On the first day of their freshman year at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, each homeroom had an assigned lunch table for “Freshman Day.” Perfect strangers until then, Reagan & Zach sat next to each other by chance, realizing they had a few mutual friends—and no classes together. Though the lunch went by quickly, they both left the brief interaction having developed a new crush.
Despite their differing schedules, Reagan & Zach both secretly timed their homeroom exits to walk together, hoping to get to know one another better. It wasn’t long before Zach’s intention to ask Reagan to the homecoming dance spread around the school. Reagan was elated, eagerly waiting for Zach to make his move, and while the date didn’t come as a surprise, his grand gesture sure did.
She sat alone at lunch one day, confused about where her friends had gone. Suddenly, she looked up and saw them walking in a big group. They stood on either side of a makeshift aisle, and Zach walked through with pink roses, a cheerleading megaphone, and a ribbon that said “Homecoming?” Reagan said “yes!” before he could utter a word, much to a very nervous Zach’s joy and relief.
Almost a decade later, Zach found himself planning another proposal. He won a free 30-minute couple photoshoot, which presented the perfect opportunity to dress up and capture the moment, while not raising Reagan’s suspicions. He let his and Reagan’s parents in on the secret, and they discreetly followed nearby and watched the moment unfold.
The photographer cued up their favorite song, “From the Ground Up” by Dan + Shay, and asked Reagan to step forward. Zach got down on one knee, and when Reagan turned around, she was shocked and ecstatic.
After Reagan said yes, the couple recalled,
“The parents come screaming out from the woods, they pop champagne, and take the happiest photos together. The final surprise of the night was meeting all of the siblings for a celebratory dinner, as the two families enjoyed the special day, each sharing their own perspective.”
The Wedding
Design and guest experiences were top of mind during the wedding planning process. The couple hired a planner and coordinator, Dream Weddings, to assist every step of the way, especially with their many personal details and touches.
They chose an elegant, muted color palette of black, white, mauve, and sage, with accents of blue. Stationery, signage, and favors incorporated two custom couple monograms: one combining “Z&R” for their first names, the other an “A” to symbolize their now-shared last name.
The Ceremony
To help keep the day seamless, Reagan & Zach chose to hold their ceremony and reception at the same location and opted for in-house catering. They exchanged vows at a beautiful outdoor ceremony at The Carriage House at Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
While the couple went back and forth on whether to have a first look before the ceremony, they ultimately decided to stick to tradition, as Reagan walked to her grandparents’ first dance song, “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” She reflected,
“It was such a tough decision—there are so many beautiful reasons to do one—but in the end, we decided to wait and see each other for the first time down the aisle. And we’re so glad we did. That moment was everything we had hoped for and more. The build-up, the emotion, the anticipation—it all made that walk down the aisle feel incredibly special and meaningful.”
Set against a beautiful forested scenery, Reagan & Zachary’s ceremony setup included rose petals down the aisle and a backdrop of white pillars adorned with lush floral installations. Reagan worked with her brother Reed to build the pillars from scratch to bring her garden vision to life.
Fashions, Accessories, & Beauty
Reagan found her dream dress, a gown by Blanche Bridal, at Genevive’s Bridal Couture boutique. The fit-and-flare dress was all about the details, every inch covered in delicate beading and floral appliqués. The dress also featured a sweetheart neckline, corset bodice with exposed boning, and a long flowing train. Reagan accessorized with a tulle veil from R. House Custom Alterations, and delicate, detachable lace sleeves.
In addition to her fashion accessories, Reagan honored loved ones with a keychain with her late grandpa’s fingerprint tied to her bouquet and a key necklace honoring Zach’s great-grandma Jojo, who passed away about a year before the wedding.
Zach wore a sharp black suit from Mens Wearhouse, with a white undershirt, black tie, and black dress shoes.
Groomsmen wore gray suits and bridesmaids alternated in various styles and textures of floor-length, mauve and sage green dresses.
The meaning behind the necklace:
“Since Zach could walk, he played a game with Jojo where he would take this key that was hanging on her wall and give it to her before leaving her house. At first, she would tell him no because she didn’t want him to hurt himself or break something, so he would do it in secret and still hand it to her as he gave her a hug goodbye. He did this every time he visited her and never once missed it.
Once she passed, Zach was going through her house and found a necklace with a receipt that said, “To Zach’s future wife, you will always have the key to his heart.” Zach gave this to Reagan the day before the wedding. We noticed on the receipt that it was purchased on February 26th, 2011, which happens to be Reagan and Jojo’s birthday.”
Styled by Sam and Calla Bogdanovich teamed up for hair and makeup, respectively. Bridesmaids coordinated in matching twisted updos, with curled, face-framing pieces, while Reagan’s hair was styled into timeless Hollywood waves.
Makeup embraced a healthy glow, warming skin tones and creating an effortless summer feeling. The glow extended to rouged cheeks and natural lips, and was completed with dark eyelashes to emphasize the eyes.
The Florals
Jane Kelly Floral designed the bouquets, floral installations, and vases for the day. Primary components included white snapdragons, blush roses, blue and white delphinium, ranunculus, and peonies. The custom pillars moved inside for the reception, framing Zach & Reagan seated centrally at the head table. Smaller bud vases ran the length of the table and also served as centerpieces at the round tables arranged around the reception space.
Reception
There were many highlights and meaningful moments at the reception, including a memorial table, a serenade of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” by Reagan’s family, a champagne tower, a t-shirt toss, and scratch-off favors.
Instead of a traditional dessert table, Reagan & Zach tasked baker Frosted Memories with a cake tower. They bought a tiered, rotating stand to showcase three different options, then had their wedding party deliver a cake to each table. The three dessert flavors corresponded to their wedding colors:
Green frosting: Chocolate cake with peanut butter filling
Pink frosting: Chocolate cake with strawberry filling
White frosting: Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
Lindsey Cole Photography and David Charles Productions captured all of the magic of Reagan & Zach’s day, with David Charles Productions also providing DJ & entertainment services.
Lindsey Cole Photography focused on posed photos, candids, and all the small details of the day, from beginning to end. Her soft editing style leaned into the cinematic, playing with warm lighting and romantic, genuine emotions.
When Reagan & Zach took the floor for a first dance to their song (“From the Ground Up”), guests were surprised by a choreographed dance. The couple had taken dance classes together leading up to the big day, which paid off and impressed their friends and family. About the dance, Reagan wrote,
“It was a perfect moment that reflected our story and brought so much joy and energy to the dance floor!”
The night ended with a spectacular exit of streamers and cold sparks!
Advice
Summing up their wedding planning experience, Reagan & Zach had this advice for engaged couples:
“With social media, inspiration is everywhere—which can be both a blessing and a challenge. Platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram are full of beautiful wedding content: endless themes, color palettes, DIY projects, unique trends, and a never-ending list of “wedding must-haves” or so-called “dos and don’ts.” While it can be exciting to explore all the creative ideas out there, it’s also really easy to feel overwhelmed or like you’re constantly comparing your plans to what you see online.
One of the best pieces of advice we can share is this: stay grounded in what feels authentic to you. Just because something is trending doesn’t mean it needs to be part of your day. You don’t have to follow every tradition or include every Pinterest-worthy detail. It’s your wedding, and it should reflect your story, your style, and what’s meaningful to you as a couple.”
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