September 10th, 2016 Dane and I were married. When we became 'official', back in 2013, I think we both knew that this day would come. When you know, you know, right?! 

Now, I could go on and tell you all of the things that you hear about most wedding days: It was perfect, it was magical, it was just like a fairytale, etc. It was all of those things! But why tire you with what you already know, when I could show you proof?

The only thing you can't see from the photos is that it was sunny and 73 degrees that day, and had the perfect lake breeze. Okay, now remember that when looking through these photos, and it'll be like you were there with us the entire time. Enjoy! 

New Years Eve has always been a night to celebrate for Dane and I. NYE 2013 is when he first kissed me, and when we officially started dating exclusively. So each year on NYE, we celebrate our anniversary. It's always been the perfect way to ring in the new year! 

NYE 2014, Dane had bought tickets to a NYE party in downtown Saint Louis. I was very much looking forward to the party, until he told me it was Ninja themed. I remember telling him how dumb I would look in the dress I planned on wearing at a Ninja party. Haha! 

That day, I got home from work to find two dozen red roses on our dining table, and headed upstairs to curl my hair.  Before leaving for the evening, we sat down in our living room and exchanged our anniversary gifts. Dane opened mine first. It was an electric grill starter for the Big Green Egg I bought him for Christmas the year before. ​

Then he handed me my gift. It was a small box perfectly wrapped in gold wrapping paper and a big gold bow. He told me it was a two part gift, and that I was to open the box and only take what was on top. They were diamond earrings. He then took the box from me and told me that he had written me a letter, pulled out a piece of paper he had hidden behind a pillow on our couch, and started to read the sweetest letter I've ever heard. And at the end, he took a smaller box out of the bottom of my gift box, and got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Did I cry? Of course I did. Duh. And naturally, I immediately had to call my Mom, Dad, and sister to share the great news!

He then told me that a driver was on its way to take us to a secret location and that I needed to wear a blindfold. No Ninja party! Woo! The driver showed up and about 30 minutes later we arrived at our location. I walked blindfolded while I held onto Dane until we reached the door. While the door opened, my blindfold came off, and we were standing in my parent's foyer with all of our friends and family.

The night was amazing! We celebrated the start of our next chapter while surrounded by everyone we loved, and brought in 2015. It was a night I will never forget! 

The story of how Dane and I met sounds more like an arranged marriage.

It all started back in..well, I'm not exactly sure when it actually started because it wasn't started by either of us. It was started by our co-conspiring mothers. You see, our mom's used to work together and were what you'd call 'work best friends'. They'd spend their days complaining about the people we were dating -not that they were bad people, they just knew they weren't the right people for us. 

One day in early October, their company had seats available at the Cardinal's baseball game, and so my mom invited my Dad, myself, and my current boyfriend at the time. Dane's mom invited her Father and Dane, who was on his way back in town from a fishing trip in Wisconsin.
​(Disclaimer: The photo above is not from the game we're discussing here).

After the game had ended, Dane offered to squeeze us all into his Altima and drive us to our cars. I think that's when I knew my relationship of 6.5 years was over. You see, we had been arguing a lot  around that time, and he had told me many times that the man I thought I deserved didn't exist. But there he was! 

Dane got into the back seat of his car to make room for us. He first pulled out his business suit (a man with a real job), his fishing pole (a man who likes adventure and to be outside), and then his suitcase (a man who likes to travel). He was all the things I was looking for. It was at that moment my Mom said I turned on 'the flirt'. We piled into his car, realizing we were short one seat, so I laid across the laps in the backseat. 

After realizing men like that really do exist, I broke up with my boyfriend. I took the time I needed to mourn over my relationship and convince myself I'd never turn back like I had before. I took time to be with friends and learn how to be alone. 

Then I decided it was time to reach out to Dane. I mean, he gave me hope for a better relationship, so why not start with him? I sent him a private message through Facebook, and our conversations began. He asked me out a few times, but I kept turning him down because I wasn't ready. It wasn't until the fourth time he asked me out that a friend of mine accidentally sent him a response that said I'd be there. I was terrified! Dating was intimidating! I hadn't 'dated' in years! What would I say?!

Well, I must've figured it out because we went on many more dates after that! And as much as I hate to admit it, my mom was right. She knew all along that Dane was my person. We've now been together a little over 6 years and will have been married 3 years this September.

​Thanks Mom. :)