We love a good meet-at-work story, and Jessica and Sean’s is a great one! They were both working at Nordstrom in Visual Merchandising and were on site at a new store opening. Says Jessica, “I was smitten from the moment I first saw him! I had just walked into our visual merchandising office, spotted him, and thought to myself, “Who is he?”
Her future husband, that’s who! But it took some time for that magic to happen. After meeting, they were friends for years before realizing that there was something more between them.
Once engaged, they had to first settle on where they wanted to get married. The two currently live in Oregon (Sean works at the Adidas headquarters), and Jessica is from New England. But Sean’s parents, sister, and family live in Missoula, MT where Jessica and Sean visit every summer. Jessica envisioned a rustic-chic outdoor wedding and Sean’s sister belongs to Missoula Country Club, so everything came together!
Their background in fashion and visual merchandising was a thread woven throughout the wedding day. After a bumpy start, Jessica found her way to Ania Bridal and fell for her Elodie gown. She then ordered extra fabric with which to make a veil and found darling leopard-print kitten heels! Sean, Jessica says, “had a friend who works for Ted Baker, and she had a custom suit made for him! They surprised us with a label inside the jacket that had our names and wedding date. Of course, he and our 4-year-old son, Bodhi, had matching Stan Smith Adidas sneakers as well as a matching tie for Sean and bow tie for Bodhi.” Plus, Sean’s brother owns a jewelry store, so he designed Jessica’s engagement ring, her two wedding bands, and Sean’s ring.
Then, of course, there was the décor, which Jessica (with the help of her amazing vendors) planned and put together herself!
Get all the details from our sweet bride, who danced with Sean and Bodhi to Luke Combs’s “Better Together”:
How did you guys get engaged?
“Sean had actually mapped out two different proposals. All our families were going to visit for our son’s 3rd birthday, and he’d planned to propose in front of everyone. Then Covid hit, and we couldn’t get together. His backup plan was to have a pair of Adidas sneakers (he works for Adidas at their headquarters in Portland, Oregon) embroidered with the words “Will you marry me”? But again, with Covid getting worse, their headquarters temporarily closed, and everyone was working from home.
So, the day the ring came in the mail (his brother, who Iives in Texas, owns a jewelry store and designed my engagement ring, two wedding bands, and Sean’s ring), my mom came over for a social distancing visit. We were sitting outside, and he figured, why wait to ask at this point? So, right as we were talking, he got down on one knee to propose. And because my mom was there, she captured it on camera and took pictures of the whole proposal. It may not have been how he planned, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing because it meant I was going to get to marry my best friend and the love of my life!”
wedding gown: Lea-Ann Belter Elodie via Ania Bridal | photographer: Ashley Rhian Photography | full vendor list below
Tell us about your outfits! How did you choose your gown?
“I had been looking at dresses for months—my first ever appointment had gone horribly and had me feeling so defeated in finding a dress. So I went onto the Ania Bridal Salon website to try and pick out a few. I saw the Elodie dress, and it was just so different from anything I had seen before. I initially thought I wanted all lace, but the pattern was so beautiful, and the neckline was stunning.
At the salon, Elodie was the first dress my consultant put me in. It was so light and airy! I walked out to show my mom, and she was in awe. We both started to tear up. I reluctantly stepped out of the dress and tried on others, but every time I put a dress on, it just made me want to put the first dress back on because it was the one! I worked with the consultant, and we requested to get extra of the under-layer organza fabric sent so that I could have a custom veil made to match! I am a huge fan of leopard shoes, especially J.Crew. So, when I was looking for shoes, I immediately knew where to look and found the cutest stewpot leopard kitten heels!
As far as Sean goes, he had a friend who works for Ted Baker, and she had a custom suit made for him! They surprised us with a label inside the jacket that had our names and wedding date. Of course, he and our 4yr old son, Bodhi, had matching Stan Smith Adidas sneakers as well as a matching tie for Sean and bow tie for Bodhi.”
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
“I am from New England, and Sean is from Seattle. We didn’t really prefer either place for the wedding, but Sean’s parents and his sister and her family live in Missoula, MT. We visit every summer, and it’s just so beautiful. I knew I wanted an outdoor wedding, and the backdrop of the mountains would make a stunning backdrop. His sister is a member of the Missoula Country Club, so we had been there times before and loved the look.”
What was the most important aspect for you in terms of planning your wedding?
“I really wanted to keep the décor rustic chic. I love to plan and did a ton of research. I didn’t have a wedding planner, so it was a lot of time and effort to find everything. I’m very thankful for Pinterest and Instagram!
I feel like the most important thing is to have a vision and stick to what you like. Thankfully Sean is very easygoing and just wants me to be happy. He only had two requests for the whole wedding. He wanted a mashed potato bar with all the fixings and a French fry station with many sauces. (I may have made him watch roc’s four weddings where he saw them do that!)”
One detail you couldn’t live without?
“Honestly, I loved all the details, but because it was outside, I spent a large part of my budget on a large tent with a gorgeous lining. Also, they did custom lighting, I added three chandeliers to give it a little extra, and I added fabric to the tent legs so it would all come together. I had so many people comment on how gorgeous the tent was, and it was a wow factor.”
What was the funniest moment of your day?
“Our son Bodhi (who isn’t shy at all) for some reason decided to be shy at the ceremony. He hid behind Sean and wanted nothing to do with taking pictures. But during the toasts, he went running up to the stage, asked for the microphone, yelled his name, then told us he loved us and started to dance without any music. It was unexpected and hilarious.”
Any tips for couples getting married?
“I stressed so much leading up to the wedding and even the wedding day. But the truth is, people aren’t going to notice the little things that might not have been how you’d wanted. So, my advice is just to enjoy yourself because the day goes by so fast! And at the end of the day, you are married and should have had the time of your life!”
Jessica + Sean’s Montana Wedding Vendors
wedding gown: Lea-Ann Belter Elodie via Ania Bridal | photographer: Ashley Rhian Photography | venue: The Missoula Country Club | groom’s suit: Ted Baker | card table and welcome sign: Joyful Juniper Creative | florals: Earth Within Flowers | wedding cake + cupcakes: Bernice’s Bakery | furniture + tent rentals: Montana Party Time | rings: Shannon Jeweler and Claude DeShazo Jr
