Our Wedding is December 30, 2010
Welcome to our website!!
We have so many friends and family all over the country that we are THRILLED for them to have a place to come to get to know a little about Joe, a little about Amy, and a little about the two of us together!
We also have all the service, hotel, and reception information on this page! For all you that are like Amy, you will LOVE the option to RSVP right here on the website!
Check out our pictures, read about the wedding, and make sure you leave a comment in the guestbook!
Hope to see you all on the 30th!
In His Grip,
Love,
Joe & Amy
Our Theme: In His Grip
All In the Grip of God
Have you been wondering why everything is signed “In His Grip”?
As Joe and I took our individual courses to find one another, there were many moments when we each stopped and questioned what plan God could really have in mind for each of us and our futures. With the courses that we had each individually taken, it seemed that God did not have a master plan for our spouses.
We have been hit quite hard with the reality that God was there all along, not only shaping and molding us for one another and a strong marriage, but also putting us on a crash collision course to meet each other at just the right time in our lives.
It turns out that he was holding us in the palm of His hands the whole time! No matter what direction we turned or how far off the course we went, He always held us within His firm grip.
We would like to make sure that we remember that not only through-out our wedding day, but also through our marriage!
Some reminders you will see include our salutation, In His Grip.
The day of the wedding, we plan on incorporating this into our favors, centerpieces, and even our wedding itself. We will be using two colors of sand to represent Joe and myself. We will put these in containers to symbolize two becoming one. You have probably heard of that symbolism before.
What we realized that we often forget, however, is the role that the clear container plays. It is the plain, clear, often ignored container that makes it all possible! This container is like God’s hand. He is there, ready to help and support us at all times.
Our Story
How We Met
Weeellllll, Joe and I met in the most random of ways. All we can figure is that God really does have a plan, because only He could have designed and pulled together all the people and steps that it took for Joe & me to meet!
The short version: We met through mutual friends. (Even though Joe was living in Illinois, I was living in Detroit, and our mutual friends live in Iowa!)
The process to meeting each other started years ago!! Get this:
Two years ago now, I (Amy) went to Mexico to study for a couple weeks. While there, I met a friend, Steve, from Iowa. Two years later, I was traveling to Kansas to see Karen, and needed a place to crash halfway. It just so happened that Steve had a wedding to go to that night. At the wedding, I met Mike and Tausha Tjernagel, and we all became good friends.
When summer arrived, I needed a quiet place to work and my cousin Laura wanted some company in her Ames apartment. From Tausha and Laura’s persistent petitioning, I decided to spend the summer in Iowa, working on Octane stuff. (My non-profit…http://octaneministry.com).
Joe, on the other hand, had met Mike while working in the auto department at Sears. They had lost touch, but randomly ran into each other a couple years later. Joe bought Mike’s Camaro and the two became good friends again. Joe started hanging out with Mike and Tausha and eventually decided that he would move in with them for his final year of college, after spending the summer at home.
While Joe was at home in Illinois and I was working and spending time with friends in Iowa, Tausha, who is always thinking, decided that she had the perfect match in mind. She called Joe up and told him that he had to come to Ames to meet this girl.
Fortunately, he had some items to take care of in Ames anyway, so he hopped in his Camaro and made the trip back to Iowa to meet me!
Just for the record, after we first met, when Tausha texted Joe and said “What do you think?” Joe’s text back read, “WOW.” When asked to be more specific, he replied, “All I can say is WOW.”
And the rest, my friends, is history! :)
About Amy
All About Amy
Hello Everyone.
About Joe
All about Joe
When I first met Joe, I immediately knew that this was a guy that I had to keep around. That first evening, we played pool, hung out with Mike and Tausha, and took a quick walk to the grocery store (where Joe did show his slightly evil side as he tried to throw me in a couple ponds along the way!!). He made me Chocolate Chip Cookies and earned himself the name of “Betty Joe” in honor of his mad Betty Crocker skills. We had an awesome time and found we were quite intrigued by each other (and flirted a lot too! :))...
That night we were both staying at Mike & Tausha’s house. We decided to stay up late and watch a movie. We never did get to put that movie in, though, because we started talking. It was amazing to me to listen to Joe talk about family values, morals, faith, and all that he held dear. I mean, seriously, I thought that kind of guy was long gone!
