The Wedding Story of... Justin & Sarah Ingram

A love of time-honored traditions

Tradition is important to people from the Midwest, and Sarah Moore and Justin Ingram are no exception.

The couple first met in 2006 in St. Joseph, Michigan just after Justin graduated from college. They sat in a restaurant booth surrounded by mutual friends, not knowing that they would soon fall in love and spend the rest of their lives together. While dating and getting to know one another, they discovered that they were both huge college football fans, however, they were on opposite sides of some very long-standing Midwest college football traditions--Sarah, a Michigan fan, and Justin, a Notre Dame fan. Despite the gridiron rivalry, their relationship flourished, even during football season. Sarah tells, "Our families love tailgating together, making food, and supporting their teams. It is all in good fun."

By the end of the 2007 football season, the couple was ready to take the next step in their relationship, but Justin wanted to surprise Sarah with a romantic proposal. And that he did. On December 12, 2007, Sarah returned home from work to a completely dark house. Slightly concerned, she called Justin for a little reassurance. "Just come in the house!" he implored. Upon entering, Sarah found a trail of rose petals leading to a side room where Justin was waiting amid the flicker of candlelight and 500 red roses--an enchanting backdrop for a very emotional proposal. As Sarah recalls, "It was perfect."

Setting the wedding for June 20, 2009, the couple gave themselves plenty of time to plan, and lots of family members contributed to the process. In choosing the location for the ceremony, Sarah wanted to follow in a tradition set by both her mother and grandmother--to get married in the same church in Manchester, Michigan, just outside of Ann Arbor. The small church, classic in character and family-oriented, was perfect for their summer wedding, and although having the wedding there meant the world to Sarah and her family, Justin caught, "lots of, 'grief,' for getting married in Wolverine country."

During the planning process, the couple did not forget to enjoy themselves. Celebrating their bachelor and bachelorette parties together, Sarah, Justin, and about 30 friends traveled to Chicago one Saturday for a Cubs game. After an afternoon in the bleachers and a trip to a few Wrigleyville watering holes, the group returned home with great anticipation of the next time they would all see each other again--Sarah and Justin's wedding.

When the big day arrived, Justin and his groomsmen wore classic black and white tuxedos while the bridesmaids all wore black and white dresses, with pops of bright pink. "I am a, 'pink,' kind of girl, and it just wouldn't be my wedding without it," Sarah explains. Even the two ring bearers wore classic black and white tuxedos to conform with the traditional look of the wedding party, however, their footwear was slightly different--Converse shoes, classic in their own right.

After a touching ceremony, Sarah let her passion for pink shine once again, donning a special pair of pink heels just for the reception, held at the Marriott at Eagle Crest, a well-appointed, contemporary resort nestled on 135 acres of lakes and forests. "We wanted it to be classic, laid back, but still elegant," Sarah recounts, and to accomplish this, all of the small details were very important. Beautiful flowers placed in a hand-carved ice vase enhanced the entryway to the reception ballroom, and hand-made table numbers that sat among the fashionable floral arrangements on each table helped guests find their seats. After enjoying a classic sit-down dinner, everyone was treated to a wide array of decadent desserts, however, to be appropriately displayed and served, these sweet treats required a room of their own. As the celebration continued, some friendly football rivalry and accompanying fight songs livened up the crowd, perhaps most notably culminating with Sarah's garter, a one-of-a-kind composition, half Michigan, half Notre Dame. To cap this spectacular evening of food and fun, guests indulged in one last family tradition at the end of the night--homemade soft pretzels.

When asked to describe the wedding experience, Sarah says, "It was beautiful. We were truly blessed with family, friends, and lots of love."