Congrats to Joel and Bailey who got married on the SOLARIS yacht last month with an all-inclusive, private Destin wedding and reception. The SOLARIS Yacht provided the perfect romantic Destin wedding venue for this amazing couple and their dream Florida destination wedding.
Their Florida destination wedding weekend began with a fun Destin beach bonfire the night before the wedding. Our wedding planners worked closely with Joel and Bailey to ensure all their wedding dreams came true, paying special attention to all the custom details to personalize their wedding.
After a touching wedding on the water, the newlyweds celebrated with family and friends with food, music and fun on the SOLARIS Yacht. Here are a few sneak peek pics from their wedding – many more to come.
How it All Began: Joel and Bailey’s Engagement Story
Meeting and First Date: As Told by Bailey
We had our first date on May 11, 2016, after matching with each other on a dating app called Bumble. After a few days of great conversation over text messages, Joel asked me if I wanted to grab some lasagna with him. I couldn’t turn down such a specific & intriguing offer. Joel was so excited about this date that he made a reservation at a favorite Italian restaurant in Oklahoma City, “Zio’s.”
Much to Joel’s chagrin, it became apparent upon arrival that his reservation was not necessary, as it was a Wednesday evening and he was the only one there. He waited and waited, wondering where I was. Was I even coming? Lo’ and behold, I sent a text that I had gone to the wrong Zio’s location, but I swore I was on my way! …..(according to Joel) 45 minutes and many pitiful looks from the restaurant staff later, I showed up beaming with happiness and filled with butterflies nonetheless. From the moment I laid my eyes on Joel, I knew my life would never be the same. Joel shortly realized that even though he had to wait almost an hour to meet me on our first date, he would rarely ever go that long without being with me again.
As they say, the rest is history… “Two are better off than one because they have good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Engagement Story: As Told by Joel
Within days of knowing Bailey, there was no doubt in my mind she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Not long after getting to know Bailey, it dawned on me that I should begin saving for a wedding ring. For the next year and a half, Bailey would text me “subtle” hints..pictures of engagement rings she liked. Eventually, Bailey and I would pop into jewelry stores, hoping to find a ring that Bailey loved. She was set on a marquise diamond, yellow gold ring with a diamond halo. We searched all over Oklahoma City, and could not find a single store that had this ring.
Finally, Bailey’s mother, Liz, stepped in to help. She found the ring Bailey had in mind at a jeweler where she lived in Jacksonville, Florida. Liz and I, unbeknownst to Bailey, were determined to get that ring into my pocket from Florida, to Oklahoma. In February of 2018, I was able to get the finalized ring from her parents while they were visiting OKC. Bailey seemed to know Liz and I were up to something, so to keep it a surprise, I would later continue to take Bailey ring shopping since her ring design was “still nowhere to be found.”
Not long after, we were looking forward to Spring Break being the next big vacation for us. Liz and Bob had plans during that time to fly out to Colorado to watch Bob’s daughter’s tennis match. While there, they would spend a few days at my parents’ house in Eagle County, Colorado. I thought this would be a great chance to propose. Both our moms and stepdads together, in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. However, there was one problem. I was working for the University of Oklahoma Athletic Department, and we were expecting to host two basketball tournaments over Spring break which I would not be able to miss. By the grace of God, both tournaments ended up being hosted in different cities, and with a day’s notice, we were packing to drive to Colorado.
As we were packing, I had a chance to put the ring in my bag, but quickly realized I was not going to have the opportunity to ask Bailey’s father’s blessing. This devastated me, as I was determined that it was personally too important to me, and I wouldn’t ask Bailey to marry me without his blessing. As we were packing together, Bailey asked something that gave me hope. “Can we swing by my dad’s before leaving to get my winter jacket?” While her dad’s house was a bit out of the way, I said “YES!” Now, while on the way to her dad’s house, she called him asking if he’d be home when we stopped by. He mentioned that he might be headed out before we arrived, and again, my heart sunk.
