When Ryan McMichael decided to propose to his longtime girlfriend Maggie Massey, the choice in venue was an easy one. Reynolds Lake Oconee has held a special place in each of their hearts since they were little with Maggie's parents even having their wedding reception at the original Jackson house. Soon, Reynolds will be part of their own lifelong love story as they get married at the historic Sandy Creek Barn on October 15th, 2022. We sat down with Maggie to find out more about the couple, details on their engagement and to check in on the planning process.
How did you and Ryan meet?
We grew up together. Ryan and I both attended Morgan County Schools since Kindergarten, but he was a grade above me. In middle school I had the BIGGEST crush on him. We started dating in high school but decided to take a break when we both left for college. We did our own thing during that time but never stopped thinking about or talking to one another. Seven years later, here we are!
How did Ryan pop the question?
It was a complete surprise! I had been at the Showcase of Homes in Reynolds that day with my parents and was planning to meet Ryan at Gaby’s for dinner. As we were walking to the restaurant the sun was setting so we decided to walk down to the dock to watch it. When we got there, Ryan told me to turn around and pose for a picture. When I did, he was down on one knee. Both of our families were there and he even hired a photographer to secretly capture the whole thing.
Deciding where to propose is a big decision. What led him to choose Reynolds?
My parents moved to Reynolds when I was a sophomore in high school, which was around the same time Ryan and I started dating. We spent summers at The Lake Club pool, boating on the lake, and going to The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee for dinners. We still spend most of our weekends in Reynolds, so making the proposal a surprise there was perfect!
So now comes the fun part, wedding planning! There are so many attractive venue options inside and outside of Reynolds. What led you to choose the Sandy Creek Barn for your special day?
We have been to the Sandy Creek Barn to shoot on the sporting clays course and have always thought the barn was gorgeous. I never knew it would be where we would get married, but it is the perfect spot for us! It is the perfect mix of rustic and elegant, which is what we were looking for in a venue.
How has the planning process been so far?
Since we picked the venue and booked all of our main vendors, things have been pretty easy. Reynolds has been very helpful in the whole process and things have been pretty smooth so far, but I’m sure it will get a little more chaotic the closer we get to the big day!
What are you looking forward to most for your wedding?
I think we are both looking forward to having all of our favorite people together at our favorite place. Since I attended Auburn University and Ryan attended the University of Georgia, we have groups of friends from all over. Some of our friends and family haven’t even met before, so we cannot wait to all spend the weekend together!
