the two will become one. Ephesians 5:31

One word to describe our love story: Fate. Two people, from two different towns, brought together during a time where it was least expected, but so meant to be. Marissa was working the front desk at Days Inn during a transitional time in her life, while JD came to town with his crew to begin installing the floors at the new Gundersen building that was being built. What was supposed to be a 3 month job, quickly turned into a much longer trek for JD. Little did we know the outcome this experience would have, & what would soon be the journey of a lifetime. Monday's quickly became our favorite day of the week, as that meant JD was coming back to Winona to continue the job. His "Good morning, sunshine" tugged on Marissa's heart strings, & Marissa's ability to make JD & his crew more at home throughout their stay was simply a peek into her caring soul. Months down the line, we went out to dinner at Whalen's Restaurant in Winona for Marissa's birthday. We were seated in a quiet corner where it was just the two of us & talked for hours on end. We found ourselves sitting in near darkness around closing time, in mid-conversation as if we just sat down. "When you know, you know" is something we both immediately felt after departing from each other that night. As time continued to pass, our bond truly became so special & undeniable that we quickly knew we were becoming the person that the other didn't want to live without. On June 5th, 2020, JD & Levi, JD's son, asked Marissa to be a part of their life forever. It was the easiest, most important "Yes" of Marissa's lifetime. We know deep in our hearts that we were meant to find one another & love each other for as long as we both shall live. We will be taking you back to our first "date" on Saturday, May 8th, 2021, where we will be exchanging our vows at Westfield Golf Course & celebrating our reception inside of Whalen's Restaurant. We can't wait to begin our journey as husband & wife with all of you!