page 120 X metropolitan weddings
X WINTER / SPRING 2025
written by | meg Daniel photographed by | Gambles Photography
Letting Nature Sneak In
Who would have guessed that two preschoolers chasing each other on the playground would end up tying the knot at Juniper Gardens ? Michaela and Jackson actually met in preschool and were “ boyfriend and girlfriend .” After moving on to different elementary , middle and high schools , the two preschool buddies lost touch , but reconnected online . Jackson messaged Michaela and mentioned that she looked familiar . She thought , “ well that ’ s just a pick up line ,” but he quickly provided proof with a preschool picture of the two of them . So in April of 2018 , the two reconnected and began dating .
After realizing through many ups and downs , life was better together , Jackson knew it was time to ask Michaela to marry him . In December of 2022 , he scoped out the perfect place at the Springfield Botanical Center ’ s Christmas Gardens Aglow light festival , hired a photographer , and set the stage so both families could be there to celebrate together . While she knew Jackson was “ the one ,” Michaela had no idea the perfect proposal was coming that evening .
So to get into the wedding spirit , the first thing this wise couple did was attend the Metropolitan Wedding Expo in January . They were able to see lots of ideas , meet vendors and begin to wrap their heads around what they wanted their wedding to look like . First , they secured an officiant , but then procrastinated and went months without doing anything . Jackson encourages engaged couples to set a date far enough out so that if you do procrastinate , you still have time to plan . Meanwhile , both parents were putting pressure on the couple to start making plans and they basically put everything into place within two months . Procrastination put the pressure on !
Wanting to get married in a place that was connected to nature , Michaela and Jackson toured Juniper Gardens and met Mandi , the owner . It was perfect ! Hiking trails , outdoor venues , firepits , lawn games , camping spaces and a treehouse to sleep in - this was nirvana for these outdoor enthusiasts !
The couple will tell you , “ two of the best parts of our wedding were Erin Gamble - our photographer , and Kimberly Martinez from Sweet Hollow Farms flowers .” Michaela says Erin ’ s whole vibe was unconventional environments and nature photography . She was thrilled when she learned Erin was available for their wedding date . Kimberly understood the couple ’ s vision for the florals at their wedding . They wanted to use a lot of native Missouri flowers and dreamed of the space feeling like it was part of nature . Sweet Hollow Farms used lots of moss , twigs , rocks and native flowers to decorate . She even was able to incorporate the couple ’ s triangle rock collection into the decor . Michaela and Jackson have been collecting triangle shaped rocks throughout their relationship and Kimberly was able to creatively include these precious momentos .
Michaela found her dress at Evermore Bride . She says , “ I was uncomfortable about the whole process , but they made it easy .” She found a dress that had floral and lace , but of course , this outdoorsy girl was not about to walk down the aisle in heels - no way ! She wore white Chacos that her best friend had embroidered with flowers . Jackson wore a classic black tuxedo while the bridesmaids wore an array of colors that matched the native Missouri wildflowers in their bouquets . Michalea wanted it to feel like “ nature just sneaked in .”
The officiant ended up being an hour late due to a flat tire , but Michaela says ,” I do not know how I was so ‘ zen ,’” even though Jackson admits to being a little stressed . After the beautiful ceremony , the reception kicked off with dinner catered by Bambino ’ s . Shaker ’ s Bartending offered guests signature drinks : “ The Mack and Jack ,” as well as “ The Fox ” and “ The Scully ,” named after their cats and The X Files characters . A canoe was filled with ice and acted as a cooler for drinks , while s ’ mores kits were thoughtfully placed at each place setting , designating seating assignments . Live Events DJs were wonderful to work with and the couple was very intentional , choosing music that was significant to them .
But the speeches at the reception were the most meaningful . Michaela recalls her father ’ s speech brought the house down as he reenacted a scene from “ Part of your World ” from the Disney classic , The Little Mermaid , while speaking into a fork . Her best friend also brought a cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito to the wedding , which had been a running joke at their apartment for years . Many guests took photos with cardboard Danny , dancing with the cardboard movie star on the dance floor .
Incorporating their love of the outdoors and camping led Michaela and Jackson to invite guests to come early and set up their tents , staying the night . At the end of a blissful evening , scattered around the bonfire , the guests retreated to their campsites , and the DJ played one last song for the newlyweds to have a private dance before they spent the night in the treehouse at Juniper Gardens . Both agreed it was the perfect way to end a perfect day , sneaking off into nature . Xxoxo