When Two Wrestlers Say I Do: Carley and Jake's Wedding Story

"The love we now have for each other has been beautifully crafted over time by the Lord."

This past May, I stood with two wrestlers preparing to get married. I have never done this before. Wrestling has been part of my life for many years. I wrestled in high school and later coached for ten years. All three of my sons wrestled, and my youngest became a college All-American. I know the early morning weigh-ins and long tournament days. I have watched wrestlers cut weight and recover from injuries. I know the kind of discipline the sport can build in a person. I have stood with wrestlers in practice and before and after matches. But I have never stood before two wrestlers getting married.

While we were at a beautiful wedding venue, I thought to myself, maybe this ceremony needed to be in a gym, on the mats, under the spotlights.

My passion for wrestling helped me connect with Carley and Jake from our first conversations, revealing their unique backgrounds and shared love for the sport, which added depth to their wedding story.

Two Paths to Indiana Tech

Carley spent most of her childhood as a gymnast. During her junior year of high school, her school began forming a women's wrestling team and needed girls willing to try out. Carley stepped onto the mat and discovered that she loved it and was naturally good at it. She went on to place at the New Jersey state tournament. A wrestling scholarship eventually took her to Indiana Tech, where she studied psychology and competed for the women's team.

Jake's path began much earlier. When he was a boy, his mother picked up a flyer for a local wrestling club. That flyer led to sixteen years in the sport. Wrestling was a tradition in his family. His grandfather had competed at Eastern Michigan University. Jake earned a wrestling scholarship to Indiana Tech, where he studied industrial engineering.

College wrestling tested both of them. Jake fought through serious injuries and underwent two surgeries. He still reached the national tournament. Carley faced injuries of her own and had surgery. She qualified for nationals twice. Their college careers required patience and many hours of work away from the crowds. Their love story grew within that demanding world.

In 2021, Jake was a sophomore, and Carley was a freshman. Jake had been praying that God would bring the right woman into his life. His older brother, Nick, and Carley's roommate, Brooklyn, arranged a double date at an ice-skating rink. Carley and Jake began dating, and within a month, they both sensed where the relationship was heading.

Carley later wrote that Jake was the person she had been "dreaming of and praying for." She described the safety she felt with him and the way he encouraged her to grow. Jake described their love as something God had shaped over time. He also suggested that Carley was probably drawn to his looks at the beginning. Years on a wrestling mat can build confidence along with character.

A Scenic Proposal With One Small Problem

Jake proposed during a Royal Caribbean cruise in the summer of 2025. While the family was visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands, he booked a scenic coastal hike and asked the tour coordinator to recommend a beautiful place along the beach. His sister was ready to take pictures, and the family knew what was coming.

When they reached the chosen spot, the beach was covered with dead seaweed. The smell had settled over the entire area. At that point, Jake had a ring and an audience. Carley had a good sense of humor, so they rolled with the smelly setting. Dead seaweed could not be much worse than a wrestling locker room. Jake proposed, and she said yes. An unplanned detail often becomes the part of a wedding story that everyone remembers.

Preparing for the Marriage

I had the opportunity to spend more time with Carley and Jake because they chose our Marriage Boot Camp. As part of that process, they completed the SYMBIS assessment, which gives an engaged couple a personalized picture of their relationship and helps guide the conversations that follow.

SYMBIS gave us room to talk about how they communicate and how their personalities work together. It also helped us identify places where they could keep growing. The assessment gave structure to those conversations, while Carley and Jake brought honesty and a willingness to learn.

Their approach to marriage felt familiar to me. Wrestlers learn through repetition and correction. They review what happened and make adjustments. As a coach, I learned to value athletes who could receive instruction and keep improving. Carley and Jake brought that same mindset into their marriage preparation. They were intentional about understanding each other and serious about building a healthy life together.

By the time we reached wedding day, our time together had made the ceremony more personal. I had heard what they valued in each other and watched them work through meaningful conversations. The words I shared at the altar felt deeply connected to the couple standing in front of me.

A Wedding Message Made for Wrestlers

Carley and Jake were married at The Barn on Enchanted Acres in Dennison, Ohio, where warm woods and open countryside created a picturesque setting that perfectly reflected their love story.

Jacob, the name of the patriarch in Genesis who wrestled with God through the night and refused to let go until he received a blessing, symbolizes strength and perseverance, qualities that Carley's name, meaning victory, also embodies-reminding us of God's power in their journey.

I reminded Jake that the strength he had developed would now serve his wife and the home they were building. I told Carley that the aisle she had walked that day represented its own kind of victory. They had each endured setbacks before reaching the altar. Their wedding gave them a chance to raise their hands together and celebrate the life ahead.

Returning to Romans 12, I wanted Carley and Jake to know that genuine love and honor are divine principles guiding marriage and faith.

Near the close of the ceremony, I told them I had wondered whether I needed rings or something else for two wrestlers. I pulled out a referee's whistle and motioned toward them as though I were preparing to start a match. I blew the whistle and pronounced them husband and wife. They had no idea I was doing that, and the guests all thought that was the perfect touch.

From that moment forward, Carley and Jake share the same calling. They get to protect their marriage and help each other grow. The habits that carried them through wrestling can serve them well as they build a home together. They know how to keep showing up and receive good coaching. They also know how to make an adjustment when the situation calls for one. Their faith gives those habits a deeper purpose, and their vows give them a person for whom the work is worth doing.

I am grateful that Marriage Boot Camp allowed me to know this couple beyond the details of their ceremony. Their story reflects the kind of preparation I hope every engaged couple will consider. A wedding day gives us a moment to celebrate. The conversations before that day help a couple enter marriage with greater understanding and a plan for growing together.

Carley and Jake arrived at the altar as accomplished wrestlers. They left as husband and wife, ready to build a life shaped by genuine love and mutual honor. For one spring afternoon at the Barn on Enchanted Acres, a wedding minister got to pull a whistle from his old coaching bag and send two wrestlers into their next season together.

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