Samantha + Shawn
Madison, Wisconsin Wedding at The Tinsmith
Samantha and Shawn’s Madison wedding at The Tinsmith
Their love story was something out of a Hallmark movie – Samantha was the big-city girl. She unexpectedly fell in love with Shawn, with hundreds of miles between them. They fell in love through handwritten notes + FaceTime calls.
So she traded in city streets for goats and a garden. This day, celebrating their love was overflowing with so much meaning + joy. There was laughter, happy tears, and so much dancing.
Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Monien!
How They Met
Shawn and Samantha met in a professional setting in February of 2020, while Samantha was managing a hotel in St. Louis, MO, and Shawn was hosting an event at the hotel. They briefly talked throughout the weekend, as Samantha was in charge of the event, and on the last night of Shawn’s event, he asked for recommendations for a karaoke bar. After a quick consultation with Google, Samantha gave him a recommendation, and off he went!
A year and a half later, Shawn returned to the hotel for another event and was incredibly excited when he saw that Samantha was working at the front desk, greeting those arriving for his conference. After the interaction, Samantha told her boss that ‘this guest must think I’m someone else because he’s way too excited to see me, but dang is he good-looking and charming.’
Samantha had not put together that she had met Shawn the year prior. Later that day, Shawn approached Samantha and asked if she would join him for karaoke this year. That was when the lightbulb clicked for Samantha as to who Shawn was. Despite her front office team encouraging her to leave her shift to go out for a night of karaoke, she declined the offer.
Shawn then convinced Samantha that he needed her phone number for assistance throughout the conference, and they started texting. After a few other brief interactions throughout the weekend, Shawn’s conference finished and he headed back to Wisconsin! After about a week of not texting, they started the conversation back up which went from texting to phone calls to FaceTime to handwritten letters and cards- as Shawn says “old school dating.”
After 3 very long months of just seeing each other through a screen, Samantha hopped on a plane for a 5-day trip to Wisconsin. By the time she flew back to Saint Louis, they were both convinced and decided to take a big leap of faith! Samantha resigned from her job and a few months later moved to the farm and started a whole new adventure!
The Proposal
For Shawn’s 50th Birthday, he decided he wanted the whole family (his two sons and Samantha) to Vermont for a skiing/snowboarding trip (which would also be their first family trip with his sons)! As Samantha does not participate in either of those sports, Shawn set up a sleigh ride as well so that everyone could enjoy some sightseeing.
The morning of the sleigh ride, everyone was getting ready. And while Shawn was in the shower, he was playing the sappiest of love songs… which even the boys pointed out to Samantha. As they drove up the mountain to get to the sleigh ride, the sappy songs continued. Then, ‘Bless the Broken Road’ came on, causing Shawn to start tearing up as he held Samantha’s hand.
While on the sleigh ride, the driver offered to stop so they could have a photo opportunity. They all got out of the sleigh, and Shawn’s oldest son offered to take a photo of the two of us with a little gazebo to the side and a river behind us. The next thing Samantha knew, Shawn was down on one knee proposing!
And the ‘picture’ was thankfully a video, capturing the whole moment for them. Having the two boys there to be a part of it was truly the best and made the moment even more special. Once Samantha started calling everyone to share the news, she found out that her family had known about the plan for over a month! They kept the secret the whole time!
Vendor Love:
Venue: The Tinsmith | Wedding Planner: Indigo Moon Events | Florist: Generations Wedding Flowers | Dessert: Insomnia Cookies | Band/DJ: Felix & Fingers Dueling Pianos | Hair & Makeup: Allure Artistry | Bridal Boutique: Adore Bridal, Mesa, AZ | Dress Designer: Adore by Justin Alexander, Style No. 11247 | Bridesmaid Boutique: Azazie | Men’s Wear: Men’s Wearhouse, Custom tux by Joseph Abboud | Photography + Videography: The McNiels Photo & Films
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