How did the two of you meet?
We went to high school together but didn’t know each other very well, back then. It wasn’t until college that we spent more time together and then we finally started dating about a year after college.
Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
Kendal kept the whole thing a surprise, though he had it planned for months! He knew I loved the sunflower fields just east of Lawrence, KS where we both went to school (KU). They typically bloom in late August and I try to make a trip to see them at least once a year. Well, I hadn’t seen them yet so on September 1, Kendal suggested we go to dinner at our favorite spot and then go see the fields. I got dressed up for dinner and after Kendal got off work we went to dinner at a little diner, Bobo’s. After dinner, we made the drive to the sunflower fields at Grinter Farms around sunset. I was taking pictures when Kendal suggested that we walk through the fields.
…and all I remember him saying was, “Will you grow old with me?”
We trekked to the top of a sunflower covered hill where the sunflowers grew well over my head. Once Kendal was a little further ahead of me at an open spot where we could both stand, I turned around from taking pictures as I heard Kendal breathing heavy. He was down on one knee, stuttering, my heart was beating fast, and all I remember him saying was “Will you grow old with me?”. I was a blabbering mess, in complete shock, and even called him a butthead a few too many times! It was an easy “yes!”. The sunflower fields are such a special place to me, and now I have another amazing memory of sharing them with Kendal for the first time as we agreed to share the rest of our lives together.
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
I haven’t been the most excited about wedding planning. I would honestly say that working on the wedding website with Joy has been the most fun and the least stressful part of planning!
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
I have been taking my time. We have been engaged for almost 10 months and I have taken that entire time to really enjoy being engaged, share the news and excitement with friends, and plan slowly as we go! I have also relied on the help of amazing bridesmaids, friends, and family to help with calls, emails, and decision making.
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
It is so simple to use! I also love the design of the site, the details you can provide to wedding guests, the little love tidbits are fun to answer, and the customizability is great. It makes me feel like we have a unique wedding website that is user-friendly and fun!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
I would say to check in with it regularly. Creating the website was actually one of the very first things I did after we got engaged and I have been able to make changes as we go. It seems like every time I log in, there are new things I didn’t know about that I can utilize that actually help me keep wedding plans, organized!
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
I love this saying! To me, it means that it’s not really about the wedding. It’s not about the months and hours of planning, it’s not about the things that go wrong or the things that go right, it’s not even about the food (that you probably won’t have enough time to eat!). It’s about the memories, adventures and stories you create on that day that you can share forever. Most importantly, it’s about every single day after our wedding day that I get to share with Kendal as my husband. Through all the stress of the wedding, I know that the next morning I’m going to wake up with my best friend by my side, and just feel pure joy and happiness. I can’t wait for that moment!
