How did the two of you meet?
Elias was on a month-long vacation in the United States with my longtime friend Seth. After road tripping around the West coast, they were finishing off their vacation in my Michigan hometown. We met at a lakeside bonfire on a warm August night at Seth’s house three days before he would fly home. We spent those last days together and once he left, we talked daily. In October I visited him in Oslo, where he was living and playing basketball at the time. He flew back to Michigan to celebrate Christmas with my family and in April, I moved to Oslo!
Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
After living together in Sweden for three years, I traveled back to Northern Michigan to work for the summer while Elias stayed to work in Uppsala. In the beginning of August Elias made a surprise trip to Michigan. After spending time with my family for a few days he took me to Lake Superior and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, as a belated birthday present. We had taken a golden hour boat tour along the artfully mineral-stained shoreline and stopped to get pasties and a bottle of bubbles before heading to Miners Beach for a sunset picnic.
“It could not have been more perfect! I was overwhelmed with love and happiness.”
Elias headed down the beach to find a good spot while I grabbed the backpack and the bubbles. When I got to the beach I saw Elias combing through the sand picking up the components of our picnic dinner; napkins, pasties in parchment paper, ketchup packets, plastic ramekins of coleslaw, sour cream, half a paper bag. Poor guy couldn’t catch a break. We laid out our towel, buried our feet in the sand, and opened the bubbles. The sun started to set and Elias told me how much he loves me and how his anxiety about tonight’s picnic was rooted in more than just his lifelong flying-insect phobia of the flies on the beach. He then pulled a ring from his backpack, went from sitting to kneeling, and asked me to marry him. It could not have been more perfect! I was overwhelmed with love and happiness. I was giddy, laughing, and then ugly-crying and repeating a combination of “yes” and “are you sure?” more times than necessary. We then enjoyed our pasties and prosecco and went skinny-dipping in Lake Superior which was the warmest it had been in twenty years!
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
Everyone has been so excited and helpful ever since the engagement. It is wonderful to know that we have such a great team of friends and family to share the love and joy of our wedding day with.
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
I remember the wise words of Meg Keene at A Practical Wedding, “I will not remember what our wedding looked like; I will remember what it felt like.”
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
It’s so nice to have everything in one spot, and the support team has been super helpful!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Use Joy to keep your guests informed and encourage them to share their moments from your wedding, in the app!
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Two things remain after the carefully chosen flowers have wilted and the top tier of your wedding cake has taken up residence in your freezer. The unwavering love you share with your partner and knowing the foundation you’ve built will sustain you through times of both hardship and happiness is pure joy.
