A Rustic, Elegant Outdoor Celebration: The Real Wedding of Loralei and Josh Zuck

Taking part in a leadership training program in Colorado, Loralei and Josh met while both working in the kitchens for the summer. Since Josh was from Wyoming and Loralei was from Ohio, they remained in a long-distance relationship and never had the chance to take a lot of pictures together. Josh scheduled a photoshoot with one of Loralei's photographer friends on one of his visits to Ohio. The photographer asked them to slow dance and say what they loved about each other. "I went first and when it was his turn, he began to say all of these wonderful things to me ending with 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you.' That’s when he got done on one knee and asked me to marry him," Loralei gushes.
 

Loralei thought she knew what she wanted when she first started dress shopping, but the dresses had another idea. "I tried on lots of that same style but none of them felt right. 'The one' was a different style than I had expected to like. As soon as we added the belt and veil we all knew it was 'the one,'" Loralei explains. We think she looks absolutely stunning, especially with that gorgeous updo and natural makeup!
 

Josh and Loralei were in the unique position of being the first to get married in their families, so the planning process was very foreign to them and became a full-family effort. "I had an idea of what my wedding would look like but once we started planning I realized that my ideas from four years ago were no longer what I wanted," Loralei admits. "One thing was for sure, ever since I met Josh, we both knew we wanted to have breakfast at our wedding." It was difficult to plan since they were so far apart, but family and friends were more than willing to help (and even became part of the wedding!).
 

The wedding ceremony and reception involved both families coming together to make the day a success. Friends helped record the celebration and did Loralei's hair and makeup. Loralei's sister did her nails. Josh's mom made the cake for the happy couple and the bridal party while both their aunts and grandmas made cookies for the rest of the guests. Loralei says, "my grandpa was gracious enough to drive us away in his awesome 1958 Chevy Convertible. It was beautiful!"
 

 

What we Love

Loralei and Josh made their wedding day a reflection of who they were. "One of our unique things would have to be our breakfast-themed food and beverage. We are both huge breakfast lovers. It was something we talked about from the beginning of our relationship," Loralei shares. They also chose to choreograph their first dance to be a non-traditional swing dance, which they learned the first summer they spent together.
 

 

Advice from the couple

"We would say to other couples, while it is one of the most special days, don't only focus on the wedding. Make sure you take time to prepare for what comes after being married. Although weddings can be extravagant, they don’t need to be as long as you are with the one you love and surrounded by your friends and family," Loralei and Josh advise.
 

 

 

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