The marriage of ist Magazine’s Liz Wenstrom was a touching and special event celebrated by her friends, family and industry colleagues.
On August 3, 2013, a beaming Elizabeth “Liz” Ann Wenstrom married Ronald Lee Williams at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Grand Blanc, MI. The event was attended by nearly 200 people, including many of Liz’s fellow IST staffers. The wedding was followed by a happening reception at Flint Golf Club that was practically bursting at the seams with the happy couple’s family, friends and co-workers. As special days go, Liz says her wedding couldn’t have been better. “This was the happiest day of my life!” she exclaimed. “I look forward to sharing lots of stories and pictures with my industry friends on Facebook and in person.”
While the wedding was filled with many moments to remember, the most touching by far was when Liz’s father Paul Wenstrom – aka “P-Dub” – proudly walked his first-born child down the aisle. “My dad is my everything in life and ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of two things – getting married, and having him walk me down the aisle,” Liz explained. “It made saying my vows to the love of my life even more special, and I’ll forever cherish the look in my dad’s eyes. I could tell that he’s happy for me and that he loves and accepts Ron as part of our family.”
The tale of how Liz and Ron met and became spouses is a true love story, and it’s one that everyone at ist Magazine had the pleasure to witness. “We have several mutual friends, and we first met on April 8, 2011 while riding a party bus headed to the Detroit Tigers’ Opening Day game,” she said. “We ended up talking on the way home and he asked me out on our first date the next day. After canceling on each other a few times, we finally got together and the rest is history.” It wasn’t long before Liz introduced Ron to her co-workers and he – and his epic beard – were instantly accepted into the IST “family.”
It wasn’t long into their relationship when Liz says she could tell Ron was “the one,” and he had the same feelings for her. When he decided to “pop the question,” Ron did so in a most gentlemanly fashion. “He had become very close to my dad and knew how important it was to ask for my dad’s blessing,” she explained. “One day in September, he asked my dad to play golf at Flint Golf Club and, while crossing a bridge at the second hole, he asked my father for my hand in marriage. My dad hugged him and said that he couldn’t wait to have him as part of the family.” To forever mark that location as “The Spot,” Paul Wenstrom used his golf tee to carve two Xs into the wood on the bridge.
Two weeks after asking Paul for permission to marry his eldest daughter, Ron and Liz visited her dad’s house to watch a football game with her family. “We stepped outside to check on the garden and Ron took my hand and told me how much he loved me and how he wanted to start a new chapter of our life together,” Liz recalled. “Then he got down on one knee and popped the question and I screamed ‘Yes!’ I turned around to see my dad, step-mom, two of my sisters – Sarah and Mandy – and Sarah’s fiancé Dan smiling with champagne and a celebration. I was totally surprised, happy, excited and shocked. It was a most special, well-planned proposal.”
After jetting off to a honeymoon at the five-star Live Aqua resort in sunny Cancun, Mexico, the couple returned to their home in Davison, MI. Liz extends sincere thanks to everyone from the tanning industry for all their good wishes and support on the happiest day of her life.
A 14-year industry veteran, John "Ribby" Ribner has written hundreds of articles for IST Magazine and, as Director of Editorial Content, has also helped guide the publication's evolution. Ribby is a graduate of Central Michigan University's journalism program and has brought many years of newspaper reporting experience to his position of Head Writer. He is also the author of three novels, "Legacy of the Bear," "Prophecy of the Bear" and "World So Dark."
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