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Update: Due to COVID-19, we’ve decided to postpone our wedding. We hope you’ll save our new date — you can RSVP anytime on our site. Wishing you all health and safety, and looking forward to celebrating together!
Update: Due to COVID-19, we’ve decided to postpone our wedding. We hope you’ll save our new date — you can RSVP anytime on our site. Wishing you all health and safety, and looking forward to celebrating together!
September 1, 2022
Matthews, NC

Thea & William

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William Dykes

and

Thea Gaugler

September 1, 2022

Matthews, NC

Will's Version

How We Met

Thea and I first met my sophomore year at Tulane. She had come down to visit Jason, who was my old roommate and current best man. She was only there for a few days but I distinctively remember her calling me cute (even if she won’t own up to it). She visited New Orleans a few times but it wasn’t until her last visit while I was at school that we started to fall in love. It was my last semester and the only plans I had at the time was to camp and hike after I graduated. Thea flew in from New York and was going to stay the weekend. For whatever reason, this time it was different and we were drawn to each other. Our first unofficial date was at Dot’s Diner (I wouldn’t stop talking about the grits). I fell in love with her at Audubon Park looking over the Mississippi River or taking pictures at the Tree of Life or pointing out different birds at Bird Island. I forget which one but it only took an afternoon. I’m happy to say she was able to join in much of the camping and hiking I wanted to do after I graduated. Currently, we live in Colorado. We’ve had 6 years to enjoy camping and hiking with each other and we both look forward to a lifetime more. Our love has grown and matured. We laugh at each other’s quirks and we’re each other’s support system. I know I’m lucky Thea decided to fly to New Orleans that last semester in college. It’s been a wild ride so far and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Thea's Version

Once Upon a Time in New Orleans...

Well. I'd hung around Will a few times while visiting our mutual friend, Jason (Best Man/Maid of Honor if you ask him) in New Orleans, but neither of us were interested as far as I can remember. Will claims that I told him he was cute the first time we ever met, but I'm convinced that never happened. Fast forward to April of 2014. We went on a super fun swamp tour and fed the alligators marshmallows, had a photo shoot with friends at the Tree of Life, and threw knives at a target the boys made in their backyard for hours. One of those nights, we sat on the couch watching New Girl or playing video games (can't remember) and trying to decide whether we should go out or stay in. We ended up falling asleep, probably mid-decision, which we’d later found out would be our typical Friday night. That weekend we went to the park and drank Twisted Teas and spent time overthinking all of the words on every bottlecap (LY definitely meant “love you”, and I still have that cap). I’m not sure when exactly the schoolgirl crush started but it was sometime that week and quickly it turned into more. We went to Dot's Diner and had our very first breakfast date of many. We rode around in his dad's red pickup truck and eventually I went back to New York. At that point, Will lost his phone days prior and didn't care (some things never change) until I left. He got himself a burner phone from 711 and we stayed in touch. Like, talked-every-day-started-dating-getting-married kind of in touch. Eventually he got a new phone, but he probably still won't answer if you call it. Now here we are, doing all parts of life together in Colorado. Will is my support system, my feet on the ground, my best friend, and my forever breakfast date, and I'm so excited to continue to walk, and hike, and climb, and eat through this life right by his side.

For all the days along the way
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