True Bride Courtney & Jack

Bride and groom dancing smiling at each other

Courtney and Jack’s journey began in sixth grade and grew into a 15+ year love story, culminating in a dreamy sunset proposal on a Florida beach. Jack planned the proposal details perfectly, capturing the moment on camera and surprising Courtney with both of their families to celebrate.

For the wedding, food blogger and True Bride Courtney chose the timeless and romantic Martina Liana Style 1565 with a playful detachable bow, complemented by a pearl-edged veil. Her dress-shopping experience at True Society in Grand Rapids was as effortless as her gown, with expert bridal stylists and a beautifully curated selection.

Their wedding day was filled with meaningful touches, from a Detroit Lions jersey as the guest book to handwritten thank you notes for their over 200 guests. Personal moments, like serving family recipe cakes to custom t-shirts on the dance floor, made the special day unforgettable.

Every detail reflected their unique love story, creating a celebration of love, family and joy that will be cherished forever. Keep reading to get inspired!

COURTNEY, TELL US ABOUT YOUR PARTNER.  HOW DID YOU MEET?  

My husband, Jack, is my best friend and the love of my life. We met in 6th grade and over the 15+ years we’ve been together, our bond has only grown deeper. His proposal was nothing short of magical—a complete surprise on a beautiful Florida beach during sunset while we were sipping our favorite wine.

Jack had it all planned perfectly, with the moment caught on camera and then, to my amazement, our families ran out from behind the trees to join us. He truly thought of everything, making it one of the most unforgettable moments of my life.

Man and Woman embracing on a beach with the ocean in the back.

Bride and groom holding hands walking in front of a building

DESCRIBE YOUR BRIDAL STYLE.  

My bridal style was clean, timeless and romantic with a touch of feminine elegance. I wore Martina Liana Style 1565, a strapless white wedding gown that was form-fitting and featured a stunning detachable bow in the back, which added a playful yet sophisticated element.

For dancing, I transitioned to a chic French bustle, which felt effortless and elegant. My veil was simple yet impactful, adorned with delicate pearls along the edge, complementing the gown. On my wedding day, I felt like the most beautiful version of myself—confident, radiant and completely in love with every detail of my dress!

Bride laughing swearing a strapless wedding dress with a long tulle veil, holding a bouquet of flowers.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR DRESS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE AT TRUE SOCIETY. 

We visited the True Society store in Grand Rapids, MI, a short two-hour drive from where I live. I can honestly say I had the best time at True Society, where I found my dream gown Martina Liana Style 1565. These were my takeaways from my dress shopping experience.

True Society’s dresses are perfectly displayed on the rack, evenly spaced apart and not in a garment bag, making it easy to see the selection. There is room to gently move the dresses across the rack opposed to them being crammed together. You’re able to walk around with your designated bridal stylist and observe all they have to offer, instead of being rushed into a small dressing room where they bring the dresses to you.  I also appreciated that the selection was vast but not too overwhelming.

The overall store was so clean, calm and inviting! All the True Crew made us feel incredibly welcome and contributed to a positive, efficient wedding dress shopping experience!
I have always loved surprises, which is why I decided to keep my wedding dress style a secret from family and friends, other than my mom and in-laws. I’m so happy I did that and would recommend it to any bride.

Some brides end up choosing a dress completely different from what they initially envisioned. Others choose exactly what they had envisioned. I’m the latter. I knew I wanted crisp lines, form fitting, with some type of removable piece, like my big, beautiful bow. I absolutely adored my gown, Martina Liana Style 1565 from every angle.

My experience with True Society was nothing short of amazing and I’ll forever be grateful for the role it played in making my wedding day so magical. When I got home from wedding dress shopping that night, I poured myself a glass of red wine and danced around in my kitchen, simply beaming with happiness—It made me giddy for the big day!

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR WEDDING.  

When Jack saw me in my wedding dress for the first time, his reaction made my heart melt. He watched in awe as I walked down the aisle, tears welled in his eyes and then he broke into the biggest smile. Seeing his love and awe in that moment was the perfect start to our wedding day. It also confirmed our decision not to have a first look as the moment was so special.

I went all out to make our wedding a true reflection of our love story and personalities! We incorporated so many unique touches that made the day unforgettable.

For our guest book, we had everyone sign a Detroit Lions jersey, a nod to our shared love of football. I surprised Jack with a groom’s cake featuring his favorite soccer team— something non-traditional here in Michigan but so worth it to see his face light up! Guests received “The Newlywed Post” in their welcome bags, a custom wedding-themed newsletter filled with fun details about us and the weekend.

The dance floor was an absolute highlight! During “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, we threw out custom t-shirts that said, “Do you remember the 14th night of September? JACK & COURTNEY’S WEDDING.” The energy was electric! For the grand finale, we handed out confetti poppers for the last song, “Mr. Brightside,” creating the perfect send off to our scheduled after-party upstairs.

We also gave disposable cameras to our friends to capture the night through their eyes. Those candid photos are some of my favorites! To kick the party off post-ceremony, Jack and I brought shot roulette as a game for our bridal party, which was such a hit.
As a special nod to our families, we served a cake made from my mom’s and Jack’s grandma’s recipes, tying together generations of love and tradition. Every detail was thoughtfully planned and seeing it all come to life was pure magic.

Probably the biggest WOW were our custom thank you notes we wrote for every guest, which were placed at their seats upon entry to the reception. This was one of my favorite touches and it meant so much to hear how much our guests appreciated the personal gesture. We had a robust guest list of 230 people, so it was no small feat, but I’d recommend it to any bride and groom.

To keep the energy up all night, we served signature specialty cocktails, including espresso martinis on tap. They were a huge hit and kept the dance floor packed until the very end! Every detail was designed to make the day feel special, personal and unforgettable.