Real Wedding Stories in Minneapolis

When it comes to Gittelson Jewelers “Real Wedding Stories”, Sam & Jessica Mae are no strangers to our intimate skyway shop. Their story is as unique as it gets and it’s been such a pleasure helping them with their jewelry selections along the way.

Photography by Nancy Kuehn

Sam & Jessica’s Story

Where do we begin? Almost eight years ago, we were both working for Apple, Inc. We didn’t know each other at the time, but to make a long story short, it took quite some time for Sam to realize that Jessica was very interested in knowing him on a more personal level. One day this finally happened. After finding common ground in conversation over a love for motorcycles and some music they both enjoyed, Sam invited Jessica to meet some of the people from the fraternal organization he belongs to. They used to always get together on Thursday nights and Sam knew that Jessica lived just down the street.

That evening changed history. At the time, Sam had no pre-conceived perceptions about how that evening would go, other than they would get to know each other a little better. Jessica showed up promptly upon being invited and she got to meet a group of new people. We spent the evening talking, laughing, and sharing stories. Right around the middle of the evening, Jessica looked Sam dead in the eyes and said “Do you know how in love I’ve been with you since the day I met you?”.

Sam gently held the back of Jessica’s head and kissed her instantly. This was during the winter of 2009 to 2010. The rest of that evening, as they say, is history.

The Engagement Story

By 2012, Sam and Jessica were engaged; there was no big secret here. In fact, we had talked about marriage quite a few times. Mike Gittelson had been introduced to us by our friend L.A. Nik – a local man about town in Minneapolis. After building a relationship with Mike through Minneapolis events and other mutual relationships, we decided to go in and look at engagement rings. We didn’t pick our rings out together, rather we shared styles that we love and that we thought really identified with our personalities. Sam ended up picking out a halo diamond engagement ring that was customized just for Jessica. Jessica ended up finding a white gold band with a diamond, which she had engraved to commemorate the day.

The Proposal

Our proposal was a bit unconventional. We had some other friends that were getting married in Jamaica and Sam talked to Jessica about considering traveling together with friends and family, to Jamaica, to have a Caribbean wedding. We had already decided that the traditional large church and event center reception was not our style. Whatever we did, we wanted it to be 100% about us and not other people or family members’ perception of what our wedding should be. So we decided to book our trip and our nuptials at Couples Swept Away Resort in Negril, Jamaica.

Sam had bought Jessica’s ring in the mean time and was waiting for the perfect time to present it. That year had produced some busy schedules and constant rainfall that never coordinated with Sam’s idea of what Jessica’s proposal may look like for her. So, one dark, stormy afternoon Sam couldn’t wait any longer. He brought Jessica into their bedroom, in their small apartment at 110 West Grant St, in Loring Park, sat her down on the bed and presented her with a small Gittelson Jewelers box and the words “Jessica, will you marry me?”

It wasn’t the fairytale proposal Sam had envisioned but it ended up being perfect, inside the space that served as our first home together in our relationship. Looking back, we wouldn’t want it any other way. We immediately cleared the rest of the day and went to have a glass of wine at Jax Cafe in Northeast Minneapolis – a place that is not only the oldest restaurant in Minneapolis, but also holds a dear place in our hearts. Jax Cafe gets a visit from us on every special occasion. It only seemed proper to go celebrate in a symbolic place that we love so much and will forever come back to. Mike Gittelson joined us that evening to give us hugs and share his love.

The Wedding in Jamaica

It was quite a trip and we will never forget the details of it. Upon arriving in Montego Bay, Jamaica at their international airport we were greeted by welcoming faces and Red Stripe beer. The airport is full of resort lounges that cater exclusively to couples traveling together. We hopped on the resort bus and took an hour ride around the southern side of the island to Couples Swept Away. Due to excitement by everyone and a very early morning trip to the airport, our entire group of 9 had fallen asleep on the ride.

Upon pulling up to resort, Jessica opened her eyes and looked at the entrance to our Caribbean hideaway and said out loud “Oh my God!”. It was beautiful. We were greeted with glasses of champagne and steamed towels, then escorted to check-in. This process took a while, and we then realized that we were on “Island time” – PERFECT!

