Horticultural Hall

Wedding Day

Spring

Our Wedding

We sat just three seats apart in the front row of our freshman year Making of the Modern Mind class in the fall, but in spite of ending up in the same group of friends, we rarely spoke to each other and never thought much of it. So we were both surprised to find ourselves having a phone call the following summer that lasted nearly five hours. What began as a seemingly random impulse in reaction to similar relational situations we found ourselves in, led to the beginning of a friendship. Each of us felt that we had discovered a channel of God's deep and abiding peace. Our friendship deepened over the course of the fall semester, and we spent increasingly more time together and came to depend on each other for encouragement. In December, Luke announced, “I have feelings for you and want to pursue you,” and on Valentine’s Day, Mina&nbsp;said yes to a date at Barnes and Noble. Dating was new to both of us and especially intimidating to Mina, who would have liked to be sure about wanting to get married before ever getting into a relationship. Yet in spite of fear and uncertainty, our eyes were on marriage from the very beginning. We weren’t perfect, but we found ourselves better and stronger together as we learned from each other and sought to together trust God more and more. Thanks to Luke’s deep patience and Mina’s stubborn persistence, our relationship endured various challenges and uncertainty as we tried to understand what being in love meant and how our dreams and ambitions could complement each other. We prayed for God’s guidance and wisdom, and we prayed that he would grant us what we wanted most—to be together for the rest of our lives. And just when it seemed that we would never receive a clear answer, dawn broke and lighted our path. Fittingly, it was spring. Inconveniently, it was right before finals. Luke intentionally dropped hints that he was proposing—not that it would have been a surprise, as we had picked out a ring together a few weeks prior following yet another Barnes and Noble date. Oddly enough, we were both nervous as he drove to an arboretum after church. Neither of us knew what to expect from the other. Yet somehow, it was perfect. We climbed the tower that looked out over the trees, Luke proposed beautifully, and Mina said yes from her heart with no hesitation but with many tears at the realization of a long-awaited hope. We shared our first kiss, which we had saved for our engagement, and took in the moment for a long time before descending. Now engaged, we proceeded to the chaos of finals week, following which one or two grades displayed the lack of focus on studying during that time. It didn’t matter—we had everything we ever wanted, and we graduated together and moved on to the final stage of our relationship before getting married in spring 2025. It would be a much longer period of long distance than we’d ever had before, but it would allow Luke time to work at his job in Washington DC, and Mina time to finish the first year of grad school in chemistry. Every day is one day closer to coming home to each other.

Syzygy

Our Story

Photos

Paul Carpenter

Gwen Truesdale

Campbell Stahlman

Eden Cook

Spencer Bills

Grace Turcotte

Kai Delsing

Emily O'Neal

Wedding Party

Q + A

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Elkhorn - Lake Geneva Area, an IHG Hotel

Hampton Inn Elkhorn Lake Geneva Area

Travel

Lake Geneva Shore Path

Yerkes Observatory

Boxed and Burlap

Things to Do

Registry

Processional: O God Beyond All Praising This piece is significant to each of us, for different reasons. Mina first learned this hymn in the spring semester of the honors course from a professor who used to start class with a hymn. Luke discovered the tune after a friend reintroduced him to Jupiter at the end of 2023, eventually making the connection between the two. We copy the lyrics below, as they perfectly embody the attitude of worship with which we approach our wedding day. O God beyond all praising,we worship you todayand sing the love amazingthat songs cannot repay;for we can only wonderat every gift you send,at blessings without numberand mercies without end:we lift our hearts before youand wait upon your word,we honor and adore you,our great and mighty Lord. Then hear, O gracious Savior,accept the love we bring,that we who know your favormay serve you as our king;and whether our tomorrowsbe filled with good or ill,we'II triumph through our sorrowsand rise to bless you still:to marvel at your beautyand glory in your ways,and make a joyful dutyour sacrifice of praise.

Recessional: Renaissance Hymn Let Zion in her beauty rise;Her light begins to shine.Ere long her King will rend the skies,Majestic and divine,The gospel spreading thru the land,A people to prepareTo meet the Lord and Enoch’s bandTriumphant in the air. Ye heralds, sound the golden trumpTo earth’s remotest bound.Go spread the news from pole to poleIn all the nations round:That Jesus in the clouds above,With hosts of angels too,Will soon appear, his Saints to save,His enemies subdue. That glorious rest will then commenceWhich prophets did foretell,When Saints will reign with Christ on earth,And in his presence dwellA thousand years, oh, glorious day!Dear Lord, prepare my heartTo stand with thee on Zion’s mountAnd nevermore to part. As a bonus, the tune is the same as that of I Sing the Mighty Power of God: I sing the mighty pow’r of God&nbsp;&nbsp;That made the mountains rise;That spread the flowing seas abroad,&nbsp;&nbsp;And built the lofty skies.I sing the wisdom that ordained&nbsp;&nbsp;The sun to rule the day;The moon shines full at His command,&nbsp;&nbsp;And all the stars obey. I sing the goodness of the Lord,&nbsp;&nbsp;That filled the earth with food;He formed the creatures with His word,&nbsp;&nbsp;And then pronounced them good.Lord, how Your wonders are displayed&nbsp;&nbsp;Where’er I turn my eye,If I survey the ground I tread,&nbsp;&nbsp;Or gaze upon the sky. There’s not a plant or flow’r below,&nbsp;&nbsp;But makes Your glories known;And clouds arise and tempests blow&nbsp;&nbsp;By order from Your throne.While all that borrows life from TheeIs ever in Thy care,And everywhere that man can beThou, God, art present there.

About our Music Choices

Proverbs 4:18But the path of the just is as the shining light,that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. A verse that made an appearance in Luke's proposal. Isaiah 60Arise, shine, for your light has come,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and the glory of the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;has risen upon you.For the darkness shall cover the earth&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and deep darkness the peoples;but the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;shall rise upon you,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and His glory shall be seen upon you.The nations shall come to your light&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and kings to the brightness of your rising....For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and those nations shall be utterly destroyed....The sun shall no longer be your light by day,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;but the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;shall be an everlasting light to you&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and your God for your glory.Your sun shall no more go down,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;nor shall your moon wane;for the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;shall be your everlasting light,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and the days of your mourning shall end.Then all your people shall be righteous;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;they shall inherit the land forever,the branch of My planting,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;the work of My hands,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;that I may be glorified.A little one shall become a thousand,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and a small one a strong nation.I, the&nbsp;Lord,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;will hasten it in its time. This passage has a wonderful conglomeration of themes and emphases related to God's light, beauty, the luminaries, and the building of Christian families and Christian nations. Both of us have been independently encouraged and motivated by it; it thus seemed fitting to model parts of our celebration after it.

Meaningful Bible Passages

Thank you for joining us for our wedding celebration! You can expect & we hope you enjoy the following order of events! 2-2:30pm Garden Ceremony 2:30-5pm Beverages & Light Snacks featuring: Roast Coffee Catering (This is a full service coffee bar for our guests that we hope you enjoy! *Tips are covered, too!) Other beverages & Light Snacks will be available 5-7pm Dinner & Dessert Guests are encouraged to visit, enjoy the venue & depart at their leisure. Please dress comfortably for the weather.

Order of Events

Luke & Mina

Luke & Mina

Travel

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Elkhorn - Lake Geneva Area, an IHG Hotel

Hampton Inn Elkhorn Lake Geneva Area