Lindsay Johnson and Rod Robertson met on a ski lift at Crystal Mountain in Michigan
NEED TO KNOW
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The couple planned a unique slopeside wedding where guests needed ski or snowboard equipment to attend the ceremony
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Lindsay and Rod replaced their first dance with a "first ride" and now talk to PEOPLE about the experience
When Lindsay Johnson and Rod Robertson were planning their wedding, it only made sense for them to get married in the mountains. Or, on the mountain, more specifically.
The couple met in 2021 during snowboard season at Michigan's Crystal Mountain, where Johnson worked at the time.
While on the chairlift, Robertson, 43, complimented Johnson, 38, on her snowboard bindings, and when they got to talking, they realized she knew his friend who was sitting between them. From then on, the two frequently found themselves sitting next to each other on the chairlift, but Johnson admits it took her all season to realize that he was interested in her — but after she did, the couple never looked back.
After exchanging phone numbers, Robertson started attending Johnson's yoga classes, which soon turned into dinner dates.
"I was totally freaking out. I never went on dates. I was always the girl who chased the guys or was just one of the guys. I rarely had a guy pursue me like this," she shares, noting that she was "a nervous wreck."
However, their second date, which included a picnic and hiking to the dunes at sunset, "sealed the deal."
"Afterward, we basically became inseparable," she shares. "Bonding over so many shared hobbies: snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, hiking, yoga, swimming in Lake Michigan, the outdoors, traveling and road trips."
Not too long after, Johnson also joined Robertson's family business. After six months of dating, they bought a "perfect" house together, and on May 14, 2024, Robertson proposed.
"We went to the season opening of our favorite restaurant, Rock's Landing, and planned to hike our 'second date dune' afterward for sunset. It was nothing out of the ordinary; in fact, I was the one who booked the reservation," Johnson shares. "So when Rod proposed at the top of the dune, I was in complete shock! There were immediate waterworks, and I quickly nodded yes."
As soon as wedding planning began, their friends started sending them videos of various ski weddings. While they originally planned on a June wedding on Lake Michigan, since they usually work during the summertime, having a winter wedding made sense for the couple.
"During our first meeting with our wedding planner, Stacy, the idea of an outdoor winter wedding came up. Rod and I both got really excited about it," she shares. "Rod didn't always have super strong opinions about wedding things, so when he did, I wanted to make sure we implemented them."
The couple, who snowboards up to 80 days each winter, immediately knew that a winter wedding made the most sense, not only for practical reasons, but because the slopes played such a big part in their love story.
"So when the idea of a winter wedding came about... we knew we'd want to get married on the hill. And instead of having a first dance, we could do a first ride," Johnson says.
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However, a slopeside wedding required careful planning. Crystal Mountain told them they would only be able to have 18 people seated in chairs for the ceremony, which was situated in front of the mountain-top condos. While those guests weren't required to have ski or snowboard gear, they needed to sign safety waivers.
"We told the rest of our friends and family that if they wanted to attend, they'd have to be on equipment, with a lift ticket; but that could involve complicated logistics and outfit changes," Johnson shares. "If they didn't want to deal with that, or don't ski or board, they could watch the live stream down in the cocktail hour space."
However, when they arrived at the mountain-top condo a few days before the wedding, they realized their unit was right next to where the ceremony was going to take place.
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"That allowed us to secretly let some people watch the ceremony from the condo balcony," Lindsay shares.
Rather than walk down the snowy aisle, the couple rode down in style.
"People specifically loved the way Rod rode all the way down the aisle, my dad and I skiing down together in sync. I was trying to match his pace; he's a super chill, smooth skier, and I am a very fast snowboarder," Johnson says. "The ground 'arch' was unreal. It looked like it was growing out of the ground, and the wood shape matched the hilltop behind us, which was the chairlift we met on."
Johnson says there ended up being "way more people" watching from the condo than they expected. They were, of course, pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
After saying "I do," the couple then rode down the mountain together for the very first time as husband and wife — joined by their closest friends and family.
"On top of that… the number of our friends and family who showed up on equipment was insane! When we finally pulled up to the chairlift meeting spot — after portraits and family photos — I was totally shocked by how many were waiting for us… about 40 people! Some of them were my coworkers who weren’t even invited to the wedding, but wanted to be part of the ceremony ride!"
People tuning into the livestream from the cocktail hour location watched as the wedding party skied or snowboarded down the hill.
One of the most unexpected things for Lindsay was the number of people who showed up with equipment to join them on the slopes, which she says "was really special."
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She also admits that she "basically blacked out during the whole ceremony."
"I don't remember much of what Tom, our officiant and friend, said. I don't even remember what our scripted vows were," she shares. "I remember Rod staring deeply into my eyes when it was his turn to recite, and my voice barely came out when it was mine. A quiet voice is very unusual for me. I am normally extremely loud and project well."
Robertson, meanwhile, was surprised by the overall "fantastic" snow conditions and weather for a mid-March day.
"Usually, the snow is sloppier and much muddier and dirtier. We got a couple of inches the night before, and it was only predicted to be dusting," he shares.
While Johnson admits there were some tricky logistics, like their families needing to swap outfits from the ceremony to the group trip downhill, she notes that "getting all of our friends and family into one room and getting to share our lifestyle with them" was something she will cherish forever.
Aside from that, her "obvious" highlight was committing to spend the rest of her life with Robertson.
"He is my best friend, my adventure partner, my calm," she shares. "We are always together, we balance each other out, and we have built a really awesome life together in a very short amount of time."
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Lindsay Johnson and Rod Robertson met on a ski lift at Crystal Mountain in Michigan NEED TO KNOW The couple plan...