He talked about the fact that he started in the medical field but changed directions after he saw the kind of schedule that it would entail. He told me how the career he wanted in the medical field would never allow him to be the kind of father and husband that he hoped to be someday. He related to me a bit about both his faith and his family. I was so impressed that this guy has a faith and that he believes that families should eat dinner together each evening. (An important side note to those who know ME well…don’t worry, I did make sure that he will be cooking the majority of those meals…I have now taste tested…the family should remain happy and healthy. No worries! :))
Through-out the summer I got to know Joe a bit better. While we swore that we were not going to date, we did cover the important things….He is a WHITE SOX fan. Boo to all you Cub fans (dad)! J He also loves to be on the water boating all summer long. He has owned a couple Camaros, and enjoys fixing and working on them. He is excited to travel the world with me (since we all know that I can’t sit still long!) and he is quite the detail oriented type of guy, which balances my randomness out quite well! He is also VERY protective…hence the new carbon monoxide detector, smoke alarm, and door lock that my condo now has! He spoils me quite rotten…I know, I am rotten enough…I warn him of this quite often!! He even flew to Michigan just to drive with me to Illinois! Crazy boy! :)
He is willing to put up with all my randomness and loves me for just exactly who I am. No changes necessary, which is a wonderful experience! He does have several aliases. For quite some time, If I was talking to my family and referred to him as simply “Joe”, all present would ask “Who?”. I would then have to say “Betty!” and all would then say “OH!” (See above if this confuses you!). In Peoria, he is often called Joe Boat, while in Iowa he is often called Camaro Joe. My nieces refer to him as “Little Joe” and his family calls him Joey.
He does have a fault, though….he lives in IOWA! This too is ok, though, since we have some good friends there. It is fun to visit. Joe also has a great friend who makes it all possible too! His best friend is a pilot and has given Joe the opportunity to come and see me every two weeks all semester long! It has made life MUCH easier!
Why is he in Iowa you ask? Well, he attends Iowa State. He will be graduating December 18th, with a degree in Industrial Technology, associates in Engineering, minor is statistics, and his EMT certificate! Quite the resume if I do say so myself. I can’t wait for everyone to know him! The real thing is far better than I can describe to you!
The Proposal
How Joe Asked
The spiral is right under this circle!
This is the end of the spiral where Joe got down on one knee and proposed!
This is the path we walked along!
This is the first of 8 cards that Joe had made to put around the spiral.
This is my sister, along with Elizabeth and Maddalyn who helped Joe in the set up!
Joe is still so nervous here! :)
This is us right after he proposed!
The Set up:
Earlier in the week, Joe told me that he really wanted to go ice skating. When I came home from work on Tuesday, he said that he had talked to my sister and that as long as it was ok with me, we were going to take the girls (my nieces) downtown the next day and go ice skating.
When Joe picked me up from work on Wednesday, I insisted that we stop by my house to get some warm clothes. Joe watched as I put layer after layer after layer on. He was so funny...trying to stop me from looking like a human staypuff marshmallow. He kept saying "Really, just your jeans and a sweater will be fine." While I kept telling him, "you know how cold I get! We are going ice skating outside . I will fall over on my own accord already...now add a 1 yr old and 3 yr old to the mix! I am going to be wet and cold unless I layer layer layer!!" He finally gave up saying, "Well, at least leave your sweater on. It is my favorite!" He thought he finally had won at least a little when I told him ok. I then surprised him by pulling out a winter coat that he didn't even know I had...2 sizes too big and nice and bulky!
As we went downtown, Joe was all excited and happy. I literally laughed out loud at him as I told him, "I had no idea that you were so excited to go ice skating!" As we drove downtown, my sister called to tell me that she was running late. (I was to find out later that this was the code for "It's all set!") Joe said "Well, let's go down by the water for a bit then while we wait." (Code for 'we are almost there')
Almost there...
Fortunately, after I got out of the car, I told him that I could not walk by the water all staypuff marshmallow. So, I took off my top layers (don't worry, though, I left on the snow pants and winter boots!!). We went to Hart Plaza downtown, where there is water on one side and a monument/memorial on the other side. Joe suggested that we walk over to check out the monument...
Envision
The monument (actually built for the unions and civil rights movement) has a large circle with an opening at the top, signifying that while we have come this far, there is always more work to be done. Joe liked that symbolism because we have talked a lot about how marriages take work and that we will always have to make sure that we take the time to intentionally build our relationship. Under the circle, there is a spiral path that you can walk on. The outside of the spiral signifies where they started, with the inside signifying where we are now. Along the path, there are 8 marble stones standing that each represent a significant moment in history.
The Moment
As we approached the first stone, on the ground with a 3-D effect, was a paper (silver shimmer paper laminated with beans in a gallon bag on the back to give it a 3D effect and make sure that it does not fly away). It was entitled "My Love." And said "Let's take a walk through the moments in our relationship that have brought us to this point." At each of the 8 stones, there was another paper. One described when he first knew he loved me, another when he first knew he wanted to marry me, and so on. The final one, at the center of the spiral said “There is just one question left to ask…” He then got down on one knee and asked!
Afterwards
My sister and the girls had set everything up for him, so they came back and took a couple pictures. They then left and we went to The New Parthenon, a restaurant in Greektown. We had an amazing dinner, with fabulous Asti Champagne. They gave us the Champagne glasses, which we plan to etch and use for our wedding. We then went next door to Astoria for dessert and were serenaded by trumpet on the way.
