You may have heard the excited buzz in the halls, but if you hunt around Catholic Central, you will find four teachers with shiny new rings on their left hands. Here is the inside scoop at the latest teacher weddings and engagements.

Mrs. Beck, formerly Ms. Pablo, had quite the busy summer; getting engaged and planning a whole wedding, too. She met her now husband online, and after a little over a year of dating, he proposed on June 21. But it wasn’t a huge surprise as she “knew it was coming in June.” She said they have “had many dates downtown GR,” and that “there’s a special spot near the blue bridge that [they] love, and that is where he decided to ask.” When he got down on one knee, she “laughed because [she] knew what was happening.” They “hugged [and] he put the ring on,” making it a very short but meaningful

ordeal. Their wedding occurred very shortly afterwards on Aug. 30. A very small event, with about 50 of their close family and friends, including some former CC teachers like Mrs. Poolman as the photographer and Mr. Sandoval as a guest. The “sage green and white” theme invited a buffet-style menu containing “different types of proteins, rice, salad, fruits, sweets, [and] cake.” Mrs. Beck felt very “happy, in love, and for the most part stress free” during her special day. She reported that married life is not much different from her life before. The two “get along well and are getting into a routine. He does it all and it’s so wonderful to not worry about many things. Plus, [she has her] best friend with [her] at all times which is so special.”

Mrs. Epkey, previously known as Ms. Krueger, planned her wedding in less than a year. Her husband, Ashton, is her college friend’s twin brother, whom she was set up with at a group activity. They “hit it off and began dating a few weeks later,” and have been together for a year and three months. On Dec. 29, 2024, while opening Christmas gifts together, Ashton “brought out a heavy gift bag and set it on the floor in front of [her]. When [she] lifted the tissue paper [she] saw a statue of Mary with Jesus on the cross [which he had welded]. Placed on Mary’s shoulders was a gold engagement ring.” Their

wedding took place on June 20 this summer with a guest list of about 170 people at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and a reception at a venue on Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City. The theme of their wedding was a foretaste of heaven and entering into a vocation of service, with a main color of light blue. Some decorations included lilies, roses, and babies’ breath flowers, along with “each table dedicated to a different saint who has been influential in [their lives].” Epkey explains that the “whole day was so peaceful and joyfilled,” and they “experienced God’s presence and love during every moment.” After the fact, she tells us that married life is “so different, but so good.”

Mrs. Stickler, once known as Ms. Vandermolen, just celebrated the one year anniversary of her marriage with her high school sweetheart. They both attended Catholic Central for high school, and have been together for nine years. On Sept. 9, 2023, Stickler and her then boyfriend “were at [her] parents cottage on Hamlin Lake in Ludington… He got [their] families in on the surprise and they told [her] that [they] were going out for a nice dinner. When

[they] were on [their] way to dinner, he told [her that they] were making a stop at the beach. When [they] got to the beach, there were roses and pictures of [them] set up in the sand, and he asked [her] to marry him at sunset.” A little over a year later, on Oct. 12, 2024, they had their wedding ceremony at Immaculate Heart of Mary and reception in a barn at Post Family Farm. They hosted about 200 guests, with a theme of “fall” and main colors of “rust and burnt orange.” Throughout the day, Stickler reports she felt “nervous and excited.”

Ms. Holland has not had her wedding yet. However, she got engaged to her fiance, Dylan, on Sept. 26. They met when they “both (independently) took a summer vacation to Breckenridge, Colorado. [She] had been camping for weeks, and he offered to make [her] a real dinner. It was the 4th of July, and he had extra hamburger ingredients to share, so [she] said yes.” They have been together for over two years, long distance, because Dylan is from Ohio and lives in Chicago. During the day, they “had run together, kayaked, and spent time making a very nice steak dinner as a whole family (his parents and [both of them]).” After their dinner, “he took [her] to a beautiful location on a lake by his parents’ house and asked [her] to marry him. [They] hadn’t been to the spot until [their] run that morning. It was a secluded area away from houses and absolutely stunning during sunset.” She had a few suspicions that Dylan would propose that day, and “looked for the ring box in his pocket but did not find it.” It “turns out that he had the loose ring in his pocket” the whole time.