How did the two of you meet?
We met through online dating.
Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
Derek proposed to Jolene on their year and a half anniversary where they had their first kiss in Loring Park. Derek secretly planned for a group of Jolene’s closest friends to dress up as Disney princesses while Derek’s friends covered other important characters (such as Jiminy Cricket and Tinkerbell). After Jolene received a Cinderella dress prepared by Derek, she was escorted to Loring Park. Once there, Jiminy Cricket and Tinkerbell led her on a journey to meet all of the princesses and receive gifts from them, such as Mulan’s lotus hair comb and Ariel’s dinglehopper. Finally, she found Derek, dressed as Prince Charming at the very bench where they first kissed. He proposed to her with a ring inside of a Glass Cinderella Slipper, and she couldn’t help but say yes!
Molly Marko
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
For her, it was finding the venue for the ceremony and reception. It was so exciting to go to various places and hunt down the perfect place to celebrate our marriage. For him, it is planning the theme and decorations for the ceremony and reception. He has always loved decorating and fancy-ing things up for special occasions, as evidenced by the proposal he planned!
Molly Marko
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
We have both tried to stay ahead of schedule with all of the planning, so that we can have as much finished as possible before the wedding is upon us. We would rather stress now than deal with the stress in the weeks leading up to the day that we are supposed to enjoy. Weddings are supposed to be fun! Right?
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
So far, our favorite part has been the ability to customize and prepare a website and app themed with our colors for our guests. So, they are able to enjoy the wedding experience right along with us! We are both looking forward to the updated RSVP feature when the time comes for sending invitations and preparing the final guest list.
Molly Marko
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Put as much information as you are comfortable with on the site, so that you can stay ahead of potential communication issues between you and the guests, especially when it gets closer to the wedding day!
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Even though the wedding day should be joyous, the joys of marriage should continue to grow and build as time goes on. Love and joy ought not to diminish over time. They should grow exponentially, using the wedding day as a springboard to greater heights of dedication and love. Joy is a choice and a gift, one that we both hope to give to each other every day from now until forever.
Molly Marko
