You’re invited to the Wedding Ceremony of
Sean Baker & Samantha Stephenson
at 1 o’clock PM on February 28th
at Faithbridge Church, Franksville, Wisconsin
We first met in 2018 and spent the next few years socially overlapping with mutual friends. Life happens and in 2021 we lost touch, until earlier this year...
Sean on Reconnecting
When I unexpectedly ran into Sami in late winter/early spring, I was less than 2 months away from relocating abroad to work remotely for a while. Around 3pm on February 27th, a good friend of mine invited me to go out for a drink for his birthday on late notice. I was unshowered, irritable, in the middle of a long day and reluctant, but I went knowing Rob only turns 150-years-old once (love you, man)! Not a drink in, Samantha came into my favorite craft beer bar (a real Wisconsin love story) and, after racking my brain about how I knew her, I walked over to say hi, baseball hat with an unkempt 5 o’clock shadow and all. Our reconnection was short-lived but all smiles, and I texted her the next morning to ask her to catch up with me at a restaurant I love. Sami’s energy was magnetic when we met that evening, and she was vibrant and as fun-loving and beautiful as I remembered. I knew she was special within minutes. We were incredibly transparent with each other from the start, opening up about our past and current situations, in addition to what we each expected from future partnership (our needs, wants + can-do-withouts). Neither of us flinched at said honesty. My world—and direction—immediately quieted looking across at Sami that night, and her and I have been inseparable ever since. She’s an amazing woman.
Sami on Reconnecting
I took off work on a Friday in late February to do my taxes, and decided to meet my dragon boat teammate, Tony, at our team bar the night before because I didn’t have my daughter. As I was waiting for him to show up, Sean came up to me to say hello, but I didn’t recognize him because of his physical changes the last few years (I literally thought a random guy was trying to pick me up by pretending to know me). “You don’t know who I am,” he said with a smile, and then slowly reminded me of our many past interactions… and boy did I feel like a jerk! I didn’t hesitate to give him my number. I hadn’t gone out in a while, so I called my best friend Jennifer to ask what I should wear because Sean graciously invited me to Sebastian’s… which is NOT a place that I considered casual for a “catch up” (he still claims it wasn’t a date). Seeing Sean for dinner was like meeting a very close friend, the kind where you never skip a beat and you don’t want to leave. Our conversation was open, honest, comfortable, and vulnerable. He and I filled in the blanks together: what we had gone through the last few years, what we were working on, and where we wanted to go. We had so much chemistry, laughed a lot together (and still do!), shared the same core values, and had very similar aspirations. It was magical and very refreshing.
Early RSVP
With so many friends and family from all over, we’re taking early RSVP’s to start collecting temporary headcounts—and we really hope you can attend our wedding!
FAQ & NOTES
The timeline on the back of the save-the-dates is a short roadmap of our story. We met in 2018 through mutual friends and did group outings in said friend group (with our significant others at the time), including July Fourth at Sean’s old house. Sami had her beautiful daughter, Hazel, in 2021 (the baby illustration) and we lost touch for the next 3+ years, as Sean continued exploring the world (the plane illustration).
We’ve already lived a lot of life together in 2025 and we’re beyond excited for more blessings ahead!
There is, however, we have to keep it very small and for close family only. But don’t worry! We will stay after the wedding ceremony at Faith Bridge and say hello to everyone!
Yes, children of all ages are welcome for the wedding ceremony!
Yes, we have a very “work in progress” registry at Crate & Barrel and Lowe’s through MyRegistery.com. Keep checking back over the next few months as it expands.
You’re covered with special rates! We have room blocks reserved at Racine’s new premier “boutique” hotel, Hotel Verdant, and also at the lakeside DoubleTree by Hilton Racine Harbourwalk. Hotel Verdant has a fantastic rooftop bar overlooking the city and Lake Michigan, and the DoubleTree has an indoor pool and hot tub. And there will be a shuttle from each respective hotel to the reception, but not to the wedding.
To book a room in our reserved block at Hotel Verdant, please use this link or call the hotel directly at (262) 456-6851 and make reservations over the phone by referencing the “Stephenson/Baker Wedding Block” and clarifying your dates. The block room is $179/night. The block rates are good for Friday, February 27th until Monday, March 2nd. The deadline to book in this block is February 6th.
To book a room in our reserved block at DoubleTree by Hilton Racine Harbourwalk, please use this link or call the hotel directly at (262) 632-7777 and make reservations over the phone by referencing the “Stephenson/Baker Wedding Block” or “SBW” and clarifying your dates. A King bed w/ Marina view is $134/night, and the Double (two Queen beds) w/ Marina view is $144/night. The block rates are good for Friday, February 27th until Sunday, March 1st. The deadline to book in this block is January 27th.
Business casual is perfectly okay at Faith Bridge!
Yes to both, including a live stream of the wedding itself! Having video as a keepsake is an integral part of our wishes and we’re using the best talent around to achieve this. Details on the stream should be known by January.
