Wedding Date: April 12th 2025

Sara and Joe’s story starts long before Grand View Lodge. Back in high school, their wrestling teams merged, Sara was the team manager, Joe was on the roster. It was one of those early connections that didn’t mean much at the time, but stayed tucked away in the background until it circled back years later.

During Sara’s first year of law school, they reconnected. One date led to another, a summer unfolded, and somewhere between long drives, airports, and a few awkward side hugs, it became clear this was something real. Years later, on Sara’s birthday, she followed a scavenger hunt planned by her sister and Joe’s best friend that ended in a Japanese garden. Joe was there, ring in hand.

They chose Grand View Lodge, a place that somehow manages to feel both celebratory and peaceful all at once. The morning unfolded in two cabins on the property. Joe was surrounded by family and friends, swapping stories, laughing, keeping things light. Sara and her bridesmaids were in matching pajamas, passing around mimosas and celebrating. Sara’s mom helped her into her dress, a quiet pause before the rest of the day picked up. Her bouquet included a charm with a photo of her grandparents, and tucked into the folds were a few pieces from home.

Sara and Joe wrote each other notes that morning and exchanged them before the first look. It was a way to say what needed to be said without the nerves of an audience. The moment when Joe turned and saw her was one I won’t forget. He was completely still, eyes locked on Sara, holding his breath.

Guests began arriving, and Sara and Joe stepped away to breathe before the ceremony. They got married outside near the lake, just as the light began to shift. Their dogs walked down the aisle first. Then Sara appeared at the top of the staircase, and Joe’s face said everything. The ceremony included a few personal touches, vows, laughter, and the kind of quiet glances you only share with the person who really knows you. Joe, who’d joked earlier about probably tearing up, definitely did.

After the ceremony, they stepped away from the crowd for a bit with their wedding party and wandered down toward the beach. The sky was soft and a little hazy, the kind of light that makes everything feel suspended. Even as a few clouds rolled in, no one seemed to mind.

Back inside, the reception kicked off with a warm welcome and toasts from both families. There were stories, laughter, and a few misty eyes. Sara and Joe cut the cake, and then shared one of the most intimate moments of the evening, Joe washing Sara’s feet. It was simple, quiet, and full of love.

As the dance floor opened, the energy shifted into full celebration mode. Everyone got up. Everyone danced. It was one of those crowds that just says yes to the moment.

Before the night wrapped, Sara and Joe slipped away for an evening stroll around the grounds. The lodge had quieted again, the sky was starting to dim, and everything felt still. It was the kind of ending that doesn’t need a big sendoff. Just two people, a long walk back, and the beginning of everything else.

Vendors: Grand View Lodge (venue and catering), Simply Elegant Group (wedding planner), Celebrations (florist), Beautiful Day DJs (lighting and dj), Captivating Beauty (hair and makeup), Dear George Studio (stationery)