Aug 2, 20216 min read

"About Time!" // Holland, Michigan Wedding: The Zula's

Jackie and Thomas met 10 years ago while the two were in middle school. They began soon after meeting each other, and in 2019, the two got engaged. And on the last day of July in 2021, they married and officially became Mr. and Mrs. Zula, and friends and family had one thing to say. "About time!" July 31 of this year marked the day that the couple said their "I Do's!" surrounded by their loved ones in Holland, Michigan. The ceremony began at the Third Reformed Church of Holland before everyone made their way to the reception at A Cut Above Event Center.

The couple took a detour before the reception and visited Saugatuck Dunes State Park with their wedding party for photos. We made friends with the disk golf guys as we took over the disk golf field for some pictures of the whole wedding party. After those, we parted ways with the group and took some time for the Zula's to be together alone for their couple photos.

A couple speech's from the couples wedding party -

"Hello everyone, I'm Gabby, one of the Maids of Honor. First off, I want to thank everyone for attending and celebrating Jacqueline and Thomas today. I also want to thank you who contributed to planning a beautiful engagement and wedding for our beautiful couple. Most of all, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to stand next to you as you said, "I do!" Today was a magical day, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for our bride and groom. You both mean the world to me, and I couldn't be more excited for you both.

For those of you who might not know, I am Jacqueline, or as I call her Jaxz's sister. Now I know what you might be thinking, Jaxz doesn't have a sister. Well, I'm sorry to inform you that is false, I am her sister. Technically, I am her Phi Mu sister, but our bond is stronger than any biological sister's bond. We met six short years ago, jumping off a little stage in CMU's Kelly Shorts Stadium as we ran to our new home in Phi Mu. We both went Greek hoping to find new friends to lean on in college, but little did we know that we would be finding our lifelong best friend. A lot of people asked me when I decided to go Greek, "Why was I paying for my friends?" And I would respond, "Well, if that's what I'm doing, then I'm not paying enough." No price tag can be put on our sisterhood.

I will forever be grateful to Phi Mu for bringing me you. Our sisterhood brought us weekly episodes of the Bachelor, talking and laughing on the floors of our bedrooms for hours, building forts for our movie nights, dancing around our townhouse, cuddle puddles, and so much more. My all-time favorite memory of us has to be the time our college classes were canceled for a week due to extreme winter weather. On the first full day of being snowed in, we watched the movie "The Day after Tomorrow" together, and from the weather, we felt like we were in the movie.

Then we made a wise decision that any sane college student would do. We decided to get all dressed up to unbuy Jaxz's car in snow that went past our knees and mind you, it was still snowing heavily as we were attempting. But after much time, as you can imagine, we continued to stay true to our mission and drove through a blizzard all the way to the bar for free pizza. Boy, do I miss all of our wise decisions that we made in college. But our friendship is so much more than those memories.

I look up to you in so many ways, and I admire your strength so much. You are so caring, down-to-earth, and thoughtful. You are going to be the most amazing wife. I'm so excited for you. And Thomas, I know you are going to be an amazing husband. You are kind, genuine, and hard-working. You encourage Jaxz to reach for her dreams, put in so much effort to make sure she has a smile on her face, you are always there for her and watch over her, and so much more.

Jaxz and Thomas met 10 years ago in middle school, and I might not have seen their love then, but it feels like I have now. The way you interact together feels like you just started dating. You show that spark between you and have that twinkle in your eye when you look at each other. You are giddy and playful around each other and complement each other so well. Your love is just one of a kind and such a special thing to hold onto forever. My biggest advice to you both in your married life is to never stop dating and never stop trying. I'm so excited for you both on this new chapter of your lives. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, laughter, and adventures. Now please join me in your raising your glasses - "To Mr. and Mrs. Zula, and their happily ever after. Thank you for sharing your celebration of love with all of us today. Cheers!"

"Hello! Good Evening! My name is Caleigh. I'm one of the Maid of Honors.

I met Jackie during my senior year of college. They say that the best friendships begin unexpectedly, and Jackie and I met with the sole intention of not liking each other. We both had rough roommate experiences previously, and honestly, we both just needed someone to split the bills with. Plus, she had cats! I always wanted a cat.

I remember when Jackie first moved back into the apartment that we were to share. Along with her moving in came a whole posse of people! I was kinda living on my own for a small period of time, so I was a bit

overwhelmed. And that is when I met Thomas. He stayed the night that night, and I was freaked out because I never had roommates who brought their long-term boyfriend around. So when we moved in together, we kept each other at arm's length. I

remember the awkward first couple of mornings where we would bump into each other, followed by a lot of Midwesterns sorries and opes. But this woman is just too difficult not to get along with- especially when she chooses you to be her friend! I think she chose me to be a part of her journey before I did.

I think I refused to let my guard down until October... maybe November? Let me tell you, though, Jackie is determined, one of the many qualities I appreciate about her. I remember a time when I realized that this was a friendship that would last a lifetime. We were going to celebrate her 21st birthday, and we went out for drinks.

Honestly, bar scenes were not really either of our scenes at that time. We were much more the stay inside and finish off a couple bottles of wine. But we tried it out, we took lots of cute pictures- but my favorite part was when we went home early, and we realized we had Onesies and a selfie stick. Those were some of the best pictures we ever took.

That's where it began. This beautiful, bountiful friendship and sisterhood. Jackie is assertive. She is awe-inspiring and admirable. When you know Jackie, you know Thomas. They come as a packaged deal, as you may remember from night one.

Thomas has one of those personalities that draw you in. He's hilarious and passionate. He loves T-Swizzle and Ariana Grande. He's quick to smile and quick to laugh. He genuinely cares about all whom he interacts with. Thomas is strong, he is steady, and he is sensitive to other's needs.

We also have these sick dance moves that we call out to each other to do

out in public spaces. (Thomas dance move! Jay Jay dance move! Paul dance move!)

The hardships they both faced and the love that blossomed between the

two of them only to become strengthened when approached together as a union. They support each other and have an understanding between the two of them that is in their own language. When you see the two of them, you know they are just crazy about each other. The kind of love that makes you glow in the presence of them. A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. That's Jackie and Thomas! Let's raise a glass to the new... Mr. and Mrs. Zula!"

I met Jackie back in our college days because we are in the same sorority in different states. We roomed together during our Officer Academy days in Georgia. When Jackie reached out to me about being her wedding photographer, I was beyond thrilled! We adventured for the two's engagement photos at the beginning of 2020 in Michigan on a frozen lake with a blanket of snow surrounding the area. Seeing Jackie and Thomas again this year was so sweet, and witnessing the love the two radiate for each other, there's nothing better to be a part of!