page 126 X metropolitan weddings
X SUMMER / FALL 2025
written by | Tonya Shoats-Mc Ghee photographed by | Max Sydko photography
Not in the Job Description: An Unscheduled Romance Story
After years of helping other couples celebrate their“ I do’ s,” Mandy and Clint Rosdahl were determined to make their wedding a reflection of their own story— a personal, intentional celebration of how love found them while they were just doing their jobs.
The pair met while working at Hotel Vandivort in Springfield. Mandy had moved from St. Louis, focused on building her career and finding herself, not a relationship. Clint, a decade older and grounded in his own rhythm, was a veteran in the hospitality scene and content on his own path.“ We weren’ t looking for love,” Mandy said,“ but when you work in hospitality, your team becomes like family. You see each other through every kind of stress and every kind of celebration."
What started as professional respect evolved into deep friendship— and eventually, something more. " She started stalking me," Clint joked. Mandy, however, offered a different take. " Anyone who knows me knows I can be very indecisive, but when I do decide on something, there ' s not much stopping me." After months of working closely and spending time in their management team, she admitted, " I liked what I saw. I respected him, and I felt like I knew him very well.”
It took four years from the night Mandy finally worked up the courage to share her feelings— from a dashboard confessional to the moment Clint proposed. That candid moment, along with the uniquely bonding experience of navigating early COVID days together, helped lay the foundation for everything that followed. Clint, a self-proclaimed non-celebrator, popped the question in December 2023 on an ordinary night at home, using their dog as the ring bearer.“ It was perfect,” Mandy said,“ simple, sincere, and us.”
They were engaged for just five months before tying the knot on April 28, 2024 atop the Vantage Rooftop at Hotel Vandivort— the very place where their love story began. Choosing the venue wasn’ t about convenience, it was about meaning.“ I told him, it’ s not that we have to get married there— it’ s that anywhere else would feel wrong.”
As wedding industry insiders, the couple coordinated the entire event themselves in just four months.“ We’ ve literally worked weddings together,” Mandy said,“ so we knew how to make things run smoothly and how to make it personal.” Mandy brought the ideas; Clint mapped them into spreadsheets.“ That’ s our marriage,” he joked,“ she gives me the vision and I make it happen.”
Their priorities were clear: a meaningful location, intimate feel, trusted vendors, and a celebration with the people they considered family.
Clint said,“ We didn ' t create a wedding for anyone else. Every single moment reflected our story.”
And it did— from self-written vows and a rooftop first look( complete with Mandy cheekily grabbing Clint’ s backside) to a choreographed first dance that surprised guests with a tempo switch from slow to upbeat. The soundtrack came from a playlist Mandy had been curating since her early“ crushing” days.
Vendors were chosen not by portfolio, but by personal connection. Mandy’ s bridesmaid and best friend created the florals through her new shop, Ladybug Floral. A close friend baked the couple’ s cake. The dessert bar, curated by the hotel, offered a buffet of mini-sweets, and a trusted friend managed the playlist during the reception.
The one vendor they didn’ t know ahead of time became an essential part of their story: Max Sydko, their photographer, whom Mandy discovered at the Metropolitan Wedding Expo.“ He made our wedding what it was,” she said.“ A big part of what made our day so perfect and memorable was having Max as our photographer. I ' d recommend him 100 times over.”
Although a rainy morning threatened their rooftop plans, the skies cleared just in time.“ It literally stopped raining the moment I stepped outside in my wedding dress, and it didn’ t start again until after our first dance,” Mandy remembers. Clint had been confident it would clear:“ There’ s no way it’ s going to rain on us,” he told everyone.
The Rosdahls prioritized quality over quantity, inviting just 30 guests to the ceremony and 120 to the reception.“ I’ d much rather have ten close friends than that third uncle you barely know,” Clint said. Mandy delivered a speech during the post-ceremony brunch, something she’ d envisioned after watching“ The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”“ That show opens with her giving a speech at her own wedding,” she said, " and when I saw that, I decided that I was going to give a speech at my own wedding." Their advice to future couples? Mandy says,“ Choose what matters to you— not what you think others expect. There will be tough conversations, but that’ s okay. Sometimes less is more. And agree on a budget early- things add up fast.” Clint added one more tip:“ Don’ t cut corners on the photographer. The cake is gone in a day, but the photos last forever. You’ ll always remember how you felt— but the pictures let you relive it.”
Their love story may have started on a work shift— but what they built together was anything but business as usual. Xxoxo