Tori + Jacob

How did you meet?

We crossed paths at Yale! One version of the story starts with a fundraiser Tori organized for the local free health clinic in New Haven, Connecticut, where she was volunteering. Jake ‘generously’ attended and met Tori for the first time there. Another version starts after that fundraiser, around two in the morning outside of the Yale University grad student bar. It involves some free miller high life, leftover steak and mushrooms in a ziplock bag, and a bit of fence climbing. While both are technically true, the details depend on who’s asking 😉 Either way, both stories resulted in a fantastic first date a few days later at Da Legna in New Haven where a Honeypot pizza was shared – the rest is kismet.

When did you know they were the one?

There wasn’t one single moment, rather a collection of small moments. What I told Jake in my vows that made me fall in love with him:
The face that you make in the mirror when you’re trimming your beard.
The way you literally cannot take a shower without turning on an episode of the West Wing in the background.
The way you dive headfirst into new hobbies (read: closets full of large items).
The way you get so excited when ordering meals in Mandarin that we always end up with enough to feed everyone in the place.
The fact that you make incredible food, but it always takes like 6 hours.
The way you have to snuggle every dog you meet even though you are so, so allergic.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

Jacob, you are kind. You are gentle. You are fun, smart and passionate. You bring extraordinary romanticism to ordinary life. These are the characteristics that brought down my walls, but it’s the little things about you that I fell in love with.

Who proposed and how?

Jake surprised Tori at her favorite beach in West Michigan – Laketown Beach. The plan was to surprise Tori at sunset, which timed out perfectly with a drive after work from Chicago to Grand Rapids. With the ring burning a hole in his pocket, Jake picked Tori up from work who stayed late to finish with a few patients while Jake schvitzed in the parking lot realizing the sunset window might be missed. Once loaded in the car and on the way, the skies opened with a giant thunderstorm. Incredibly, five minutes before it was time to pull off the highway at Laketown beach, the skies cleared into a stunning orange sunset.
Jake and Tori climbed the park dunes, together soaked in the orange sun over a now calm Lake Michigan, and…Voila!

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

I only tried on one dress!! I made an appointment at Bella Bleu Bridal in Illinois because I knew they carried MWL dresses. I tried on the Elsie Flowy and knew immediately – that was it. One and done! I absolutely fell in love with it.

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

A collection of moments- We had anticipated a big fun party with so many people we cared about, but we did not expect the incredible outpouring of love and affirmation that we received. From bear hugs to touching speeches to letters written with care and wisdom, we left the wedding feeling so full and immensely grateful.

What were your favourite details?

– Adding the shoulder bows to switch up my look between the ceremony and reception
– BARBECUE!!
– Playing lawn games during cocktail hour
– Tori never left the dance floor for a single minute all night!

What advice would you tell other brides?

Delegate delegate delegate. We worked hard to plan and delegate ahead of time so by the time wedding weekend came about, we just relaxed and enjoyed every minute! The weekend was joyful and completely stress free. Surrendering control of the little details helped us to be in the moment.