Nicole and Jon had a winter wedding with HORIZONS and not only was the wedding itself incredible, but the couple themselves … well, you’ll just have to keep reading to get a glimpse of their relationship, their big day and their advice to those embarking on a similar adventure.
The Beginning
Tell us your love story!
“Jon proposed to me at sunset on the shore of Lake Michigan in Charlevoix. He set up a picnic of pizza and ice cream and we usually eat super heathy so that was such a treat! Then he asked if I wanted to take some sunset pictures and he set up his camera and just as the sun was setting, he got down on one knee.”
We love to ask couples what they love about each other; it’s so cute to listen as they say such admirable words about each other. But Nicole and Jon took this to a whole new level, sharing paragraphs about their spouse. If this doesn’t give you a hint of how sweet their relationship is, I don’t know what will!
Nicole: “My favorite things about Jon are how compassionate and kind he is. He is so incredibly intelligent but he doesn’t intimidate you with it and is extremely wonderful to learn from and grow with. He has a breathtaking smile which is what caught my eye in the beginning. And he is an amazing musician. I could, and have, listened to him play his guitar and sing for hours at a time.”
Jon: “She is my life, my soul mate… and my guardian angel. She has changed my life in so many ways for the better, that I truly feel I owe my life and happiness to her. I love how she can make me laugh just by being a goofball. I love how she can kick my butt in 1-on-1 basketball and still somehow make me feel like the man of the house. I love how she takes care of me and how she puts my health and happiness before her own. She is selfless and one of the only truly good to the bone people I have met. I love how we grow together and make each other better people. I love that when we disagree on something, we are able to talk it through and end up at a better place than we were before. I love her beautiful smile, her auburn hair, and her thoughtful blue eyes. She is the most beautiful person, inside and out, that I have ever met. I am so lucky and blessed that I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”
The Wedding Preparations
How did you two take on the planning process? Who did most of the planning?
“We loved being able to plan things together and it really surprised me how much Jon wanted to be involved and wanted to have an opinion on things. Usually you hear that the bride did all the planning but it was great being able to share it. My (Nicole’s) mom also helped us out a ton with the planning and it was wonderful getting closer with her through this.”
What drew you to HORIZONS?
“Out of all of the venues that we looked into, HORIZONS had it all. Their catering was amazing, the room was gorgeous, the florist, Petra, was wonderful to work with and did an amazing job on all of our décor. The side bar room was exactly what we wanted for our guests for cocktail hour and the bridal suite and stair case entry into the ballroom was really fun for our bridal party.
But the day would not have been the same without Miranda. She was in constant communication with me, she let us know what she thought would work best if we weren’t sure ourselves, and she is honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met. She truly wanted to make our day perfect and she was a big part of why we decided to go with HORIZONS.”
What was your vision for the wedding?
“We really wanted our wedding style to be beautifully timeless and classic so we tried to stay away from wedding fads that were trendy at the time. We also didn’t go to over the top with it and wanted more candle light with some navy and silver accents being that it was a winter wedding. Petra did an excellent job.”
Did you include any special décor items or traditions?
“We did a remembrance table with pictures of our grandparents and other family members who have passed away. We also did the garter and bouquet toss and all of the typical dances like mother/groom and father/bride but we had our first dance right away after our entrance into the ballroom. It was really nice because all eyes were on us and I feel like at many weddings they do the first dance when everyone is still eating so no one really pays attention to the bride and groom at that point.”
What was the best part of the planning process?
“We had so much fun coming in for the food tasting with Miranda and to pick out our flower arrangements and table settings with Petra and Miranda. They were both so nice and are just experts at what they do. I completely trusted them to make decisions for me in areas where I wasn’t sure what would be best for us and our guests.”
If you could share some advice with another engaged couple, what would you tell them?
“We would tell engaged couples to enjoy the ride and don’t sweat the small stuff. It all will work out for your big day and in the end, the bottom line is you get to marry your best friend and that, to us, was the most important thing.”
The Wedding Day
Looking back on your wedding day, what is one part about it that you loved?
“There were SO many things about that day that we loved. Walking into the room for the first time and seeing all the beautiful flowers and candles, it took my breath away. Also, having Jon get up on stage and play his new guitar I gave him as a wedding gift was awesome!! And the majority of our guests danced the night away with us! Our reception at HORIZONS honestly couldn’t have been more perfect.”
What is one piece of advice you can share about the wedding day?
“Take it all in, it goes so fast and enjoy every last bit of it! Your wedding day is a once in a lifetime event. It is so special and there is so much that goes into planning that big day. We are so thankful to HORIZONS for everything they did for us and for treating us like we were family. We will cherish our wedding day at HORIZONS for the rest of our lives.”
Thank you for answering some questions for us, Nicole and Jon. We wish you all the happiness!
Video by: Jeff Carpenter
Photos by: Amber Henry Photography
Written by: Sarah Cline
