Meet Don and Ally

How Don and Ally turned the Cycle Studio into a Wedding Aisle

If you’ve ever taken a cycle class at MVP Holland, chances are you’ve met Don and Ally. As regulars, they’ve made the studio their second home. Their shared love for fitness, each other and the MVP community led to an unforgettable decision: getting married right in the cycle studio, something that has never been done at MVP before.

Don and Ally met in downtown Saugatuck, Michigan, in 2010. They quickly bonded over their shared passion for fitness. Don had been a lifelong runner.

“I did marathons, 10Ks, half marathons—you name it,” Don said.

It was the perfect match for Ally.

“When I met him, I thought, ‘No way!’ I was already getting older, and I’d never been with someone who worked out a lot and wasn’t intimidated when I worked out,” Ally said.

The two started dating soon after, and Ally invited Don to check out her new gym.

“I had just joined MVP in February 2010, about two months before. I was going to the gym, and he was going to a gym, so I thought I would invite him to come with me,” Ally said.

“I decided to go with her,” Don said. “I’ve been a gym person all my life, but I had never been to a place like this. It truly has first-class facilities, so I joined.”

“I think he really just wanted an excuse to spend more time with me,” Ally said with a laugh.

Classes quickly became part of their routine, and before long, they discovered what would become a cornerstone of their relationship—the cycle studio.

“Between all my running, I finally got to the point where I needed to do some cross-training, so I had been cycling for a while,” Don explained.

Ally was a complete beginner.

“I had no clue how to even set up a bike,” she said. “I was doing Zumba and Group Centergy at the time, but that cycle room was intimidating at first because it’s dark in there, you know?” She added, laughing.

What started as a shared workout soon became a shared passion, and the couple became regular participants in every cycle class MVP had to offer.

“We’re here seven days a week. We started with R30, added Cycle 45 and the recent Les Mills RPM Classes — the whole ball of wax,” Don said.

But it isn’t just the workout that makes their experience special. It’s the people and the supportive community at MVP that truly set it apart.

“All the people and the instructors are just phenomenal,” Don said. “They’re always smiling and encouraging, and you can tell they genuinely care about everyone in their class.”

Their cycling group became a second family, and Don and Ally became fixtures in the studio—helping newcomers adjust their bikes and cheering other members on.

“We know just about everyone here, so we just try to encourage people wherever we can,” Don said.

As they kept attending class, they continued falling in love with the cycle classes, the MVP community, and each other.

After dating for 15 years, they decided it was time to get married.

“We wanted to keep our wedding low-key,” Ally said, “but the justice of the peace is boring. I knew we could do better than that. So, I said, ‘Don, what do you think about getting married at the gym?’”

“The funny thing was,” Don replied, “I was thinking the same thing. I just never brought it up because I thought you’d think I was crazy.”

The couple chose September 7 for their special day, scheduling it during a quieter time at the club, right after members finished Les Mills Core and yoga classes.

“The first spin class of the day started at 10:15 a.m. We did R30, Ally did a core class, and then it was time for the wedding,” Don said. “We told everyone to wear their gym clothes.”

Kourtney and Corey Koopman, Deb VanDeBunte, Marty Macgregor, and many other friends and instructors all worked together to get things ready.  When they arrived, the cycle room was glowing with neon lights, and each bike was decorated with a bow. About 15 guests filled the studio—family, friends and MVP team members alike.

“It turned out to be a really good venue,” Ally said. “Some people sat on the floor; some were sitting on the bikes and there were a few who were spinning.”

The ceremony was short but deeply meaningful, celebrating the most important parts of Don and Ally’s relationship.

“The whole thing only lasted seven minutes,” Ally said. “People were hooting and hollering, and then when we got done—well, we all got on bikes!” she said, laughing.

“It was the most fun wedding,” Don said. “It was short and sweet for one thing. When I looked out at everyone—family, friends, and instructors who ended up being our witnesses—it was just comfortable and very special for us.”

Don and Ally continue to live out the same values that brought them together: staying active, staying connected, and enjoying every stage of life side by side. MVP allows them to do just that, staying involved with a community that truly matters to them.

“This is kind of our family,” Ally said.

“When we’re not traveling, we’re here,” Don said. “It’s our second home. The people we’ve met, the staff, the instructors—it feels like we’re all one big happy family.”

Don and Ally both look forward to many more years of laughter, love, and countless cycle classes together at MVP Holland.