We’d like to say we don’t have favorite weddings but when Bryson is the best man and Kelly’s a bridesmaid, it’s hard to deny! Joel and Bryson have been great friends for years, so when Joel told Bryson he planned
to propose to Tiffany, there was no question of whether or not we’d be there. From the lakeside proposal to the luminous send-off of the newlyweds, we were excitedly there to document the whole thing!
Boy did our team pull out the stops to make the February wedding glow!
“I felt really taken care of,” Tiffany said about her experience with us—and we believe every bride should feel that way! In this rose-gold event, our glittering bride absolutely took our breath away as she made her way
to the altar to avow herself to her adoring groom. This ceremony was a
wonderful testament to the beauty that can grow out of faith, patience and
friendship.
Their Story
These two met in 2014 and established a friendship but neither of them felt the desire for anything more. Despite constant teasing and prompting from their friends who noticed their obvious chemistry, they just didn’t see each other romantically… at first, that is. Joel says he prayed about their relationship because he couldn’t help but feel like there was something there. “I was in church one day and she was singing on stage and it just hit me! I saw her in a completely different light.” He quickly decided to pursue but her ‘yes’ didn’t come as quickly as his own and over the next few years, he asked Tiffany out four separate times and was continually turned down.
However, like many classic romances, it wasn’t time until it was time!
“We were hanging out one day with some friends and there was just a spark,” Tiffany says, “It was weird. I talked to some friends about it. Joel had just gotten out of a relationship so I definitely wasn’t going to do anything about it.” She decided after a few months of mulling it over that it wasn’t going to happen. They were just friends and would remain as such…
That is, until Joel decided to give it one more shot! They were acting together in a dinner theater production at their church when he found himself still unable to deny their on-stage, and off-stage, chemistry. Joel was driving Tiffany home one day after a theater meeting and unbeknownst to her, he was internally wrestling with whether to say something.
“A mile from her house I opened my mouth and I can’t even remember what I said, but it felt like something unlocked. I get her home and she’s like, ‘I don’t know how to respond to that so I’m not going to,’ and I just thought ‘Crap.’” Joel assured her she could take her time to think and pray. This was the freedom Tiffany needed to really give it a chance in her mind and heart.
What they now laughingly refer to as their ‘intentional friend outing’ eventually became recognized as their first date. “We ate tacos and had drinks, and it was just…really great,” Joel says with a smile in his voice. Tiffany recalls this as a turning point in their relationship, but ultimately doesn’t have an exact moment where everything came together,
“I had to make peace with not having ‘aha!’ moments,” she says, “It wasn’t quick and magical, it was slow and it grew organically. It’s beautiful now but it really was a gentle process. It taught me that marriage isn’t a destination—you continue to grow in love for each other long after the wedding vows are said.”
“It taught me that marriage isn’t a destination—you continue to grow in love for each other long after the wedding vows are said.”
We were honored to be a part of their wedding day at the gorgeous Chickadee Hill Farms; it really is such and magical place! We also can’t express how excited we were to witness the culmination of the love story that most of us on the MMS team watched unfold over the years. Including Tiffany’s brother, Christian – our lead Magnolia Creative photographer! We asked her what she thinks of when she looks back on her wedding day and without hesitation she described the support of her family and friends, “Everyone did so much. It felt great to know I had people in my corner,” She adds, “I felt so much joy. Even with the imperfections I’d go back and live the day over and over if I could.”
The best part is: she totally can! These two came back from their honeymoon and went right into Covid-19 quarantine and we are so glad they are able to relive their beautiful wedding day together through their heirloom album! Let’s be real, quarantine was a mixed bag for all of us, but what better time to be stuck at home with your spouse than right after your wedding!
“The time that we’ve been able to spend together because of Covid has been so good,” Joel told us, “She’s absolutely my best friend. We have so much fun just goofing around. We banter a lot. It drives her insane sometimes. We feel very blessed that the Lord was able to bring us together.”
The truth is none of us know quite what we sign up for when we say ‘I do’, but we’ve actually had the privilege of watching Tiffany and Joel grow closer together after the wedding day’s end and what a gift to have been part of it!
