On June 8th, David Hertler, an event planner with American Immersion Theater, married his longtime fiancé, Jowei. The festivities took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan on a rainy afternoon on the second Saturday in Pride Month. Under a hand-built altar in front of an intimate crowd with some very familiar faces to American Immersion Theater, the two married.

History

Through David’s seven years with the company, he cultivated relationships with alumni of American Immersion Theater both old and new. Major Tom, a former sales manager and “somewhat dubious internet reverend” (his words), happily officiated the wedding. Emily, who was instrumental in developing The Princess Party Company, was the makeup artist for the couple. Kelly, the former assistant sales manager, served as the day-of wedding coordinator. Attendees included both current and former employees of The Murder Mystery Co which eventually became American Immersion Theater.

The two met four years ago in Grand Rapids, and have been inseparable ever since. In 2022, David, Jowei, and their canine companion, Bowie moved into a home together they purchased in metro Grand Rapids. In March of 2023, the couple traveled to Paris, France where they got engaged on the 5th of the month. Since then, they have been working together to make their wedding day a dream come true.

Vendors

Choosing your vendors for a wedding and your guest list can be stressful, but the chosen family David found through American Immersion Theater made the process of getting a wedding strung together became (almost) easy. David mentioned how thankful he is for the affirming, inclusive culture that AIT provides for him and his new husband. 

They decided to have the wedding at Fulton Street Market where Jowei served as a marketing intern. The location is a major part of their relationship, so it only made sense to host the wedding there. For food, there was a bit more to consider as Jowei and many of their friends are vegan. The couple decided on a local Caribbean restaurant, Chez Olga, which serves delicious food for any dietary restriction. Flowers were provided by Valerie Hughes, Major Tom’s wife, and arranged by former assistant events manager, Kelly and her sister, Amy. The decor, paper airplanes, and altar were handmade by the couple which created a beautifully unique touch to their wedding.

Guests and Thanks

It goes without saying that there weren’t a lot of dry eyes in the venue. The guest list included great friends and dear family members, some of which came all the way from South East Asia.

There were a couple of speeches at the wedding, but the most notable speech was given by Sarah, David’s sister.

“As my constant cornerstone, my wishes and hopes for David and Jowei as a couple are boundless, but can be summarized thusly: that the two of you will continue to ground each other, that you will grow together at a constant rate in your love, and that you will always defend each other to the ends of the Earth.”

​Kaitlin Jandron, the Event Sales Manager and dear friend of David and Jowei, attended and had a lot of kind words to say.

“It was an honor to attend David and Jowei’s wedding. David and I were friends long before I became his boss and we’ve been able to maintain our friendship and use it to strengthen our professional relationship. It’s been an honor to witness the relationship from the very beginning. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. It rained lightly, birds were chirping, it was just such a cozy and romantic wedding which was so on brand for them! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. I’m not a romantic person and even I was like “shoot, do I want to get married???”

Jarrett Taylor, the National Venues Relations Director at AIT and cousin of David, had nothing but fantastic things to say about his experience at the wedding. However, all he could seem to come up with was “I cried so much.”

Pride Month Message

We at American Immersion Theater stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. This month is a time to honor the history, achievements, and strength of the these individuals while recognizing the ongoing battle for equality and acceptance. American Immersion Theater believes in the power of immersion to bring people together for positive change in our communities and our world as a whole. We hope that all of our events make each individual feel seen and heard, just as they deserve.

From everyone at American Immersion Theater: Happy Pride Month!