How did you meet?

We met first semester of our freshman year at Westminster. Joe kept creeping into the room next to his when I was in there because I was friends with the guys in that room. He would try to insert himself into our conversations and invite himself to watch movies. He finally mustered up the courage to talk to me one day when I was sitting outside on the steps of one of the dorms and it all escalated from there. Technically, our first date was at a frat house (cringe). I was visiting home that weekend and my friend Alex knew I had a crush on him. I guess she ran into him and they were chatting and he asked about me and if we were going to the party that night. She called me immediately and I left home and drove back to go to the party with him and his group of friends. I drank too much and got kinda sick and he hung out with me the entire time and walked me back to his dorm and we just watched a movie and hung out. Very innocent. Then we went to Primantis in Grove City for our first actual date!

Tell me about the proposal!

Very emotional. It was the 4th of July and Joe asked me to come to his parents’ house in the morning before going back to my mom’s to swim and cook out that night. A few days before, he kept asking if I wanted to go to the cemetery to visit my dad and put a flag out for him for the holiday. Well, that day when we got back to my moms house I put my bathing suit on and cracked a beer and he got upset. Hindsight, I see why haha! He told me he really wanted to go to the cemetery to visit my dad, so I agreed. He drove us there, I literally still had my beer haha and we walked up to his grave and stood there for a minute. He grabbed the beer out of my hand and I was kinda like “what the heck man” and then he dropped down on his knee and told me he knew how important it was that my dad was a part of this and he asked me to marry him. I cried like a baby. But it was absolutely perfect. It was just us and my dad and I couldn’t imagine it being any other way.

What was your favorite part of wedding planning?

The learning curve of it all! I’ve changed my mind a hundred times because early in the process, I was making decisions about things I really knew nothing about. Really getting to know my style and how I envisioned things to be was very fun and exciting. I am a pretty OCD about certain things so I really thought I was going to be a little more structured with it but I’ve really just wanted this day to be about us and I could care less what shoes my bridesmaids are wearing or if they’re wearing their hair up or down. I want everyone to just have an amazing time and not sweat the little stuff.

What inspired your vision for your wedding day? Do you have a theme or color palette? How do you envision your ideal wedding day?

As a couple, we have a pretty mixed style. Vintage, modern, eclectic, a bit of glam, etc. We wanted to have a little bit of everything. In terms of wedding decor, I’ve found myself being drawn to moody colors with pops of gold. We are going with more neutral purples, mauves, wine, berry tone colors accented with gold. Again, the moodier the better.

What is the most anticipated moment of your wedding day? If you could only choose one photo to walk away from your wedding day with, what would it be?

It sounds cliché, but the moment I walk down the isle is my top most exciting moment. It’s like everything we planned and worked for is finally happening and that moment I get to see him I’m just going to be so excited. I would really like to see a picture of his reaction when he sees me walking down the isle. I’m also really anticipating “time of my life” to come on because we have a long running joke with all of our friends that Joe turns into Patrick Swayze at weddings and he often tries to (unsuccessfully) do the lift. I really tried to convince him to do a choreographed dance for the last song of the night, but alas, he refuses. I also really can’t wait for our first dance. It’s like…….we made it, we can finally celebrate and take it all in at that moment.

• Hair Stylist- Studio E Salon
• Make Up Artist- JL Makeup Studio
• Wardrobe – Allure Bridals, One Enchanted Evening, Badgley Mischka, Iron Horse Atelier, Mens Warehouse
• Videographer- Loyalty Entertainment
• Venue- Rustic Acres Farm
• Officiant- Lauren Sauerwein (friend)
• Caterer- JPC Event Group
• Band/DJ- DJ Joseph Costa
• Bakery/Cake/Baked Goods- Love and Cakes
• Stationery and Paper Goods- Minted
• Florist- Community Flower Shop
• Jeweler/Rings- Chapel Hill Jewelry, Jared
• Wedding Planner- Exhale Events
• Wedding Day Transportation- Campbell Bus Lines
• Furniture and Decor Rentals- Vintage Alley Rentals
• Favors- Donation to a fund at Westminster College for students whose parents have passed.
• Calligraphy – Jess Schweitzer from Happy Lil Canvases