This groom proposed with the help of a famous Mizzou tradition

Jordan Mason and Jason Jones met as students at the university almost a decade ago.

by Erica Sloan

September 21, 2017

9:07 AM

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Courtship: Jordan Mason first met Jason Jones when he came to “one of the many horrible themed parties my roommate and I used to throw in college,” Jordan laughs. (Think rock star theme: Jason wore a Guns 'n Roses shirt with tattered jeans and a bandana.) Although that’s where they were introduced, they didn’t talk much until Jason’s roommate—a mutual friend of theirs—invited them both to lunch. There, Jordan and Jason hit it off, exchanged phone numbers, and got to talking.

Over the next couple years, they became close friends (and Jason went to many more of Jordan’s “horrible” parties). In February of their senior year, Jason asked Jordan if she’d like to grab dinner at Flat Branch, his favorite spot in Columbia. “It’s known for craft beer,” Jason says, “but in true St. Louis fashion, Jordan sat down and ordered a Bud Light.” That first date was a long time coming, but by the time it happened, the two were hooked on each other.

Proposal: Jason and Jordan both stayed at Mizzou for eight years: After undergrad, Jordan went to law school and Jason pursued another Bachelor’s degree. (“So we’re both huge Mizzou fans,” Jordan says.) In December of 2015, the two were headed back to Columbia to celebrate Christmas with Jason’s family. “When he came to pick me up in Chesterfield,” Jordan says, “he smelled like cologne, so I instantly knew something was up since he almost never wears cologne.”

To his delight, when they arrived in Columbia, Jordan was the one who suggested they walk their dogs—Ziggy, the Bichon Frise and Gus-Gus, the Havanese—on campus. After a quick tour of their old stomping grounds, Jordan was busy taking pictures of their dogs when Jason suggested heading back to the car. But when they reached the shamrock on the ground in front of the school, he pulled her aside. “We have a tradition at Mizzou,” Jason says, “where if you step into the shamrock, you’ll fall in love with an engineer—and I’d recently graduated from the school of engineering.” Just as Jordan turned to face him, he got down on one knee in the center of the shamrock.

Ceremony & Reception: Jordan and Jason got married on June 9, 2017 with a ceremony and reception at the Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park—a venue chosen by Jordan’s family. “That’s the only thing I relinquished control over,” she says, “since my family was able to tour venues while Jason and I were living in Madison, Wisconsin during the planning stage.”

On decor, Jordan says she was going for something “eclectic and whimsical with pops of color,” something to complement the venue’s high-vaulted ceilings and art-deco chandeliers. In the year leading up to the wedding, she collected pieces of vintage china, glassware, and other antiques, including 2.5-foot-tall candleholders for the head table, a vintage shadowbox for the cardholder, and an old window for the seating chart. Her bridesmaids wore dresses they chose themselves in a range of pastel colors, and hand-dyed silk ribbons attached to each of their bouquets tied the look together.

The Details:

Venue: Piper Palm House

Photography: Carretto Studio

Catering: Butler's Pantry

Cake: Bella Cakes

Flowers: Accents Floral Design

DJ: Millenium Productions (Joe Presti)

Hair: Breeze Blow Dry Bar

Makeup: Friend of the bride

Dress: Marah's Elegant Bridal

Shoes: Seychelles

Jewelry: Kendra Scott