page 120 X metropolitan weddings
X SUMMER / FALL 2025
written by | Tonya Shoats-Mc Ghee photographed by | Gambles Photography
lucky in love: Poker hands to wedding bands
Some love stories start with a gamble— Jacob and Michael’ s began with a full house. They met on a dating app, but it was a poker party in Springfield, Missouri, where they met in person for the first time and instantly clicked.
Michael was living in Wichita, finishing his nursing degree. They spent months visiting each other on weekends until he moved to Springfield in March 2023. By November, he was ready to go all in.
Michael planned a surprise proposal in Eureka Springs, complete with friends, a photographer, and a ring. When an unlucky snowstorm derailed the original hike, he rerouted the group to a scenic downtown overlook. Shivering but smiling, Michael dropped to one knee and Jacob, with a ring of his own to offer, said yes.
They dove right into planning.“ We started almost immediately,” Jacob said.
They met Mark and Tracy from Affinity Riverside Estate at the Metropolitan Wedding Expo, and the connection was instant.“ They weren’ t just vendors,” Jacob said,“ they became like family.” The couple chose Affinity for their beautiful layout and inclusive services: catering, DJ, and day-of coordination included.
Top priorities included food and venue ambiance. Michael chose the menu and his suit, while Jacob handled the rest, including a detailed wedding planning book that kept the day flowing smoothly.
Jacob’ s custom wedding attire, handmade by Robyn Holland, his boss’ s wife— was a standout.“ She just ran with my ideas and made it more perfect than I ever could have envisioned.”
The morning of the wedding was picture-perfect, until a thunderstorm rolled in.“ We were heartbroken,” Jacob said.“ Thirty minutes before guests arrived, it was pouring.” But the skies cleared just in time, and the Affinity team sprang into action, blow-drying chairs and prepping the ceremony space.
“ It was like something out of a movie. They worked so hard to make it perfect,” remembers Michael. Just as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, Gamble Photography snapped a sunset photo so stunning it looked staged.“ We didn’ t think we’ d get a sunset picture at all,” Jacob said,“ then the clouds just opened up- it was perfect.” That unexpected moment became one of their most treasured keepsakes and is now featured in Affinity’ s marketing. A rainy forecast might have seemed unlucky, but in the end, it gave them the image of a lifetime.
Despite a few bad hands- Jacob’ s dad getting sepsis, his sister’ s family catching COVID, and their custom cake topper shattering just two days before the wedding- people showed up in remarkable ways. Jacob’ s father couldn’ t attend, and the original ring bearer was out, but the officiant’ s son stepped in and fit the suit they had ready. For the cake topper, Jacob called on a client— who happened to be the owner of Silver Dollar City— and arranged for the artisan to recreate it. He was granted early access to the park to retrieve it. What began as setbacks became reminders of how love, community, and a little unexpected luck can turn the tide.
Michael added one last laugh during the reception.“ I was giving Jacob a lap dance and my pants split,” he chuckled. It was a small stroke of bad luck that turned into one of the most loved, talked-about moments of the night. A reminder that sometimes, luck plays its hand with a wink.
Looking back, the couple has some advice for others planning their big day:“ Everything will be fine and don’ t stress over small details, no one will ever know it happened. Enjoy the day— it’ s yours. Only you and your partner’ s opinions matter.” So, do they believe in luck?“ Absolutely,” Michael said,“ sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together.” And as for poker, the game that brought them together, it is still a monthly tradition with friends- a reminder that sometimes the best hands aren’ t the ones you expect, but the ones you choose to play together. Xxoxo