It is definitely crazy to think that I was one of the first individuals that Joe met when he made the decision to join the oil boom and move to North Dakota back in 2011. Back in those days, we must have had other things on our minds as it wasn't until sometime in October of 2017 that "something just clicked" between the two of us. I smile every time someone asks how we met or what brought us together - because if any of you know me, I LOVE coffee and if any of you know Joe, he CAN'T STAND the smell of coffee. Yes, it all started with a little coffee : ) He jokes that bringing me coffee in the morning was his way to my heart. Well, it worked! Here we are talking about a wedding.

Little did I know that Joe had been planning a proposal MONTHS before he actually proposed. Little did I know that Christmas Day of 2019 Joe was going to propose to me. BUT everyone else seemed to have a pretty good idea : ) So Christmas morning, Joe, myself, and Tyler got up and of course opened up Santa gifts. We then proceeded with a bit of breakfast and then proceeded to get ready to go spend the day with Ian, Danielle, and family. While we were getting ready, Joe states "Before we go out to my sisters, we need to run to Swede's dam and put some mouse poisoning in the Quonset." I thought to myself, really Joe.... on Christmas day you are concerned about placing some mouse poisoning - BUT I went with it without a sputter. Swede's dam is a family heirloom that I like to refer to as "My happy place". It is peaceful, serene, and full of beauty. I introduced Joe to it on one of our outings early into our relationship and he knew it was a place dear to my heart. Anyways, let's cut to the chase. So we load up and get down the road. Tyler get's out to let the fence down so that we may cross over and just when I am ready to tell Tyler to hop back in the pickup - Joe says "let's get out for a minute". I thought to myself, what are you up to - it is cold out, I don't want to stand outside. But glad I did! He was SPEECHLESS standing there. I said "why do you keep looking at me like I am crazy" and his reply was "well I am about to find out just how crazy you are". And he then proceeded to ask and I of course said YES!

After much thought, we have opted to proceed with a nontraditional wedding. We will have a private ceremony (limited to only family) at Tobacco Gardens Resort and Marina with a reception and dance following at the Eagles Club in Watford City, ND. The reception and dance will be open to all invites. While we would love for all of our friends and family to gather with us during the ceremony, it is nearly impossible to accommodate this due to limited seating/availability. We would love to see you all at the reception and dance. Bring a hearty appetite as well as your best dance moves and let's make some memories!

Dear Friends and Family As you know the situation with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is still unfolding. Although we have high hopes that this will not interfere with our wedding celebration, we cannot rule out the possibility. In order to provide you with timely updates regarding our upcoming wedding celebration, we will be intermittently posting updates here. Please remember to check back on occasion, especially prior to making travel arrangements for the celebration. In the mean time, stay SAFE and HEALTHY Love Joe & Jess

So here we are, 2 weeks until one of our most anticipated days, our wedding. It is with much regret that we reach out to you all and inform you that we have made the decision to cancel the wedding dance. This was not an easy decision for us to make. This decision was ultimately based on the health and safety of you all : ) We will continue with the reception as planned. We completely understand if you and/or your family are unable to attend. During the continued uncertainty associated with COVID we wish you all the best! We thank you for your understanding in our decision. We will be sure to share some of our favorite pictures from our wedding in the near future.