It was the perfect evening! :)
The Ceremony
Ceremony Details
Our wedding will be Thursday , December 30, 2010 at 3:00 pm.
The Ceremony will take place at Amy's parents' church:
Trinity Lutheran Church
1517 10th St.
Port Huron, MI 48060-5814
The Reception
The reception will be held at Fore Lakes Golf Club, which is only a 10 minute drive from the church.
We are absolutely thrilled that we will be able to celebrate our marriage here!
You can see pictures of the location below:
http://forelakes.com/ (historical link unavailable)
A few details include:
The doors will open at 6, with dinner being served at approxamately 6:30 pm.Both complimentary valet and coat check services will be avaliable, along with a cash bar.
The address is:
5810 Flinchbaugh Road • Kimball, Michigan 48074
This is the site of our reception! This is the entry way into the banquet room.
This is inside the reception hall...It will be evening when we are there though!
RSVP Online
Online RSVPs are closed. Guest responses are private and are not included in this archive.
Our Wedding Party
As far as those involved, we feel so loved! We have over 20 people involved in the ceremony and quite honestly, we still feel like we are leaving out some people that we are very close to!
Thank you so much for all your love and support!
Here is the current count...
8 Bridesmaids
8 Groomsmen
4 Ushers
3 Flower Girls
3 Readers
2 Bridal Personal Attendants (BPAs!)
2 Pastors
1 Bride
1 Groom
Registry
Hello all!
Most importantly, we want you to know that we are simply THRILLED to have you join us in this awesome and exciting time of our lives! Absolutely most important to us is simply that you are here and a part of all that is to come! God has richly and deeply provided us with amazing friends and family. We are continually overwhelmed with this amazing gift that has been granted us. So, your presence in our lives is gift enough to us!
if you feel the need to come with a present in hand, however, feel free to do anything you would like. If you are looking for ideas, however, here are some!
1. We are registered at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
2. Honeymoon Excursions. You can either choose an excursion for us, or simply give cruise credits by calling ncl.com. The website is: Or you can call:
3. We just bought a condo! We could certainly use items from Lowes and Home Depot!
If you have other ideas, we would love to share with you our colors and whatnot:
Living Room, Dining Room
Greens, Blues, and deep Goldish Khaki
Our Bedroom
Plum & Slate Gray
Guest Room
Lavender, Olive Green, & Khaki
Kitchen
Light aqua & brown to match the dishes!
Photo Gallery
599 original photos, preserved from Joe and Amy’s wedding website.
Amy
Joe
Joe and Amy
WeddingOther saved site images
Accomodations
There are many nice hotels in the Port Huron area.
Our Recomendation:
We decided to reserve our block of rooms at the Quality Inn & Suites. We loved the common area that they have for our guests to sit and visit with one another, along with a nice pool, and an area for kids that is like a huge McDonald's Play Place!
Their rooms are also very nice and freshly updated and they have a free hot breakfast each morning.
The rates are as follows:
Standard Room with either 2 Queens or a King: $69.99
Suite with a Kitchenette: $89.99
Suite with a kithcenette and Jacuzzi: $99.99
The room block is reserved under both Fanta and Carrier.
Contact Information:
1720 Hancock St
Port Huron, MI 48060
(810) 987-5999
http://www.qualityinn.com/hotel-port_huron-michigan-MI370
Other Hotels include:
Fairfield Inn 810-982-8500 www.porthuronfairfieldinn.com
Hampton Inn 810-966-9000 www.hamptoninn.com
Thomas Edison Inn 810-984-8000 http://thomasedisoninn.com/
About the Edison: This is a great Port Huron Hotel, that truly shows the character of Port Huron. They are just in the process of updating and plan on being done by the time of the wedding. They are completely booked for the 31st of January, however, so if you plan on staying in the area, you will need an alternate location for the night of the 31st!
For more places to stay, visit this link! http://www.bluewater.org/Main/Locations.aspx?locationtypeid=1
Things to do in Port Huron
Thanks to Paula, a friend of my mom's who actually lives in Port Huron, we now have some things to do while in Port Huron In December!
Check out the Christmas lights displayor watch a freighter
www.achesonventures.com
Restaurant and Brewed Beer
Port Huron Musuem & Thomas Edison Depot Museum
www.phmuseum.org
Catch a hockey game!
www.porthuronicehawks.com
Ice Skating
www.glacierpointe.com
Roller Blading
www.skateport2.com
General information about Port Huron
www.bluewaterchamber.com
Guestbook
The original guestbook has not been reviewed. Its entries are not included in this archive.
Contact Us
We are looking forward to seeing you at the wedding!
If you have any questions or just want to hear our voices, send an email or give us a call!
Amy's Email: amy@octaneministry.com
Joe's Email: joefanta@gmail.com
Amy's Phone Number: 586-764-2285