Rescheduled Celebrations - Just as Married!

We met at church and there was an immediate attraction, but it was our mutual love for St Paddy's Day that sealed the deal. We dressed up in our favorite obnoxious green getups and went to watch our friends' band play after a local Downtown at Sundown. We have been crazy about each other ever since.

"Family photos" were scheduled for my birthday.... Halfway thru the session, Corey turned me around and told me to stay right there while he got down on his knee and gave Jacob the ring to hold up. Of course, I almost ruined the moment by being impatient about what was going on back there, but when I turned around, all I could do was say yes and cry. Best. Birthday. Ever. And Calla for dinner and drinks was a fantastic celebration night.

It was early July 2019 and all of our plans were set. The vendors were confirmed, the RSVPs were counted, the details were many but they were all in place! Our dream wedding and reception was upon us... Then...a storm started brewing in the Gulf! It was a week of agony. We were glued to the Weather Channel (which was probably the worst idea) for any updates on where the storm was headed and just how bad it was going to be. The week seemed to last 5 months...we went back and forth trying to decide what to do since literally everyone would be traveling to celebrate with us. Thursday night before the date, it seemed as though it would just be a rain event, so we packed up boxes and made sure we had tarps to cover what might get wet, and planned to leave early Friday morning to start decorating! Then Friday came...overnight the storm had strengthened and turned to go directly through Eunice. We realized that asking our friends and family to travel wasn't safe. The devastation was overwhelming. Not only due to all the plans we had made for our event, but realizing that we couldn't get married on OUR day was crushing. We started to call and text all of our vendors, friends, and family to let them know we would need to reschedule. We had to come to the reality that our dream would have to be postponed, and it was gut-wrenching.

As we conceded that we would have to reschedule...Corey tried to think of any idea to still make our date happen...local parks, halls, any venues in LC that we could relocate to literally 24 hours before the event. I told him, "let's just go meet Chappy (our friend & officiant, Justin Roberts), have breakfast, sign our marriage license, & be married!" My friend & baker, Kari, offered us the top layer of our cake in case I wanted to "eat my feelings" all weekend, which of course I did! Then our photographer, Emily Martindale, & her BFF & our make-up artist, Alexandra Jennings, came to the rescue! As I was wiping away tears of sadness & telling Emily our breakfast plan, she asked if we still wanted to get dressed up & have some photos to go along with that marriage license. At first, I was hesitant because I can't do any sort of hair styling & we didn't really have a location with a picturesque backdrop to go to. She quickly replied that she may be able to help with both of those...Alex can do a simple updo & she knew someone who may let us use their home property. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I said okay, let's see if it's possible. Within TEN MINUTES, we got a confirmation on the location, a plan to start bridal hair and makeup EARLY morning, the top layer of our cake to cut, & a plan to elope at 9:00am with our parents, Corey's brother & son. Alex (who I had never met in person before btw) welcomed me to her home with open arms, ready to give me a special bridal experience. Emily met me there & got some photos of us getting ready & a few detail shots, helped me get dressed, & we packed up the car to drive to our wedding (at a location I had never seen)! Driving up was like a dream! It was the perfect little romantically rustic hideaway with a gorgeous backdrop for our perfect Plan B! We are so beyond thankful for our family, three old friends, two new friends, & a perfect stranger who helped us make it happen! The Duplechins weathered the storm!