Holland State Park Elopement

Where to begin..

Keith and Lilia’s Holland State Park elopement took place on a blustery, October afternoon. The sun was shining, and they said their vows atop a sugar white sand dune overlooking gorgeous Lake Michigan.

Sounds like a dream, right? For the most part, yes it absolutely was. But that’s the thing about weddings. No matter how much you plan or how prepared you feel, they always have a way of not going exactly as planned.

Shortly after saying “I do”, Lilia and Keith are getting cozy in the sand for a super cute photo when Keith feels his ring slip from his finger. We all freeze, like deer in the headlights, not wanting to make any sudden movements. Keith and Lilia slowly stand up, and I’m certain the bright gold ring will instantly stand out against the white sand. Not the case.

I do my best to keep the mood light, insisting this will be a very funny story once we find the ring. After 20 minutes, on our hands and knees, essentially strip mining this little patch of sand, we call it. We all agree, at least it wasn’t Lilia’s diamond, and we should resume with photos. I can tell that Keith is disappointed, but Lilia is doing her best to remain positive and bring his spirits back up.

As we’re walking to our next destination, I’m people watching, taking in the hustle and bustle of the beach.

In the distance, I see a man, with of all things, a metal detector. I glance at the photographer, Gabrielle; she seems him too. She takes off running and quickly returns with Andy, the hero of this story. Long story short, after 10 agonizing minutes, Andy finds the ring.

My point is, all weddings, even the smallest, will have something that doesn’t go exactly as planned.

The question is, how will you handle it? Will you allow the “speed bumps” to become all-consuming and define your day? Or will you acknowledge the mistake but let them pass, not giving them the power to ruin such a special day?

Like Lilia, I hope you choose the latter. Loosing a wedding ring is a significant “speed bump” that could have easily derailed the entire afternoon. Instead, she chose to see the bigger picture and did not allow this one event to define her day.