Bridal Bliss: Jessica Ulrich & Jon Markle

Wedding date: Nov. 3, 2018

Ceremony and Reception: Stone House of St. Charles

About the Couple: He’s an insurance executive. She’s in sales in the footwear industry.

 How did you meet? 

JESSICA: We met on match.com while both living in different cities. Jon was living in Delaware, and I was in St. Louis. Jon’s profile was set for St. Louis, as he was looking to move to the area, but had to sell his house. After months of talking, he finally made the move, and we had our first date. And I guess you can say the rest is history.

What initially attracted you to each other?

JESSICA: I was attracted to Jon’s kind heart, compassion and his love for his family. Family is very important to me, and I loved that he had a strong relationship with his.

JON: I could tell very early on what a kind, true heart she has. She is always thinking of others and finds little ways to be happy. I knew she was special when she brought gourmet cupcakes to our second date after I had mentioned months prior that I always wanted to try them.   

How did he propose?

Jon had bought us tickets to my favorite Broadway show, “Rent” at the Fox. After the show, Jon mentioned there was a photo booth, and we should get our photos taken. While I was inserting the money, Jon got the ring and was in position. He proposed in the photo booth, and we have six photos of our reactions through the moment of him asking me to marry him. It was amazing, and I was totally shocked! Going into the evening, Jon knew that he was going to propose, but just did not have a plan laid out. As soon as we walked into the Fox, and he noticed the photo booth, the idea came to him. And yes, he still pats himself on the back for pulling off such an amazing proposal.  

What was the inspiration behind your wedding dress?

The more sparkle and glitz, the better. Our hashtag was #sparklemarkle2018. I knew I wanted something that was a showstopper. I never thought that I would do strapless, but I think the best advice I received was to go try on a couple of dresses before falling in love with a style. You never know what may look good or what may not work for your body type.

What was unique about your wedding?

One unique part of our ceremony is that we did a wine unity ceremony. We both had a carafe of white wine (no red wine around a white wedding dress) that we poured into a single wine glass, and we both took a drink. We had our pastor explain the unity of this. Many of the guests told me afterwards they had never seen this at a wedding and really loved how different it was.

Your favorite moment on your wedding day?

JESSICA: My favorite moment would probably be the walk down the aisle, seeing the man I was going to marry, and looking around to see all of our family and friends who joined us from near and far for this special day. It was an amazing moment, and I will cherish this memory.

JON: The introduction as we walked into the venue and the first dance. After all the time and effort put into the day, the first dance was our private celebration before going into the larger party.   

What do you cherish most about your relationship?  

JESSICA: We’re best friends, and we balance each other out, and we can share anything with each other. We “get” one another and fit together perfectly.

  When did you realize that this was the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?

JESSICA: I don’t know if there was a specific time, but I knew very early on that he was someone special and someone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He was always there for me, even if it was just to listen. He seemed to balance me, and I was always comfortable around him. I can be a bit high strung, but he mellows me at times, and he taught me how to relax and not always take life so seriously.

JON: I thought for a long time that she could be the one, but it was a trip together back to Delaware, where I used to live, when I realized I wanted to share the rest of my life with her. She fit right in among my oldest friends and loved hearing the old stories of me growing up.