We eloped!

MIKE AND JACKIE SPENT SO MUCH TIME EARLY IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN SEDONA THAT THEY WANTED TO TIE THE KNOT AT THIS DESTINATION TO FULLY REPRESENT THEM AND THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER. SEDONA IS FILLED WITH MYSTICAL AND MAGICAL RED ROCKS, CLIFFS, CANYONS, AND MOUNTAINS. IT’S A PLACE FULL OF ADVENTURE AND EXPLORATION!

JACKIE SAID: “WE MET THROUGH MUTUAL FRIENDS IN OUR EARLY 20S. ACTUALLY, WE BOTH GREW UP IN THE SAME CITY BUT DID NOT KNOW EACH OTHER UNTIL LATER IN LIFE. MIKE AND I HAD A REALLY FUN, FLIRTY SUMMER. MIKE WAS PLANNING TO MOVE TO PHOENIX AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AND I WAS LOOKING FOR A CHANGE OF SCENERY. MIKE HAD AN OLDER BROTHER LIVING IN PHOENIX, WHICH IS WHY HE WANTED TO MOVE THERE. WE HAD BOTH GOTTEN OUT OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT YEAR AND WE’RE LOOKING FOR A NEW START. I JUST FINISHED MY TEACHING INTERNSHIP AND WAS GETTING EMAILS FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ARIZONA (STRANGELY ENOUGH) THAT WERE HIRING. I PLAYED AROUND WITH THE IDEA OF APPLYING IN ARIZONA AND THEN MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY TO A PLACE I HAVE NEVER BEEN. MIKE TOLD ME ALL ABOUT HOW AMAZING ARIZONA IS AND I WAS CONVINCED. WE MOVED IN THE SUMMER OF 2012, JACKIE 23 AND MIKE 22. THE MOVE WAS THE BEST DECISION WE HAVE MADE AND IT WAS A BLAST BEING OUT WEST. WE EXPLORED, HIKED, CAMPED, AND ROCK CLIMBED OUR WAY THROUGH ARIZONA TOGETHER AS FRIENDS. AFTER ABOUT A YEAR, WE STARTED DATING. WE STAYED IN ARIZONA FOR 6 YEARS AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL AND FUN PLACE TO LIVE. IN 2018, WE DECIDED TO MOVE TO DENVER, COLORADO SINCE IT WAS ALWAYS A DREAM TO LIVE THERE. AFTER DOING A LITTLE BIT OF SOUL SEARCHING, WE DECIDED TO MOVE BACK TO MICHIGAN AND TO START A LIFE TOGETHER CLOSER TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WE FIGURED ONCE WE START A FAMILY, IT’LL BE NICE TO BE CLOSE TO FAMILY! WE ARE MISSING THE WEST TREMENDOUSLY AND WOULD LIKE TO EVENTUALLY MOVE BACK OUT THERE!”

MIKE SAID: “WE WANTED SOMETHING THAT REFLECTED WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ENJOY. WE WOULD LOVE TO START OUR MARRIAGE OFF WITH AN ADVENTURE! WE LIVED IN ARIZONA FOR 6 YEARS AND IT IS A SPECIAL PLACE TO US. OUR TWO DOGS ARE EVEN RESCUED FROM AZ! WE CAMPED, HIKED, CLIMBED, AND EXPLORED THE STATE TOGETHER. THE FIRST HANDFUL OF MONTHS LIVING IN AZ, WE HIT A RECORD OF CAMPING ABOUT 4 OR 5 WEEKENDS IN A ROW IN SEDONA. IT WAS A BLAST! SEDONA IS WHERE WE CONTINUED TO SPEND MANY WEEKENDS OVER THE COURSE OF OUR TIME LIVING IN AZ. AS CHEESY AS IT SOUNDS, SEDONA IS THE PLACE WHERE WE FELL FOR ONE ANOTHER, RIGHT THERE IN THE DESERT! COVID OBVIOUSLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECISION, ALSO.”

“THAT IS A TOUGH QUESTION BECAUSE IT WAS ALL AMAZING AND JOYOUS! WE ENJOYED GETTING READY SEPARATELY AND ALLOWING THAT ANTICIPATION TO BUILD. HOWEVER, WE REALLY ENJOYED THE MOMENTS AFTER THE CEREMONY, WHEN WE GOT TO CHANGE BACK INTO OUR HIKING BOOTS. WE FELT LIGHTHEARTED AND HIGH-SPIRITED. WE WERE MARRIED! THEN WE HIKED BACK TOWARDS THE ORANGE AND PINK SUNSET AND TRAILHEAD FOR THE CHAMPAGNE TOAST. THE GROUP LOOKED HILARIOUS AND IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER: WEDDING ATTIRE, HIKING BOOTS, BACKPACKS, AND CHAMPAGNE FLUTES! THE SUNSET WAS GORGEOUS AND WE GOT TO CHEER TO A SPECIAL DAY. AFTER THE CHAMPAGNE TOAST, EVERYONE DECIDED ON WHAT TO WEAR/NOT WEAR ON THE WAY DOWN, AND THERE WERE SOME PRETTY AMUSING OUTFITS AND SHOE COMBINATIONS! WE WERE ALL LIVELY AND FOUND OUR WAY BACK DOWN IN THE DARK. AS A COUPLE, WE HAVE HAD MANY MEMORABLE HIKES RACING THE SUN DOWN A MOUNTAINSIDE. IT WAS FITTING!”