A day to celebrate

Oct 17

Love stories are our favorites. Each one is special and unique and meaningful and beautiful.

But this one we’re about to share, this one is extra special. This one brought us to tears. This one was the honor of a lifetime to be even a very small part of.

Mike was a new coach at Stockton and Sarah was the new athletic trainer.

He introduced himself to her at a football game so cold that she was so bundled up that all he could see of her were her eyes. Despite the cold, she said she was instantly drawn to his outgoing personality.

Sarah soon found out Mike was the head basketball coach and during the Stockton home tournament, they got to talking. By the end of the week, they had planned their first date, and the rest, as the saying goes, was history.

While Sarah was finishing her doctorate degree in physical therapy, she had to travel for clinical rotations. While a long-distance relationship wasn’t their first choice, they made it work. Sarah said Mike drove far and wide to make sure they never went too long without seeing each other. She reports he drove to visit her five weekends in Kentucky, three weekend in Mississippi, and every weekend she was in Missouri or Arkansas. She says without him, she’s not sure she would have survived the hard weeks.

During her time in Mississippi, Mike drove eight hours to Tupelo, MS to see her, then on this particular weekend, picked her up and drove another 45 minutes to a state park. After walking around and exploring the state park, they found themselves on a dock overlooking a crystal clear lake. The view, they report, was gorgeous, and it was there that Mike got down on one knee and asked Sarah to marry him.

“I knew Mike was the one, because he not only strives to be the best version of himself, he encourages the best out of me,” Sarah said. “Mike believes in me and encourages me to reach for my dreams. We are able to reach our goals together. Mike always prays for us each night before we hang up the phone. He strives to always treat me well and never withholds positivity and love.”

With a wedding on the horizon, the planning began, starting with a venue.

“Shadow Rock was simple and beautiful,” Sarah said. “It met our desire to have a stress-free, yet gorgeous wedding. Shadow Rock has a lot of fun opportunities, and I love that they offer outside games and have firepits. The outdoor space is so fun!”

The couple toured the venue in February and booked for a Friday in May. With just three months before the wedding day, planning quickly began.

With the big day just around the corner, Sarah said she was most looking forward to, “Seeing each other for the first time! And, also, finally being married and getting to start our life with each other! We are also excited to celebrate with the people we love the most.”

However, not everyone they loved most made it to the wedding to celebrate with them.

Just five days before the wedding, Sarah’s mom finished her battle with cancer and was fully healed as she passed into heaven.

Getting the message from Sarah brought us to tears as we knew it wasn’t the wedding week she had been hoping for. Instead of a week of preparation and excitement, she was facing her mom’s celebration of life just two days before her wedding.

Our hearts broke for her and Mike, and the whole family.

But despite the intense emotions from the week, the venue was full of joy and celebrating when the wedding party arrived. Family and friends pulled together to celebrate in the most beautiful way, knowing Sarah’s mom would have wanted the joyous event to be fully celebrated.

Sarah’s bridesmaids had happy music playing wherever they went, keeping the mood light, and the ambiance was fun and sweet as the little group stopped for random dance parties and filled the air with laughter.

Blush and navy were perfect colors for the spring wedding, and everything was absolutely beautiful as they filled the venue with fresh florals.

A table of remembrance was set up in the foyer with photos of Sarah’s mom, and filled with flowers from the funeral. It was a beautiful way to honor her mom and the deep grief, while keeping her part of one of the most important days of Sarah’s life.

After a touching ceremony and a reception filled with dancing and fun, the group settled out in the back entertaining space, playing outdoor games and gathered around the firepits.

From start to finish it was a lovely day to celebrate an absolutely lovely couple.

Having pulled off such a beautiful day in just three months under difficult circumstances, we asked if they had any wedding advice for future couples.

“Don't stress,” Sarah said. “A wedding is about so much more than the decorations, food, dress, etc. A wedding is about the fact that you finally get to marry your favorite person in the whole world. You are about to start a new chapter of your life, a chapter that will last so much longer than a wedding. If your relationship with your S.O. and with God are all in line, then everything else will fall into place! Enjoy the process!”

And when asked what relational advice they would give other couples, Sarah said, “Center your relationship around Christ. Get into the routine of going to church with one another, praying with one another, and pointing each other to Jesus. Trials and tribulations will come your way, it is inevitable. But, when you rely on God, He is able to help guide you through it all.”

While those words were written prior to the events of their wedding week, watching Mike and Sarah on their wedding day made it clear that their solid foundation was much more than just words. Their faith was real and steadfast, helping them through the complexities of simultaneous grief and joy, love and loss.

It’s moments like that, stories like theirs, that remind us just how truly beautiful life and love and marriage really is. And it was an indescribable honor to be allowed to host their celebration as they started their lifetime together.