MICAELA + SAM | WEDDING

THE LOVE STORY

My mother told me once, I was going to marry a coach. I thought, “nah, I like ag boys.” Little did I know there was a baseball coach just an hour south of where I grew up who was also living out his dreams of managing the family cattle operation. Sam had just moved back home to Pauls Valley, OK after graduating from TCU Ranch Management and previously playing college baseball in Kansas City. It’s crazy to me our paths never crossed earlier in our lives. We both grew up showing livestock, both played competitive sports, and we even spent a semester in Stillwater at Oklahoma State University at the same time. Once I did meet Sam, it took me three encounters to remember his name. Third time’s a charm! We officially met at the Tulsa State Fair in the fall of 2017. I was at the fair that day to see Casey Donahew in concert, and I had two extra tickets. After running into Sam, and our mutual friend, Cody Ward, I either had a choice of inviting these two boys or asking some other friends who were at the fair that day. Sam was driving me crazy, and I wasn’t too sure about him. He has a very outgoing personality and had a sarcastic comment about anything I had to say. So, I tried to give these tickets to anyone and everyone else, and no one would take them. I finally gave in and asked the boys to join us for the evening. We had dinner together, we went to the concert, and halfway through the concert, I remember thinking, “I am going to give this boy one more chance to have a normal conversation with me.” And we did. The rest is history. We have been inseparable ever since.

We dated for three and a half years, before he proposed. He proposed on his 30^th birthday (which he says was the only day he could have surprised me) in the pasture on our ranch as we were feeding cattle. I designed the ring using stones that had been passed down in his family.

We were married on October 15, 2021. We had the most perfect, intimate, simple, DIY, locally sourced, backyard wedding with 23 people in attendance. We were married at the Halverson Ranch – to say “I do” at our home was a dream come true. We chose to invest in landscaping our backyard rather than pay for a venue. We built the farmhouse tables, searched Facebook Marketplace high and low for the bentwood chairs and reupholstered them ourselves, thrifted the chandelier, vases, candleholders and more, and used what we had. The dinnerware, doilies, and cloth napkins belonged or were made by our grandmothers and great grandmothers and we were able to mix and match sets. I am proud to say we didn’t rent one piece. In my job, I work with specialty crop growers and local food producers. It was an honor for me to buy products from Oklahoma producers to either use as decorations or to serve at our four-course farm-to-table dinner. Our goal for the wedding was simplicity and sentiment yet elegant, and to have touches of vintage and western. It was the most beautiful day!

Venue: Halverson Ranch, Pauls Valley, OK

Photography: Baleigh Creed Photography

Dress: Made with Love Bridal from Chantilly Bridal Studio

Boots: No Roots Boots

Hat: M.L.Leddys

Ring: Naifeh Fine Jewelry

Branded necklace: Baby Gold

Earrings: Barse Jewelry

Cut flowers: Petal Pusher Farms, Purcell, OK

Greenery: Bloomin’ Crazy, Pauls Valley, OK

Florist: Megan Danker Florals (the bride’s sister-in-law with assistance from the bride’s sister, Whitney Danker Thurmond)

Pumpkins: Growing Paynes, Mustang, OK