The Dinner Rehersal

The 5th Quarter

Wedding Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Spring

Our Wedding

Our Story

We first met during our sophomore year of high school at a friend’s birthday party. I remember seeing Micheal there, but I did not think much of it at the time. Micheal, however, recalls that moment clearly. He noticed me walking down the basement steps wearing red running shorts, a basketball T-shirt, and a pre-wrap headband after finishing practice. A few weeks later, I transferred to Pulaski, and that was when his crush officially began. I, on the other hand, still had no interest and saw him as the sweet, slightly awkward friend in our group. To this day, I still say I have never witnessed anyone stand more awkwardly beside another human being. Throughout high school, he asked me out several times and even invited me to his church’s Super Bowl party. At that stage of my life, my focus was entirely on basketball and figuring out the kindest way to let him down. In doing so, I used the word “buddy,” a choice that Micheal still claims left a scar on his little teenage heart. Fast forward to the fall of 2021. I was home from college for a short break, and Kentucky football was on one of its rare winning streaks. Since the team was playing Georgia that weekend, I invited our old friend group over to watch the game. When Micheal walked through the door, I was stunned. He had experienced a glow up of awe-inspiring proportions. I used every flirting technique I could recall to get his attention again. We had been out of high school for a year and a half at that point, and I had no idea whether he still liked me. Fortunately, he did. The only complication was that I was attending Liberty University in Virginia. I kept trying to convince myself not to get attached. Still, once I returned to campus, I quickly realized that my feelings for Micheal had come with me. I initially blamed it on homesickness, but eventually I had to accept what was obvious. I genuinely liked him, and I could not stop thinking about him. One evening in the spring of 2022, I finally decided to call him. I expected a short, slightly awkward conversation. Instead, we talked for four hours. Around that same time, I applied for the Disney College Program on a whim, fully convinced I would not be accepted. To my surprise, I was, and I was scheduled to move to Disney on my 21st birthday in July. When I returned home from Liberty for the summer, I worked at Chick-fil-A. Micheal also worked there, which meant we spent quite a bit of time together. We worked the same shifts, took our breaks together, and eventually started hanging out with our old group of friends. Slowly, our group shrank until it was just the two of us. I organized every get-together as an excuse to see him, but I never dared ask him out. By that summer, keeping my feelings to myself had become impossible, so I finally told him how I felt. Thankfully, he felt the same way. We went on our first date in May of 2022 and spent the night driving around, visiting each other’s old schools, and sitting on playgrounds reminiscing about childhood memories. It may not have been a traditional first date, but it was perfect. We began “talking” on May 18, 2022, and shortly after midnight on June 18, Michael asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, and at 20, I officially had my first boyfriend. Everything was wonderful until we remembered one crucial detail. I was moving to Orlando at the end of July. We decided to try long-distance. I moved on July 25, and Micheal drove overnight to visit me less than a week later. I stayed up all night calling him every hour to make sure he stayed awake during the drive. After his visit, however, things grew difficult. Our conversations became shorter, the distance felt heavier, and we reached a point where we were close to breaking up. This is the moment when most people hope I will say I chose to stay and follow my dreams. Instead, I moved back to Kentucky to be with him. It may not have been the predictable choice, but it was absolutely the right one. I returned home in September 2022, and everything fell perfectly into place. We have been together ever since without breaks or “time apart.” Nearly four years later, I love him even more deeply than I did in the beginning. God blessed me with a kind, gentle, and God-fearing man who loves me wholeheartedly, and I am grateful every day for the life we share. Micheal truly is my greatest blessing, and I cannot wait to spend forever with him. - Heidi🤍

Photos

Brides Wedding Party

"I met Heidi through basketball, during the summer before Sophomore year! She had just moved to PC and we became friends instantly and spent our remainder years of high school together whether it was during classes, practice, games, traveling or running around in the little free time we had! 

My favorite memory with Heidi was when we were running late for a game during summer ball and her mom had just gotten a new car. Cooper always had some kind of animal that was a new “pet”, and he decided he needed to bring his Centipedes to the games that day. Amanda wasn’t too happy, but we couldn’t help but laugh when the cage turned sideways and all we heard was “The centipede juice is spilling in the floor!!!!”  

Another favorite is EVERY DAY of senior year, having to walk up the big hill, rain or shine. We were always dying by the time we made it to the top, but I still don’t know if it was from walking with our million bags for after school practice or because we jammed out trying to forget the pain that our legs were in!" 
- Haylee Harmon

Haylee Harmon

"Me and Heidi have known each other since birth! We basically grew up together. Her grandma (Mommy Brenda) would babysit us together as kids and ever since then we have been close. We became best friends in middle school. We went on family vacations together, school formals, pool parties, sleepovers, lake days, the list goes on and on. Even though we grew up and life happened, we have always kept in touch. There’s too many memories to choose from but I always enjoyed going on vacation with Heidi. I’ll never forget the time we went to Disney World together. Or that one time we did putt putt golf and this frog was making a super weird noise. We laughed so hard that we cried. To this day, we always have something to laugh about together and I love that about our friendship." 
- Rachyl Wilson

Rachyl Wilson 

"I met Heidi through church, as our families are good friends. From playing basketball together to being out on the lake continuously to camping and going to the beach, we have had a lot of fun. I don’t necessarily have a “first memory” with her, but I have plenty of memories that will last a lifetime. Although it’s hard to choose which memory with her is my favorite, I have to say that one of the best is probably the fun we had at Cumberlands basketball camp every year. For a week I would basically live with Heidi, as we would go to basketball camp and then go on the lake or to the pool after. That was always one of the best weeks of the year. I wouldn’t trade our memories for the world and am so excited to make a new one as her bridesmaid being by her side on her special day ❤️" 

