How did the two of you meet?
Chris and I met while working at Schwinn Bicycles in Madison WI. One day Chris had to install some software on my computer and was very adamant about coming to check the “process” of the download. I caught on pretty quickly that he must be interested. He was a bit shy so I gave him my number and permission to reach out. We had our first date within the week and have been together ever since.
How long have you been together?
We have been together for three years as of June!
Jennifer Dederich Photography
Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
Chris proposed on our vacation to Denali National Park in Alaska. We went for a hike and got a bit lost; we ended up hiking up a side of a ridge until we couldn’t go any higher. The view was amazing so we sat down to enjoy it, when he turned to me and said “I guess this is a pretty good place” and reached into his pocket. He got onto one knee and asked me to marry him.
Our wedding is a celebration of our love and that is something that won’t end when the day is over. I plan on celebrating my husband for the rest of our days.
I was so shocked I forgot to say yes, so he had to ask again just to be sure. The best part is when we found our way back down the mountain we realized the ridge we were on was called Mtn. Margaret. Margaret was the name of the woman who helped raise Chris’s mother, so that was pretty special to us.
Jennifer Dederich Photography
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
By far it has been seeing how Chris and I work together. Chris has done so much of the heavy lifting and communication with vendors and I have really taken on the details. I think we are both able to see what our strengths are and how we can complement each other by bringing something unique to the table. If that isn’t a good start, I don’t know what is!
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
A lot of wine… no the biggest help has been having a friend who also got married around the same time, just a bit before me. She has been an excellent resource and soundboard. When I start getting a bit stressed it is helpful to reach out to her or to Chris and reevaluate if the pressure is necessary or if it is something I put on myself because the wedding industry told me I should feel pressured to do something.
How did you hear about Joy?
I heard about Joy through a lot of research on wedding websites. I wanted something free, easy, and beautiful!
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
So far it has been the customization, I love that my website truly looks unique to Chris and my wedding!
Jennifer Dederich Photography
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Ask questions, the Joy team is there to help and if you feel like something could be improved, reach out! The staff is super friendly and responsive.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
For me that means I get to marry my best friend for life. Our wedding is a celebration of our love and that is something that won’t end when the day is over. I plan on celebrating my husband for the rest of our days.
Jennifer Dederich Photography