When we pulled up to the house, his car was still in the driveway. We headed inside, and sure enough, he was there. Now, I just had to separate him and Bailey so that I could ask his blessing. Bailey grabbed her jacket, hugged her dad, and started to head out the door. Walking behind her, I told her I’d meet her in the car. She gave me a concerned look but headed to the car in the driveway. After a few words with Ronnie, I asked him for his blessing. Ronnie gave his blessing, we hugged, and I headed back to the car where Bailey was waiting. Through the windshield, I could see in her eyes confusion. I sat down in the driver’s seat as she exclaimed, “Did you just ask for his blessing!?” Wow, I was busted just like that? Not so fast.
Desperate to keep the surprise, I reminded Bailey that less than 30 hours ago we didn’t know we were making this trip to Colorado, and more importantly, 20 minutes ago we didn’t know that we were stopping by his house, let alone that he’d be home. Additionally, wasn’t it nearly impossible to find the ring of her dreams?! It seemed I was off the hook and the surprise could be kept alive.
For the next 13 hours in the car, Bailey and I talked about nearly everything under the sun. Although, while I was hearing her speak, I could not listen to a word she was saying. All I could think about was asking her to be my wife. I wanted it to be the perfect moment, and was thinking through scenarios, back drops, weather, – everything spun through my mind. When we arrived at my parent’s house outside of Vail, Colorado, I took my parents aside and told them just what Bailey meant to me, and how I couldn’t wait to spend all of life with her. They were so excited and began helping me brainstorm ideas. Vail, Beaver Creek, Aspen, Maroon Bells, Mount Sopris – there are so many spectacular settings nearby to choose from! All I knew is that I did not want to miss the most beautiful opportunity to share such a pivotal moment with my future wife.
A few days later, I finally had a plan. The evening of March 19th, my mom invited Bailey and Liz to a women’s prayer breakfast at church the next morning. Of course, they accepted the invitation, and set their alarms early. The morning of the breakfast, Bailey was up early, picking out a cute outfit, doing her hair and makeup, and getting ready to head to church. All this while I was “sleeping” in the other room. Truth be told, my outfit was already set out, and I had not slept for what seemed like the whole night as I was filled with excitement and thinking of all the words I wanted to say. As Bailey and our mothers began to get in the car to leave for the breakfast, I quickly hopped into my outfit, fixed my hair, and grabbed the ring. As the ladies pulled away, the step-dads and I headed to the 17th golf tee.
The 17th tee box is set on a beautiful golf course that spins right along my parent’s house. This particular tee box overlooks the valley, with a mountain cast high above a ranch on the valley floor. This morning, the clouds hung dramatically just above the valley, as the early sun began to burn off the morning moisture. Just as the ladies began to leave the neighborhood, Eric gave my mom a call. He asked her to return to the house because he forgot to give her the dry cleaners ticket that he was hoping she could pick up while in town. As the girls headed back to the house, he noted that we were actually on the nearby 17th tee watching the sunrise come in over the mountains.
With my mom in on the plan, she “convinced” her to bring the other two ladies down to see the view. I waited eagerly as they headed down the short cart to where the 17th tee overlooked the valley floor. Bailey approached where I was standing, and it was clear this was no ordinary sightseeing opportunity.
I grabbed both of her hands, apologized for having her woken up so early, and proceeded to tell her how she is everything I have prayed for in a wife. I told her that I want to live life with her, honor God with her, and love her deeply for the rest of time. That was the greatest moment of my life. After what seemed like forever (to me), she said yes! Later, we found out that March 20th, the day I proposed, was National Proposal Day! We spent the rest of the day celebrating each other and sharing the moment with loved ones. Now, when we go home to my parents, we can look out of the kitchen window and can see the 17th tee. A constant reminder of our perfect moment together.
FYI – a morning engagement is definitely the way to go.