We truly treasure very time we are invited to share in a couple’s journey on The White Wren, but sharing their love twice is a treat indeed! We were fortunate enough to feature Cody & Danielle’s engagement once upon a time, and now we’ve found ourselves celebrating their wedding day as well — count us blessed, folks, this one’s just as sweet!

Love notes from the couple, Cody & Danielle:

What is your favorite thing about each other?

Cody: “My favorite thing about Danielle is her beauty. Not only her outer beauty, but also her inner beauty. She is absolutely gorgeous but she is also so caring and loving and would do anything for anyone. She has the biggest heart and the way she loves is out of this world.”

Danielle: “My favorite thing about Cody is how he loves me so incredibly and selflessly. I have never known a love like that other than my parents before I met him. He is always there without question to help me or be there for me, sometimes before I even know I need it. He is always putting our love above all else.”

Any special ways you incorporated your family into your wedding day?

Danielle: “I would say the most significant piece of family history at our wedding was my grandmother’s pearls strung around the stem of my bridal bouquet. My father’s mother passed when my mom was carrying my older sister, so neither my sisters or I were able to meet her. I know through stories my father has told me that she was such a significant and influential person in my father’s life and it weighs on him that we didn’t get the chance to get to know her. Right before my father walked me down the aisle it all the sudden came to me that I hadn’t yet shown my dad that I had the pearls with me. I quickly stopped him before we started to walk to show him and he squeezed my hand and I saw a tear roll down his cheek. I could see he felt a peace that she was there with him as he gave his daughter away.”

What part of your wedding day was most important to you?

“The most important part of our wedding day was walking down the aisle as two separate individuals, but then walking back together as one. We aren’t going to lie, emotions and nerves were pretty high and I can’t remember every word said during the ceremony, but we will never forget the feeling as we walked back down the aisle as husband and wife. Walking down the aisle you have all of this excitement and all these nerves just building up inside and it is hard to catch your breath! But as we walked back down the aisle hand in hand we felt this strong sense of peace. We did it, and we were officially starting our lives together.”

What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another?

“The thing we have learned most through our relationship is that when you truly love someone for all of the right reasons, you are capable of a selfless love. You always want to put the other before yourself. Your first thought turns into how can I help the other before I help myself. You learn that putting the other person first ends up being one of, if not the most important thing.”

If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be?

“One piece of advice that we could give to other couples is that you need to be a team. You need to work together at all times to accomplish both of your goals. You need to conquer all obstacles as a team and not as two individuals. Everything seems to go a lot smoother in a relationship if you fully commit to being a duo rather than trying to do things alone. The love becomes more genuine, the relationship grows stronger, and you both will end up happier!”

What is the most honest thing you can say about love?

“It isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. Real love is what keeps you going, it is what drives you to do better and to be better. It is what keeps this world spinning when it seems be to headed in all of the wrong directions. It can get very hard, and even at times it may seem impossible, but it is always worth fighting for.”

photographer: Carrie House Photography / venue: The Leelanau School / stylist / planner / designer: Juniper + Lace Events / floral designer: Linnaea Floral / dress boutique: Becker’s Bridal / cake designer: Top Tier Cakery / makeup artist: Lacey Gepford / hair stylist: Alicia Bollman / rentals: Monstrey Macdonald / accessories: 307 Events / film lab: The Find Lab / donuts: Peace, Love, and Little Donuts