Bride and groom:

Michael Joseph Kruse and Lea Kay Johnson

Hometowns:

Kruse is from Harlan, Iowa, and Johnson is from Moravia, Iowa.

Degrees:

Kruse studies industrial technology, with an emphasis in manufacturing. Johnson majors in elementary education, specializing in mathematics.

How they met:

They met at a Jason Aldean concert at Hilton Coliseum in March 2010.

First date:

The couple went out for pie at Village Inn.

Proposal:

Kruse proposed on their nine-month anniversary, on Dec. 16, 2010. On their way to dinner at Olde Main, he stopped Johnson in the park on Main Street and handed her a box. She was confused as she opened it to find that it was full of love notes. After dinner, they were walking back to the car and passed the same park – except this time when Johnson turned around, Kruse was down on one knee and had a box with an entirely different purpose. He asked, “Will you marry me?” She said “yes,” and they spent the rest of the night calling family and friends.

Wedding date:

Their wedding is Dec. 30, 2011. The specific date is not significant, but they both enjoy the winter months and it is the same time of year they got engaged.

Wedding colors:

Navy blue and gold, accented with red

Wedding flowers:

The bridesmaids’ bouquets and the boutonnieres will contain red roses and the bridal bouquet consists of a mix of red roses, white lilies and hydrangeas.

Guest count:

Approximately 275 guests will attend the wedding and reception.

Reception plans:

They have rented the Great Hall of the Memorial Union and the meal is to be catered by ISU Dining.

Honeymoon destination:

The couple will be vacationing at Runaway Bay Resort in Jamaica.

“Old, new, borrowed and blue”:

Old: A white fur shawl

New: Bride’s jewelry

Borrowed: Grandmother’s bracelet in bride’s bouquet

Blue: Johnson’s shoes

Unique wedding touches:

“I think what will make our wedding unique is the fact that we are making most of the decorations for the ceremony and reception,” Johnson said. “I designed the cake and my future mother-in-law is making it. My mother is making the bouquets and boutonnieres.

“We also made the invitations and the wedding favors. Every detail of the wedding has our personal touch.”

Planning a winter wedding:

“The hardest thing has been trying to decide how many people to plan for because the weather is so unpredictable,” Johnson said. “It has also been very difficult to plan with my mom, because she is two hours away. It is also hard to balance planning with school, as we finish up our last year.”