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photographer: Jessica Guzman, Jessica Grace Photography, jessicagracephotos.com
On their last day vacationing in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan in July 2021, Vanessa Hepler and Tyler Adkins hiked up the sand dunes to see a breathtaking view of the crystal blue lake. Then during sunset, Tyler got down on one knee.
“You could see the pretty blue lake. It was so blue,” Vanessa says. “And the sunset — it was just gorgeous!”
The pair met in sixth grade during homeroom at Field Middle School in Mogadore and have been inseparable since. Tyler caught Vanessa’s eye, and once he heard that she liked him, they started texting each other on their flip phones before dating in September 2011.
“He has a personality that I fell in love with. He is one of the good guys,” Vanessa says.
After getting engaged, the couple bought a house in the Suffield area with their two dogs, Izzy and Hazel, and began saving for their dream wedding. The middle school sweethearts finally tied the knot June 24 at the Parker Barn in Copley.
From the Bride:
Fairy-tale Princess: The dress I picked was so sparkly and had a long train. I have always wanted a Cinderella wedding. I felt like a princess in the dress, so I knew it was the one.
Family Blessings: We were trying to find something special to incorporate into the ceremony. Our officiant suggested some ideas. One was that we do a ring blessing, which really stuck out to us. We gave our rings to Caleb, Tyler’s brother, and he gave them to each of our family members, so they could say a blessing or prayer over the rings. That was really special.
Scented Memories: We each picked out a cologne and perfume to wear on the wedding day. Tyler’s was the main cologne that he wore in sixth grade when we met. It’s called Curve. I’ve loved it ever since, and there is no other cologne that I’d ever have him wear. Mine we both picked out. It’s called Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. I chose that perfume so that I could wear it on my wedding day and on every anniversary.
Scene Setter: I had seen TikToks of live wedding painters and thought that it was so cool. My parents surprised us with a live painter as our wedding gift. The painter asked us which moment we would like her to paint, and we chose our first dance because we liked how the cross in the barn looked behind us.
Furry Guests: As I saw the farm animals, I knew I wanted to take pictures with them. It was fun, but it was challenging because of the poop on the ground and a donkey was trying to eat my veil. It was definitely unique, and we liked it a lot.
From the Groom:
Above and Beyond: Vanessa’s mom did all the flowers for the wedding. She spent many, many hours, months, working on the flowers. She and Vanessa planned a lot of it together and I helped along the way.
I Do, Finally: We felt a lot of love and relief that the wedding was finally there, and we could call each other husband and wife. We waited a long time for this, and it was special.
