Bride’s name: Maddelynn Sambo

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Groom’s name: Robert Haan

 

Number of guests: 47 guests

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Wedding colors: Light blue

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How they met: “On our first job as recent graduates, I made a bet with Robert that I could beat him in a Nordic ski race. After multiple ski dates, I lost that bet, but won Robert’s heart.”

 

Unique and special aspects of the day: “I’m Iñupiaq and one thing that was very important to me on my wedding day was including hints of my culture and supporting Alaska Native Artists. Our wedding venue, my beaded earrings, the ring pillow, and our shoes were all representations of my Alaska Native heritage. Our wedding officiant wore kamiks, traditional Alaska Native boots.”

 

Most memorable moment…

For her: “When I was in high school, my first job was at the Alaska Native Heritage Center as a cultural host, working at the Iñupiaq traditional home during the summer. Years later, standing alone in that same traditional home, waiting to see my husband for the first time, was a full-circle moment.”

For him: “The most memorable part of the wedding for me was our vows. We both worked hard on them, and everyone, including us, was crying during them because they were beautiful, heartfelt, and honest. They were so wonderful and touching that I ended up crying throughout the ceremony.”

 

Funniest moment: “My groomsman/cousin Jackson was changing right before we were about to head to the wedding venue. When he walked out in his suit, his pants were so tight they looked like short leggings and were making his feet go numb. Turns out he mixed his pants up with someone much smaller than him. He is a 250-lb football player so it was quite the unexpected sight for all of us, and everyone burst out laughing. Thankfully we were able to find some backup dress pants before the wedding started.”

 

If they had the chance to do it again, what they would do differently: “We both agree that we should have cut a bigger piece of our wedding cake because the Earl Grey layer was so delicious. We did get to try the carrot cake as well!”

 

Best advice for a couple planning their wedding: “Create a visual display checklist. I wanted both my husband and me to see and visualize everything we needed to do before the big day. I divided a wall in our guest room into different sections and added sticky notes in each column. Once something was checked off, we removed it together! It was both a helpful reminder and a fun way to track our progress. For visual learners, this method is especially effective.”