New Year's Eve Wedding

​I love weddings. I mean I really realllllly love weddings. When I was younger, I wanted to be a wedding planner, quickly realizing that small town Nebraska was not the place for such a dream. I had wedding planning games on the computer. I watched "Say Yes to the Dress" nonstop. I started shopping for wedding dresses at the age of 12. I've just always been a big fan of the happiest day of your life, and the beginning of happily ever after.
 
So, you can imagine my excitement when I was asked to be a bridesmaid for some close friends, in northern Texas on New Year’s Eve. I was in traffic when I got the text, and came home to my roommates SCREAMING about how excited I was.
 
That was six months ago, and this past weekend me and Luke (who was also a groomsman in the wedding), finally got to go down for the New Year’s Eve wedding of Scott and Mayce Stoecklein.

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​There was lots to be done before the main event. In the 8-hour drive from Nebraska to Texas, I learned that yes, everything is in fact bigger in Texas, this includes the sky, the fields, the cows, the cactuses you name it, it's all bigger. Southern charm and hospitality also do exist, and we could all take a lesson in it. Oklahoma City has terrible rush hour traffic, and should be avoided at all costs. And finally, if you think the drive is going to go off without a hitch, you can just ask me about the duct tape holding my car together the next time you see me. (Lesson learned: you cannot hit a garage two months before the trip and expect the back end of your car to magically be held together by only superglue, as it's driving at 80 mph into the wind.)

 Once the whole getting to Texas part of the trip was over, everyone was ready to dive into wedding mode. Well.. specifically the girls were ready to go. We spent the day of the rehearsal dinner making boquets, and getting our nails done, while the boys went down to the river to play in the Texas mud. We got to see the venue that night, and I hope you fall in love with its rustic charm like I did. It was an old warehouse turned into ceremony space decorated compeltely by antique items and mismatched furniture. The perfect place to celebrate a New Years Eve wedding. 

The day of the wedding everyone woke up excited to make the day special for the bride and groom. Mayce and Scott met back in high school, and dated seriously until Mayce's dad, who's in the military, got stationed in Texas and she had to move away. After two years of being apart, they eventually found their way back to each other last year and finally got to say the "I do's" they always knew the wanted to say to each other. Everyone was more than grateful to get to be a part of their day. When I say that everyone cried as she walked down the aisle, I'm not exaggerating. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Mayce was absolutely stunning in her dress, and Scott couldn't hide it on his face when she walked down the aisle.

Mayce taking one more glance. 

The bride and I.

Mayce got Scott a watch with a note that said, "Don't be late." 

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No day can ever be perfect, but their wedding was pretty dang close. It was filled with love and laughter, and most certainly a happily ever after. We all had so much fun together, and couldn't believe it the next day when it was time to pack up and go home. There's something special about weddings that makes you believe anything is possible, and with these two I have no doubt that it is. If I could pick any weekend to go back and relive it would for sure be this one. So, to the bride and groom who deserve nothing but the best, I hope you get all that you deserve and more. Here's to more weddings, trips, laughter, and memories like yours.