The Meeting
Miken and Daniel first met at a bar in Oak Lawn on April 26, 2012. They had a mutual friend introduce them and after a night of talking, Miken gave Dan her number over Facebook messenger the very next day.
The Moment
We knew pretty quickly and early on that we were meant to be together and that marriage was our next big step. We have gone through a lot together over the past 8 years and we have been each other’s comfort, support, and strength through the good and bad times.
The Love
We are unsure of who said I love you first, which is fine because we know and feel the love that we have for one another every single day. It is effortless and continues to grow stronger each day.
The Proposal
Dan planned a snowboarding trip for the two of them and some friends. Dan figured out every detail of when and how he was going to propose—in the middle of the north woods in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on New Year’s Eve, while we were both on snowmobiles.
Things changed quickly when Dan received a phone call from Miken one night (about a week before their snowmobile trip), frantically explaining what happened. She had fallen on ice outside of work and landed on her wrist. Dan met Miken at the emergency room, where they quickly learned after a few x-rays, that Miken had broken her LEFT WRIST (yes, the one the engagement ring goes on) and would need SURGERY (yes, the surgery was going to happen right away and right before the proposal).
Dan was in complete shock, panicking, and called his father and Miken’s mom to explain and figure out what to do. Luckily, Dan was quick to figure out another proposal plan that would be just as wonderful and perfect as the first plan. After Miken’s wrist surgery, they made the trip with a few friends to Michigan to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
When the day finally arrived, our friends drove us to a scenic overlook in Eagle Harbor, Michigan where a beautiful landscape of snow and an icy lake was our background. Dan and I walked up to a pier that overlooked Lake Michigan and he got down on one knee. My left hand and fingers were extremely swollen and bruised from the surgery, but the ring managed to fit, and I said YES! It could not have been a more perfect and beautiful proposal, one that we continue to talk about to this day. While I did not make this proposal easy on Dan, it ended up proving that we can withstand anything and at the end of the day, love conquers all and we would not have wanted it any other way!
The Wedding Day
The best part of the day was seeing Dan’s reaction to Miken walking down the aisle during the ceremony and, of course, our reception with our amazing family and friends.
The Venue
The Haight was everything we could have imagined or wanted for our wedding. It had a very cool and warm vibe, with a very eclectic and antique feel as well. We searched many different venues, but The Haight is the one that stuck with us. The staff was so kind and welcoming from day one and made sure the planning and wedding day were perfect. They spoke with our vendors, checked in with us weekly, asked the right questions, guided our planning, and made sure we had all that we needed and wanted for our big day. The Haight is the total package for any bride and groom! Our wedding guests still talk about our wedding and the venue to this day. We have had many say we had the coolest venue they had ever seen!
The Attire
I got my dress from a bridal boutique in Sarasota, Florida called Calvet Couture. It is the West Gown by Hayley Paige.
The Marriage
Not much has changed for us! We had already been together for 5 years prior to being engaged and had also already lived together during that time. We are still adjusting to calling each other ‘husband and wife’ when out in public! 😉 Such a surreal feeling to be able to say that now!
The Advice
DO NOT STRESS!!! At the end of the day, it will all work out. It always does. People will not remember the little things that may go wrong or the little things brides stress about. All that matters is that it is your day and to enjoy every single moment of it.
The Shoutouts
The vendors are the reason our day went as perfectly and seamless as it did! We can’t thank them enough!