Jonathan and Sarah met at work in September 2011. Jonathan worked in accounting and Sarah worked in the events department. While they didn’t often cross paths, they noticed each other and started spending more time at work happy hours to get to know each other better. In January 2013, Jonathan asked Sarah out on their first date. The rest, as they say, is history!
Give us the details! When? Where? How?
We had talked a lot about the timing of when we would get engaged so I knew it would be the spring/summer of 2016 and that year there were plenty of opportunities since we were traveling to Nashville, London, Edinburgh and throughout Ireland together on various trips. We also had a trip planned with my parents up to our summer cottage in 1000 Islands, which is where I grew up spending summers. Jon waited until we were up there with my family.
But after your wedding day is when the rest of your life together begins because you’ve vowed to be together and that’s joy!
He took me out on the boat for a cruise around the islands and brought our tri-pod to take some pictures on the water. While we were posing for pictures he got down on one knee and proposed! He kept clicking the camera so he captured the whole thing on film. When we got back to the house we celebrated with my parents and had dinner at our club that evening. It was the perfect proposal to the perfect man in my favorite place on earth!
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What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
Getting our pictures back from the engagement shoot was amazing. If you are on the fence about doing an engagement shoot – jump over that fence and do it! My fiancé is not normally one to jump in front of the camera but at the engagement shoot he was a star. It really was an opportunity for us to spend time together, have some fun and experience the lighter side of planning. I can’t wait until the big day to take professional pictures with him again!
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
I’m an event planner by trade so I’m used to it! Working under pressure and with deadlines is something I face every day. That said – while I seem to be easily able to make decisions on behalf of my clients, I find planning my own wedding, I am less decisive. Sometimes I need to remember to let go of the little things so I can focus on the big picture.
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What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
I love the tidbits section! It’s such a unique addition to a website that goes beyond the typical story you read. I also love the number of pictures you can incorporate into the site and how each page the picture changes. Also the FAQ section was great because Joy gives you examples of questions you should ask. It’s a really well thought out website! Oh and it has great customer service!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Take advantage of the customer service reps! They respond really quickly and even if you use the chat feature and no one can get back to you immediately they follow up really quickly with email. The customer service is awesome and they definitely help you navigate the back-end!
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy should last forever. What does that mean to you?
Your wedding day is one day, it’s a wonderful day that if you plan right and work with your partner can be a great representation of you as a couple. But after your wedding day is when the rest of your life together begins because you’ve vowed to be together and that’s joy!
meredithsledge.com
