A Love Story to Remember: From High School Sweethearts to a Dream Wedding

Brie and Brock’s love story began at a high school homecoming dance and led to a stunning garden-themed wedding filled with heartfelt details. The bride wore a breathtaking Daalarna dress, featuring intricate floral lace and a flattering silhouette, making her feel truly unique on her special day. From the romantic proposal on Mackinac Island to the joy of celebrating with family and friends, their journey to “I do” was nothing short of magical. Read on to find inspiration for your own perfect day!

How did you meet?

My husband, Brock, and I are high school sweethearts! We went to a homecoming dance together one year and never looked back. Six years later we are married and ready to take on all of life’s adventures together. 

How was the proposal?

We got engaged on Mackinac Island, one of our favorite Michigan Summer destinations. We planned a small trip with both of our families and spent the whole day exploring and biking around the island together. Little did I know our two families were about to become one! Towards the end of the day we entered the beautiful “Secret Garden” and that’s when the proposal happened. As both of our families surrounded us with their cameras ready, Brock led me to a little bridge in the middle of the flowers, got down on one knee, and asked me to be his wife! It was truly picture perfect, a day and a moment I will never forget.

What was the concept of your wedding, what kind of day did you imagine for yourselves?

The concept of our wedding was a mix between garden party and romantic. We imagined a day filled with love and very little stress and that’s exactly what we got. We are so blessed to have had such a great group of friends and family so many hands on deck to help make our day perfect and that’s the exact kind of day we got. 

How did you organize the wedding, how long did it take?

It took about a year to get everything planned. I am so blessed to have had such a great group of friends and family to help me along the way. It was all hands on deck to bring all of my ideas to life, I couldn’t have done it without them!

How did you choose the venue?

During wedding planning I had made a lot of appointments to tour venues. The first venue I toured was The Holly Vault in Holly, Michigan. Within the venue we looked at “The Nova Room” and “The Pavilion”. I immediately fell in love with the venue and couldn’t imagine having my wedding anywhere else. I loved it so much that I actually cancelled all the other tours I had planned! 

What were your dreams for the decor, invitations and graphics?

My vision was to have light pastel colors with light blue as the main accent and touches of gold. My favorite part of the decor was the cross we stood in front of during the ceremony. It was hand made by my father and the florals were done by Willow Tree Farms – it was the perfect focal point for the ceremony. Our invitations, table numbers, and seating chart all had gold elements to them which added elegance. We also had a gold vintage mirror with hand drawn calligraphy welcoming guests into the wedding. All the decorations and stationary turned out exactly how I dreamed they would. 

What was your catering concept, what kind of food did you choose for your guests? And the cakes + wedding cake?

My goal for choosing food was to be as inclusive as possible. I tried to consider dietary restrictions and meals that most people would enjoy. Our main dishes were chicken pesto and vegetarian stuffed peppers. Our sides were macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, spring salad, and mixed veggies. We went with cupcakes for our dessert. Cupcakes are easy to grab and eat and avoided the hassle of cutting and serving a cake. There was an enormous array of flavor options to cater to all of our guests. My husband and I had our own cake that we used for cake cutting photos.

What did you choose this particular Daalarna wedding dress? What are your experiences with the dress fittings?

I chose the dress Rhapsody 161. Once I tried it on I knew it was the one. The detail in the floral lace was so beautiful and intricate, it felt very unique. The shape of the dress fit me just the way I wanted with an open back that was very flattering.

I bought my dress at Ivory Loft Bridal in Fenton, Michigan. My experience there was so enjoyable it ended up being the only dress shop I went to. I was never overwhelmed or stressed when trying to find a dress. I customized the front of the dress to be lined so it was only sheer in the shoulders down to the back. Daalarna customized the dress perfectly to what I was wanting! My dress fittings all went very smoothly and required little alteration.

What did your guests and husband think of the dress?

I got so many compliments from guests about my dress. Many people said that it fit me and my personality perfectly!

My husband saw my dress for the first time when I walked down the aisle. The tears I saw in his eyes is a moment I will never forget. He loved the dress so much and said it exceeded every expectation he had.

Can you tell us a bit about the other details of your look (make-up, hairstyle, accessories, etc.)

My makeup was very natural with pinks and shimmer. My hair had loose curls with twists that connected in the back. It was important for me to have that style in the back so my veil would fit snug with no risk of falling out. Pearl was my accent for accessories. I had a pearl cathedral length veil which inspired me to make pearl a theme throughout the wedding. My bridesmaids and I all had pearl earrings and necklaces. There were elements of pearls in the decorations as well. 

If you had to describe your wedding in 5 words, how was it?

Beautiful, funny, memorable, lovely, energetic

What were your most memorable moments and best experiences?

The weather radar had been showing rain for most of my wedding. I was super nervous about this because my cocktail hour was outside along with our photos. What made this memorable is that right when the ceremony was about to start, the rain completely stopped. We only had a couple sprinkles toward the end of the night which made a clear umbrella the perfect prop in our photos. 

How was the music? How long did the party last? Did you have an opening dance

Our reception had lots of fun energy and I owe it to our talented DJ. He took all of our song requests and added classics that made it a reception that I still get compliments about! My husband and I opened our reception with a dance to “Simply the Best”, a song we’ve loved throughout our entire relationship. My favorite dance was our generation dance that ended with the oldest married couple at 55 years married! 

What were you most excited about before the wedding?

I was most excited to finally be married to the love of my life and be able to start our lives together. I also was so excited to see all of my loved ones gathered in one place.

Were there any bad memories or details you would change afterwards?

Everything went smoothly and was exactly as I imagined. The only thing I would change would be the length of the first dance and parent dances. They were a bit long, so as an introvert it was out of my comfort zone to have eyes on me for that long. I still cherish those dances and looking back it’s such a minor detail that did not take away from the big day.  

Do you feel anything has changed since you became husband and wife?

I think a lot has changed since becoming husband and wife, and it has all been positive changes. We moved in with each other for the first time right after we got married which came with lots of adjustments.

We continue to grow together and learn more about each other every day. I couldn’t ask for a better supporter than my wonderful husband.

Photography: Anya Elizabeth Photography, Florals: Willow Tree Farms, DJ: Forella Events, Venue: The Holly Vault, Bridal Shop: Ivory Loft Bridal, Hair & Makeup: Tiffany’s Hair Artistry, Tux: Brighton Tux Shop, Desserts: Cupcakes and Kisses.

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