- Caroline Oakes

Caroline Oakes

"Heidi came into my life in 2006, and from the moment our families connected, she has felt more like a sister than a friend. We’ve grown up side by side—at church, on family vacations, late-night talks, and all the little moments in between. One memory that still makes my heart smile is the talent shows we created during our camping trips—filled with laughter, nervous excitement, and pure joy. Through the years, Heidi has been a constant light in my life, and I am honored to stand beside her on this incredibly special day."
-Meredith Oakes

Meredith Oakes

"I don’t know life without Heidi; we've grown up together for as long as I can remember. Some of my best memories are from our trips to the Outer Banks, racing around on jet skis and just enjoying each other’s company. I’ll never forget the days when we’d talk about “fig” and get so excited about Heidi becoming a big sister. And now, here we are—Heidi’s getting married! I’m beyond excited for her and can’t wait to celebrate this new chapter in her life." 
- Calli Eastham

Calli Eastham

"I will never forget meeting Heidi on the swings at the playground outside of First Christian Church when we were five or six years old. I had no clue then that we would become such great friends with so many amazing memories.  Heidi is a special woman who has touched the lives of so many, and that was evident way back in the day when a group of 10 of us worked to surprise her for her “promposal”. We spent hours blowing up balloons in the hallways of her house for her to come home to, with her prom date waiting to surprise her as we waited at the top of the stairs. We somehow surprised her, even though none of us were great at keeping secrets, but that was probably because her date threaten our lives ;). Nevertheless, it was so special to see her light up as she walked. Our group was eager to help as to us, surprising her and making her feel special was a small gesture that could begin to repay Heidi for years of her compassion, kindness, and friendship." 
-Madalyn Dudley

Madalyn Dudley

"I’ve known Heidi since we were babies!! Our parents were all friends in a group and raised us together. Heidi has seen me grow up and I’ve had the pleasure of doing the same. My favorite memory with her is that we would all go over to her house after Wednesday night church when she lived near the downtown DQ and we would try to rile up a peacock in the neighbors yard and then get blizzards at the pavilion. Not to mention we thought it was so cool that my moms law firm was also right down the road and we could get in and hangout there!"
- Elizabeth Dalton


Elizabeth Dalton 

Grooms Wedding Party

Lucas Picard

Caleb King

Samuel McKee

Noah Amundson

Ethan Mills

Adam Baker

Michael Griffith

Wedding Party

Q + A

If you’re looking for Somerset, KY hotels with a clean, cozy room the Home2 Suites Somerset is the perfect choice. Our spacious rooms offer cable or satellite television on a 55-inch flat panel TV, free wireless high-speed Internet, microwave, refrigerator, work desk and much more. Fuel up before you head out for a day filled with attractions by partaking in our free hot breakfast offering a variety of breakfast meats, eggs, cereal, fruit, yogurt, juice and coffee. With our convenient location, this hotel in Somerset, KY is nearby all the areas exciting attractions. Just eight miles away, splash around, soak up the sun and enjoy the many activities that Lake Cumberland offers. Experience the areas history at Mill Springs Battlefield and enjoy natures wonders at Cumberland Falls. There is plenty to do on-site at the Best Western Somerset. Work up a sweat with our state of the art exercise equipment. A 24-hour business center to print out itineraries or keep in touch with friends and family can be found at this Somerset, KY hotel. With the friendly staff and convenient amenities, youll be sure to feel welcome at the Home2 Suites Somerset. Please contact hotel if you have any questions!

Home2 Suites by Hilton Somerset, KY

Courtyard by Marriott Somerset features a fitness center, shared lounge, a restaurant and bar in Somerset. With free WiFi, this 3-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk and a business center. The hotel has family rooms. Complete with a private bathroom equipped with free toiletries, all guest rooms at the hotel have a flat-screen TV and air conditioning, and some rooms come with a seating area. The rooms will provide guests with a desk and a coffee machine. Guests at Courtyard by Marriott Somerset can enjoy an American breakfast. The accommodation offers an indoor pool. Alpine Recreation Area is 14 miles from Courtyard by Marriott Somerset, while Holly Bay Marina is 29 miles away. Blue Grass Airport is 86 miles from the property.

Courtyard by Marriott Somerset

Located in Somerset and with Alpine Recreation Area reachable within 12 miles, Comfort Inn provides express check-in and check-out, non-smoking rooms, a fitness center, free WiFi throughout the property and a shared lounge. This 2-star inn offers a 24-hour front desk and a business center. Mill Springs Battlefield is 19 miles from the inn. At the inn, every room includes a desk and a TV. All guest rooms will provide guests with a fridge. Comfort Inn offers an indoor pool. The Center for Rural Development is 2.5 miles from the accommodation, while General Burnside Island State Park is 5.6 miles away. Blue Grass Airport is 89 miles from the property.

Comfort Inn Somerset - Lake Cumberland

Hampton Inn Somerset is located in Somerset, within 12 miles of Alpine Recreation Area and 2.8 miles of The Center for Rural Development. This 3-star hotel offers an ATM, a business center and free WiFi. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and a 24-hour front desk. The rooms in the hotel are equipped with a flat-screen TV and a hairdryer. General Burnside Island State Park is 6 miles from Hampton Inn Somerset, while Mill Springs Battlefield is 19 miles from the property. Blue Grass Airport is 89 miles away.

Hampton Inn Somerset

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

What to Wear to a Semi-Formal Wedding

41 Sites to Buy Wedding Guest Dresses

The 15 Best Places to Buy a Suit