Featured Bride Justine S., Wedding Location: Maple Grove, MN | Wedding Date: January 14th, 2012

Welcome our newest Featured Bride, Justine S.!

Justine and her fiance Mike have a wonderful story and introduction.  Keep following My Wedding Chat to stay updated with Justine and Mike on their wedding planning journey.  Good luck to Justine and Mike.

Who We Are:

I'm Justine, a recent alumna of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where I have a bachelor's degree in Music Performance. This is where I met my fiance, Mike, who is now a Band Director near Rochester, MN.

How We Met:

I met Mike during my freshman year; he was a senior Music Education major who sat behind me in Band - I even used to be a little intimidated by him, but he'd make me laugh as he cracked jokes from the saxophone section. During Spring semester, he started talking to me, the shy flutist, and we really hit it off. We spent the next three years as very close friends - going to concerts from Orchestra Hall to the Triple Rock, cheering on the Twins, and spending time around River Falls and Minneapolis. My senior year of college, we finally got it together and started dating. I think by then I had a pretty good idea where we were headed.

The Proposal:

By October after my graduation, concert season was back for the Minnesota Orchestra, and they were playing Dvorak's 8th, my favorite symphony. Mike and I planned to go, meet for drinks at The Local, have dinner at Brit's, and enjoy the concert and then have dessert at Brit's (or so I thought!) after. A few days prior to the concert, he called and told me that he'd somehow won free tickets to the concert, and that they'd be waiting at Will Call. It was exciting; everything was coming together to make a perfect night. I remember telling my mom that day as I told her what we were up to that night that it would be the perfect night for him to propose. “But he won't!” I said. I got dressed up and met him downtown, and we had a lovely dinner and headed over to Orchestra Hall to hear my favorite symphony - which was SO beautiful. After the concert, Mike ushered us both outside onto Peavey Plaza. It was that time of year between wearing jackets and not wearing them - and I had forgotten mine, so I was so cold. He kept saying he wanted to take a picture, and I kept saying I wanted to go inside. At that point, he stopped, turned to me and said, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” I just stared wide-eyed at him as he kneeled down in front of me, opened a grey box - all I could see was sparkle - and he asked me to marry him. I was so stunned, I forgot I was cold, and tears ran down my face. I said YES. Afterward, Mike told me that he had gotten the tickets by contacting Sam Bergman, a violist for the Minnesota Orchestra, who also writes a blog on the MnOrch website. He had written a blog showcasing the talent of the guest conductor, and was offering free tickets to those who wanted to go. Mike had sent an email telling his plans for the night, so Sam kindly set aside two at Will Call for us and asked Mike to recap the night afterward for his blog. Mike's perspective of the night's events can be found here: http://insidetheclassics.myminnesotaorchestra.org/2010/10/how-to-propose/

The Wedding Planning:

We're having the wedding on January 14th, 2012, at my church in Maple Grove. We both absolutely love snow, and wanted to avoid the stress (and blizzards) of pre-holidays, so we thought January was the best idea for what we both wanted. And our time together so far has been a continuous playlist of music - so the music will be an integral part of our wedding. We can't wait. :) Other Posts You'll Love: Introducing Featured Bride Kai K. Featured Bride Nikki S: Timing is Everything Featured Bride Lauren W. on Creative RSVP Ideas Finding the Perfect Bridesmaid Dresses Come One, Come All, or Maybe Not

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