBQ sauce made it off the dress.
What was the best part of your day?
Shelby: Our first dance. We entered the reception area and were introduced as husband and wife for the first time, and went right into our dance. I loved being surrounded by all the people we love and care about, and seeing the joy on their faces for us. We choreographed our dance, and it felt so natural, effortless, and fun.
Jacob: Watching my bride walk down the aisle was my favorite part of the day. I spent months thinking about what her dress would look like and how beautiful she would look walking down the aisle. As soon as I heard the song change for her to start walking, I immediately started crying. Our aisle was longer than the traditional aisle, so she had more time to walk while we soaked in the moment.
What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
After the garter/bouquet toss, both bridal parties changed into party outfits that more reflected our personalities. I changed into a short fringe sparkly dress with bedazzled AirForce1 sneakers, and all the groomsmen changed into matching jerseys with our wedding date on the back.
Looking back, what do you think your guests will remember most about your wedding?
How many things we did to keep them entertained throughout the night. During cocktail hour, we had crossword puzzles with facts about us, and it got all our guests talking and mingling! I also had my first grade students write wedding advice, and I had that around for people to read. Throughout the night, our guests told me how funny the student advice was, and they kept trying to get all the crossword answers from us!
What tips or advice would you give to couples planning their wedding today?
Plan the wedding of your dreams, and make decisions that make you happy. You are never going to please everyone regardless of how hard you try, so just focus on the things you want.
