Despite the fact that Jeanne and Doug both lived in the Bay Area for 20+ years, it took a global pandemic and a move from Jeanne to Manhattan Beach, CA (a beach town in the Los Angeles area) for them to finally meet. It also took a lot of prodding and encouragement from their wingman and wingwomen – i.e., Doug’s business partner (and the wedding officiant) Michael Spirito and Jeanne’s friends Amy Rzepka and Maggie Head – for them to pursue each other. It takes a village and, in this case, a noteworthy orange! (Michael, Amy and Maggie - it never would have happened without you and we are eternally thankful.)
Doug and Jeanne were immediately appreciative of each other’s Midwestern roots (Doug from Minnesota and Jeanne from Wisconsin). In fact, one of their first conversations was about each other’s multigenerational family cabins in the Northwoods of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Jeanne and Doug soon learned that in addition to their shared Midwestern heritage and values (and accents on occasion…) the couple shared many mutual interests including hiking, traveling, skiing, and a love of the outdoors - especially the mountains!
Their first trip outside of California was a weekend getaway to Park City where after a long hike they decided to grab a meal at the Stein Eriksen Lodge - site of the wedding - where they were instantly impressed with the raw beauty, great food and delightful drinks! And Jeanne was immediately touched by what a special place the Stein Eriksen is, a place that Doug told her was so deeply treasured by Doug’s late father, Dick “Boppa” Higgins, for the lodge’s namesake, Stein Eriksen, a Norwegian Olympic gold medalist alpine skier.
As Doug and Jeanne spent more time together they learned that they have so much more in common (with one notable exception: Vikings vs Packers!) such as shared life values, close friends and beloved families. Over the last few years, Doug and Jeanne have had many great memories from trips with friends and families, including a memorable trip to Lambeau Field to watch the first ever soccer match – Manchester City vs. Bayern Munich.
What we are most thankful for is the opportunity to share this special weekend with all of you, our closest people, in the magical place of Park City, Utah – Doug and Jeanne’s future home.
WE. CAN. NOT. WAIT.