Minnesota Wedding at The Saint Paul College Club

By jeanninemarie

Why did you choose the Saint Paul College Club?

We chose to have our wedding at the Saint Paul College Club, because it is a historic home, and we were able to do everything in one venue. We debated between Virginia (where we live now) and Minnesota (where Marissa grew up). In the end, we decided to go with Minnesota because of Marissa’s deep connections to and love of the state and her hometown of St. Paul. She worked at the James J. Hill House for a few years, and getting married at a mansion on Summit Avenue felt symbolic and was a nice connection to St. Paul.

When and how did you two first meet?

We met online – the new normal – on OkCupid. Mike was the first one to message. Marissa’s profile mentioned that she was working her way through McCollough’s Truman biography. Mike’s first message to her was something along the lines of “One of my most prized possessions is my signed copy of John Adams by McCollough.” We chatted for a week or so and then found some time to get coffee. It was actually kind of a pain to find a time that worked for both of us, and Marissa almost gave up trying to find a time, but eventually, we landed on an early Saturday morning – Mike even skipped his Crossfit class to meet her!

When and how did you get engaged?

On Valentine’s Day in 2021, we went on a snowy hike at Buzzard Rock North in Virginia. We made it to a beautiful overlook. When Marissa was taking pictures Mike came over, and Marissa handed him the camera and was about to put her gloves back on. Mike said, “before you put those back on…” and in his sweatpants and winter coat, said he was sorry he didn’t have anything else planned for Valentine’s Day but was hoping this would make up for it…then he got down on one knee and asked Marissa to marry him. She replied with “are you serious??” and then a heartfelt “yeah!” (Mike likes to poke fun that she didn’t say “yes”).