Hurricane Sandy

Not everything went as planned…Hurricane Sandy formed over the island of Jamaica during the week of October 22nd (the week that we traveled). About two days into the trip, the sky turned a deep black like we had never seen before in our lives. The interesting thing though, is that at one point in the sky over our beach it simply stopped. There was a clear line between life-threatening weather and glorious blue Caribbean skies from left to right – split right down the middle. Our booking agency even called and offered us the option to leave the island immediately and re-schedule our trip at no expense. We opted to stay.

Luckily, Negril only got bad weather. It stopped us from enjoying water sports and offered a couple days of card games and family fun in the indoor spaces. We even sat on our beachfront bungalow deck and watched it pour for hours. It eventually passed and they started to clean the island. The other side of the island was not so lucky. Many local people died as the storm grew in size and power. It eventually made its way up the United States causing the devastation that we all remember in New York City. We feel lucky and blessed to have missed the worst of the storm, but we also have a story to tell for the rest of our lives.

Our beach wedding turned into a garden wedding, due to the beach needing to be cleaned and higher than normal winds. But everything turned out beautifully and we wouldn’t change a thing. What a week of memories and a beautiful wedding on October 26th, 2012.

The Reception in Minneapolis

Back in Minneapolis. As mentioned above, we did not want traditional or boring. We wanted a celebration of life, which is why we opted to have a “Party” on Marquette Place rooftop in downtown Minneapolis. It’s the most spectacular view of our city from a rooftop that there is. It’s also a private building that we happened to be considered residents at, so not everyone can have their reception there.

We garnished the rooftop with high top tables, spanning across two different rooms and brought a caterer in to offer unique items like a mashed potato bar, creme brulee stations, carved meats, and other stations all with a Sous Chef interacting with our guests. Seating was limited to leather couches and a few tables scattered around to entice our crowd to span both rooms and mingle with friends, new and old. The rooftop offered two bar areas in two different rooms, one of which was adorned with cocktail options from South Lyndale Liquors in South Minneapolis. The other offered a dessert bar. Two outdoor decks offered views of the city from front to back. Though it was a brisk November evening when we finally celebrated with extended friends and family, the weather could not have been better.

We stole DJ Lenka Paris from the W Hotel / Foshay tower that evening and she eased the evening from enjoyable music into a discotheque. We actually had to ask the entire room to leave at the end of the night when our time was up. It was an evening of amazing celebration enjoyed by everyone that people still talk about today.

The Fairytale Ending

Now for the fairy tale… What we didn’t tell you above is that when we worked for Apple, the relationship was a secret. Sam was Jessica’s direct manager, which Apple did not approve of. That one night when Jessica came out to meet Sam and he gave her that first kiss, dictated the rest of their lives together. The “rest is history” is an understatement at best. We were both terminated from our employment at Apple Inc. Devastating at the time, and without having planned a direction in our lives together yet, it certainly caused some challenges. In fact, we’ve often reminisced about how lucky we are to still be together as emotional and financial challenges ensued after that day.

Be all this as it may, we both thoroughly believe that some things were simply meant to happen. Jessica was a freelance makeup artist working multiple jobs and not passionate about anything she was doing at the time. They daily grind was just that. Sam had worked in retail management much of his life, having dabbled in entrepreneurship and business ownership in the past. Together we conceived an idea for Sam to drive his passion for business and Jessica to live in a life of artistry and fashion.

Then WarPaint International Beauty Agency was born one night laying in bed together. Today, we are a husband and wife founding team of one of the fastest (and largest) growing Hair & Makeup Beauty Agencies in the nation. None of it possible, without the help and support of Gittelson Jewelers.

The Dress. The Shoes…

Lastly, the dress was incredible. A custom selection from Posh Bridal Couture in Wayzata, MN. The owner Marie could not have been more accommodating. Posh offers luxury and service at a level you’ve never experienced. If you’re looking to make your wedding dress purchase something special, please visit Posh Bridal Couture and tell them Sam & Jessica from WarPaint International sent you.

The shoes. Jessica Mae’s wedding shoes were bought in Manhattan at Christian Louboutin. The signature red sole offers Jessica’s weakest moment. But some things are forever, including Sam & Jessica 🙂

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