Wedding Date on Apr 21, 2018

Q: Tell us about the wedding A: We got married this past April on a beautiful Spring Michigan day in the little city we've made our home. We bought our house a few years ago and it seemed fitting to get married in our new hometown. We chose the historic Hope Chapel that was built in the late 1800s and Cherry Creek for our reception. We had golfed there many times as a couple and it was actually where we had one of our first dates. We wanted a smaller wedding with only the most important family and friends there and we wanted more than anything for the day to feel like us. Only our siblings and lifelong friends stood up next to us. We wanted everything to be elegant, but very welcoming and feel personal. My childhood friend who is now a minister married us. My hope is that we'll look back on our day in 50 years and it will feel just as beautiful then. I wanted a more traditional look with lighter colors, neutrals, and a classic lace dress and the guys in formal black tuxes. We went with roses, peonies, and eucalyptus that made it feel like spring. My bouquet was wrapped in the satin from my grandmother's wedding dress - she unfortunately passed just a few months before the wedding. We also used fabric from her dress to make a ring pouch for our rings. I wore the earrings I had on when we got engaged and carried the clutch of one of my bridesmaids from her wedding day that I also stood up in. I tried hard to find meaning in everything we selected. We gave chocolate boxes as favors that were handmade from my husband's hometown in Northern Michigan. We handmade our invitations. Everything we did, we tried to make personal. We wanted everyone to have fun! We consider our very first date to have taken place at Cedar Point, so it seemed fitting to have our late night snack be filled with amusement park treats - funnel cakes, hot pretzels, nachos, popcorn, and candy. We honestly look back on our wedding day as the best day ever and nearly a year later we still feel so incredibly blessed that friends and family came from all over the country to spend our day with us. Q: How did you two meet? A: We met at work. :) I usually say our story is a lot like Jim and Pam's from The Office. We were absolutely best friends first and then we fell in love. When we finally had our first date, I told him we were going to get married. Q: How did Jason propose? A: He proposed in NYC right before Christmas in 2016. We went for a quick getaway before the holidays to see New York all dressed up for Christmas. He proposed in a quiet little plaza on 6th Avenue underneath thousands of little Christmas lights. It was just us, just us two, and it was perfect. I cried for a long time. http://breannerochellephotography.com/2017/12/20/one-year-later-nyc-engagement-story/ Q: What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning? A: We wanted it to beautiful, but really just to feel like us. Our guests told us for weeks after the wedding that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. They said everything felt so personal, intimate, relaxed, and fun - which is exactly what we hoped for. Plus the food was so good! We truly just couldn't wait to be married. I wanted a classic, elegant, timeless wedding with a personal touch on everything we did or chose. Q: What was your favorite moment? A: It's hard to pick just one. When both sets of our parents stood up and prayed with us and for our marriage, that was truly an incredible moment I'll never forget. I'll also never forget our first look. That was so special. And when we pulled up to the chapel in our vintage 1949 Packard vehicle, I cried. I was so excited to see people walking up to the chapel and I just couldn't believe everyone was there to witness our wedding. I was marrying my soulmate and I was and still am so honored we chose each other. I loved dancing with Jason's grandpa and when my dad and I called my mom out to join us for our father/daughter dance. My mom is so important to me, it seemed fitting that the three of us danced together - they're my world. Q: What unique elements or DIY details did you include? A: Some in first section - we just incorporated a lot of things that had meaning. We made our invitation suite, a ring pouch from my grandmother's wedding dress, wrapped my bouquet in her dress, etc. Describe your wedding day in your own words The day I married my best friend and soulmate, surrounded by the people who love us most. The perfect celebration to begin our long life as husband and wife. Q: What is one piece of advice to brides-to-be? A: The details are just details. I tell all my brides this, but it's so important to just let everything go on your wedding day. You can plan everything as best as you can leading up to the wedding, but after that, just let it fly. I was so incredibly relaxed all day long because none of the "stuff" actually mattered. I was also lucky to have an amazing team of friendors who took great care of us and made sure everything went flawlessly. But at the end of the day, all that mattered was that we were getting married and I would become his wife.