Next Down The Aisle: Michelle & Jeff Plan Their January 2026 Wedding!
With just weeks to go until they say “I do,” Michelle and Jeff are deep in the final stages of wedding planning, and soaking in every moment along the way. We sat down with the couple to talk about their journey, what they’re most excited about, and how they’re preparing for their big day.
Let’s start from the beginning - Michelle, how did you two meet, and what initially drew you to each other?
I love the story of how we met! We were both “stuck” in Florida during COVID, and with all that extra time on our hands, we found ourselves on the dating apps. I was on Bumble when I came across Jeff’s profile, and the photo that made me swipe right was him smiling in his Marlins uniform while holding a tiny dog. I’m pretty sure my first message was, “Swiped right for the pup.” With everything shut down, we were both just looking for connection outside our homes, and we immediately hit it off with bike rides, beach days, and cooking together.
Tell us the proposal story! Where were you, and what made the moment feel special?
I actually knew the proposal was coming sometime soon. Jeff told me before our London/Paris trip that he wasn’t proposing in Europe but that it would happen “soon.” I later found out it was because he didn’t have the ring yet!
We always do a winter getaway, so right after Christmas he took me to Salish Lodge and Spa. December 28th ended up being the day. He brought the ring on a hike earlier, but it was pouring and packed, so he didn’t get the moment he wanted, and I had no idea he had the ring the whole time. That night we went to a nice dinner, and Jeff told the waitress we weren’t celebrating anything special, which threw me off and made me a little sad, but I pulled it together!
After dinner he asked if I wanted to walk by the waterfall. When he set up a tripod, it should’ve been a clue, but I genuinely thought nothing was happening after the remark to the waitress. We took a few photos, then I noticed the phone light was on and said, “Jeff, I think it’s on video,” turned around, and he was on one knee. Honestly can’t remember what he said because I blacked out during the moment, but I was sooo happy!
Why did you land on a January wedding? Was it the aesthetic, the timing, or something more personal?
We always knew we would have a Fall or Winter wedding. Jeff plays professional baseball so we can only get married from mid-October through mid-January. Yes, baseball season is that long because of prep work and spring training!
How would you describe the overall vibe or style you’re going for with your wedding?
Jeff is a great fiancé, he told me I could take the lead on designing the wedding and choosing the venue (love him for that!). So the overall style is very me… I’ve always loved tropical, beachy décor and exotic florals, and I’ve dreamed of a villa-style venue long before Jeff came into the picture. That vision definitely didn’t change after the engagement. We’re leaning into bold, vibrant colors, like deep greens, blush reds, pinks, and oranges, with lots of interesting textures and statement florals to give it that lush, tropical feel.
For the vibe, it’s a blend of both of us. Even with a ~130-person wedding, we want the night to feel intimate and warm, like a really good dinner party with lively dancing.
Before using Plannerd, what part of wedding planning felt the most overwhelming or unclear?
Honestly, just keeping everything in one place. I had this giant Excel sheet with my budget, vendor notes, next steps, random details, basically my entire brain dumped into cells. It was really hard to maintain and easy to lose track of. On top of that, I was constantly getting contracts, invoices, and estimates from vendors, and I kept re-downloading them because I’d forgotten which folder I saved them in on my laptop. It felt like things were scattered everywhere, and I never had one clean, central hub to work from.
Knowing where to start was also difficult, and Plannerd has automatic to-do lists you can leverage or give you an idea of what you need to do in each ‘phase’ of wedding planning.
How has Plannerd helped make your experience more organized and less stressful?
Plannerd has solved all of that. I can build a clear to-do list by event type (rehearsal dinner, brunch, wedding), map everything out by month, and even loop in my vendors or fiancé so we’re all on the same page. I can upload every document like contracts, invoices, estimates… which helps me easily move into the budgeting section, so nothing gets lost or forgotten.
Now I mark all my to-dos between now and the wedding date, add notes so I don’t forget small details, and update the status as I go. It keeps everything feeling manageable. Plus, all my documents live in one place, so I’m no longer digging through emails every day. It’s made the whole planning process feel way more organized and way less chaotic.
I’m currently using the timeline feature to finalize the wedding day schedule with my coordinator and make sure nothing gets missed! I love that it comes with automatic milestone suggestions but still lets me add all the specifics. For example, one of my unique timeline items will be our dog Cola’s pickup from the ceremony with her dog sitter!
What has been the most fun part of planning so far?
Does wedding dress shopping count? Ha! To be honest though that was my favorite part of the process, trying on beautiful couture dresses is just so much fun! If we’re talking about the actual planning and management side, I would say designing the wedding look. I’ve never done a lot of design in my consulting work, so it was really refreshing to tap into my artistic side and work closely with our event designer to bring everything to life.
We can’t wait to see your wedding come to life. Lastly, If you had to describe your wedding vision in three words, what would they be?
Vibrant, Elegant, and Lively!
--
As Michelle and Jeff count down the days to their January 2026 wedding, one thing is clear: their celebration will be rooted in intention, warmth, and a deep love for one another. We can’t wait to follow their story into this next chapter!
Cheers to the final countdown, Michelle & Jeff!