Waldenwoods Banquet & Conference Center

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Brunch

Our Wedding

The story of Alaina and Cedric began in September 2019, with two right swipes and a series of silly, flirty message exchanges. A few days later we met up at a Starbucks. After a couple hours there and having so much more to say, we opted to extend the date and get dinner at Buddy’s Pizza. We closed the restaurant down talking and laughing. Little did we know this first date was just the beginning of our favorite love story.

From October through December we enjoyed a variety of different dates; a bar and dancing night, pumpkin carving, a paint & pour date, Christmas tree decorating, and many evenings of cooking each other dinner & watching all seasons of The Office.

At midnight on January 1, 2020, Cedric asked me to be his girlfriend and we started off the new year with my first YES, and a kiss solidifying all of our hopes and excitement for the year to come. While I found him to be the greatest of boyfriend material, Cola found him to be suitable chair material.

In February of 2020, we watched one of my best friends sing in the snow, we celebrated our first Valentine’s Day together, and I surprised him with MSU basketball tickets for the occasion.

We started off April celebrating my birthday, and ended it adjusting to the new normal of quarantine. I asked him to move in with me, and he said YES! Like many other couples in quarantine, we made banana bread, sanitized our mail & groceries, and binged Tiger King on Netflix.

Life threw us another curveball in May of 2020 when we realized we were expecting a baby. Our hearts were so full to know our love had created another living being. From conversations of what she’d be like & who she’d be like, to sharing the news with our family and friends the following month, Layla Grace was by far our greatest blessing (besides each other). We finished up the summer celebrating Cedric’s birthday in August.

On September 5, 2020, unforeseen complications with preeclampsia lead to Layla Grace’s premature birth, at just 24 and a half weeks gestation. At 10.8oz, she may have been little…but she was fierce. For four days she fought for her life in the NICU while her daddy bounced from her room to mine making sure we were both okay. On the morning of the 9th, we had Layla baptized and got to hold her to say our hellos and goodbyes. God was ready for her to come home, but our hearts weren’t.

Despite our devastating loss, the world kept going. We had a lot of hard days, but a lot of days that reminded us of what brought us together in the first place. We had our second pumpkin carving date, a fall photo shoot, our first and only “quarantine” Thanksgiving (thanks Mom), our first Thanksgiving cooked by us (go Cedric!), Christmas with my family, and our second Valentine’s Day.

March 26, 2021 we closed on our first home together! After a couple months of painting and adding our personal touches, we moved in with our pack.

In July, Cedric’s parents came to visit from Mississippi where I got to meet them both for the first time. One month later, their baby turned 37.

November 13, 2021, we were honored to stand beside Tyler and Angela for their catholic ceremony wedding. On the 19th, we got to do it again for their big day and reception. It was so wonderful seeing my brother marry his soulmate. We wrapped up November having our second Thanksgiving cooked by us, but in our new home (go Cedric!).

Christmas 2021, we headed to Southaven Mississippi to spend the holiday with his parents.

March 19, 2021, Cedric popped the question! After I had been out all day and just got home, he asked if I wanted to go spend some time with & honoring Layla since the importance of family had been on his mind. Of course I said yes and we headed upstairs. He set up Layla’s memory cabinet with candles, flowers, a ring box, champagne & glasses, and a cozy blanket to sit on. It was the very best moment of my life. YES, YES, a thousand times YES!

Our Story

Photos

Heather Carey

Clyde Smith

Kristen Ocelnik

Kenny Shaffer

Angela Hitchcock

Tyler Hitchcock

Rachael Bahm

Mike McGraw

Stephanie Hansen

Bill Tackett Jr.

Layla Grace

Wedding Party

Q + A

The Waldenwoods historic Sunshine Lodge is just a short walk away from our reception venue. This is the perfect option for those of you who want the convenience of having lodging right on site! It has 17 individual rooms each with their own bathroom. The building also includes a common lounge and kitchen area. We have reserved a block of 12 rooms here for our wedding. Booking is on a first come, first serve basis, so be sure to book ASAP if you know you'll want to stay here!

WALDENWOODS - SUNSHINE LODGE

This Best Western of Hartland is only a 3 minute drive from our venue. We do not have a block of rooms reserved for our wedding weekend here, but this may be a good option for a more modern accommodation that is still close to the wedding location.

BEST WESTERN OF HARTLAND

Holiday Inn & Suites of Brighton is an 18 minute drive from our venue at Waldenwoods Banquet & Conference Center. Located in the heart of Brighton and surrounded by a vast number of restaurants, shops and other activities, this would be a great option for those who may want to make their trip a longer weekend getaway! We do not have a block of rooms reserved for our wedding weekend here.

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES BRIGHTON

Travel

Shop till you drop at this outlet mall with a variety of different stores.

TANGER OUTLETS HOWELL

If you have a sweet tooth, this is the place for you to check out!

M STREET BAKING COMPANY

ISLAND LAKE RECREATION AREA

Farm Market Hours: 10 am to 5 pm Daily Winery Hours: Open Daily 12 pm to 7 pm Pick your own fruits . Fresh baked doughnuts. Apple cider. Wine. Playground. Farm animals.

Alaina & Cedric

Alaina & Cedric

Travel

WALDENWOODS - SUNSHINE LODGE

BEST WESTERN OF HARTLAND

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES BRIGHTON