Dana & Ben

Ben and Dana briefly met back in 2018 when they were both at a mutual friend’s birthday. They went their separate ways after meeting and maybe only said a few words to each other that night. They didn’t cross paths again until 2 years later. In 2020, they matched on a dating app (thank you Hinge app!) and Dana remembers seeing his profile and thinking “Wait… I know him!” A few days later they went on a first date and had so much fun getting to know each other. The conversation flowed, and they chatted until the restaurant closed! After that first date, they went on a couple more dates that same week! They are both teachers and it was summer break at the time, so they were able to spend a lot of time together the first month or so of dating. The rest is history!

While they were on vacation in Florida, they took a walk at night to the pier. They looked at the stars, listened to the waves, and just talked about life. Dana says she felt so at peace with him, and knew then and there that she couldn’t picture her life without him and that she was in love with Ben. They are most looking forward to spending every single day together and building a life with one another.

The Proposal

Dana was taking a Sunday afternoon nap and all of a sudden woke up to her mom bringing an envelope with her name on it. She opened the envelope and found a card inside written by Ben. The card told her to go to the spot where they had our first kiss, which was the backyard at his house. Her current attire was bedhead and pajamas, so she quickly composed herself after being in a state of shock, and got ready to go! Dana and her mom drove to Ben’s house and walked to the backyard to find the cutest setup with rose petals, candles, pictures of them, and another envelope. The card said to get into the limo that was parked out front. The limo drove her through Grand Rapids and pulled up to Lookout Park. Waiting for her was a staircase and walkway decorated with greenery, rose petals, and candles. Ben was standing at the end of the walkway that overlooked Grand Rapids. The next thing Dana knew he was on one knee asking her to spend forever with him! The easiest “yes” ever!

The Day & Design

Dana and Ben would describe their wedding style as summery casual. A few unique details about their wedding included corn hole boards for guests to sign instead of a guest book and because Dana’s dad passed away from cancer in 2016, she was not able to have a traditional father-daughter dance. Dana and Ben still wanted to honor him, so while they danced, they had a slideshow play of photos of Dana and her dad, which was a really meaningful moment for them.

The Couple’s Advice

As cliche as it may sound, try not to sweat the small stuff! Looking back, everyone will remember and enjoy are the food & drinks (which were amazing at Railside), a fun dance floor, and just an overall happy celebration! This day is about you marrying the love of your life, so have fun and enjoy every second! Also, if you getting a DJ, book QC Event Sound! He played a huge part in making our reception a BLAST! To this day, people still rave to us about our DJ!