Jelisa and Clay met through Jelisa’s cousin, Arthur. Aurthur and Clay attended college in Houston in 2008, and quickly became good friends. Jelisa was going to school in Kingsville at the time and was blissfully unaware of their friendship. She graduated and moved to Houston in 2011. Right around the same time, Clay left Houston to spend a year with the Franciscans. Jelisa heard about Arthur’s friend who was going to be a priest and wished him well.
Let’s skip ahead a couple years.
In 2013, Jelisa had just bought a house, and Clay had decided priesthood wasn’t his calling after all and moved back to Houston. Jelisa met Clay for the first time when Arthur brought him to a party she was hosting. A good time was had by all, but they went their separate ways not knowing who we’d met that night.
Skipping ahead again.
It was Wurstfest Weekend 2014. Jelisa went to New Braunfels with some cousins for Wurstfest. She’d given up all hope of dating and was looking forward to a great weekend with family. Arthur’s wife, Victoria, drove to New Braunfels that Saturday after work. Clay offered to drive with her so she wouldn’t make the trip alone. Clay and Jelisa started talking soon after he arrived.
The only way I’m able to stay sane is to focus on what I’m actually trying to accomplish. First and foremost, my goal is to be married to Clay. Second for me, is to be able to celebrate my union with my closest family and friends.
There was a live polka band playing, and Clay offered to teach her how to polka. It’s still hard to say for certain—Jelisa doesn’t know if it was the delicious Shiner Bock Beer or the twinkle in his eye, but she agreed to try it. They danced the night away, and the rest is pretty much history.
Give us the details! When? Where? How?
I grew up in Palacios, Texas. It’s a tiny town on the Texas coastline. My childhood was spent on the water, and my favorite place in the world is the Tres Palacios Bay. I asked Clay if he would go to Palacios with me for the Shrimporee (our Church festival) the first Sunday in August. It never occurred to me he’d already been planning this weekend for a long time.
Life is never easy, but it can always be joyful. The wedding is the start, and the joy from that day can be shared and relived through the memories.
We went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner that Saturday with my family. The idea came up at dinner that we should go for a walk along the seawall later that night. As we were parking at the bay, Clay made a comment about how he was disappointed the sky was overcast. However, there was a nice breeze off the water, and it was a beautiful night.
There were several groups out that night barbecuing and playing volleyball. The sound of children playing and people laughing filled the night. We kept walking all the way to the end of the seawall by the turning basin where there’s this little turn around area in the sidewalk. We were now alone and the night was quiet. Out of nowhere the sky cleared up and all the stars came out. We stood there for a minute looking out at the stars over the bay.
I asked him if this was the romantic walk he had in mind, and he responded that there was just one more thing to make the night perfect. He got down on one knee and asked me to share his life with him. I was so excited I barely waited for him to finish his proposal. My response was, “Yeah… I mean yes!” I reached for the ring and tried to put it on before remembering he was supposed to do put the ring on me.
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
So far the most fun I’ve had has been when we took our engagement photos. We went to a park in Houston and we got to be ourselves. The park we went to is full of big beautiful oak trees, and when we arrived our photographer jokingly suggested we take pictures in a tree. I jumped at the opportunity and immediately climbed a tree in my sweater dress and 3-inch wedges. My only responsibility that afternoon was to be in love with Clay. It was amazing.
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
Planning a wedding an extremely emotionally rollercoaster that no one is fully prepared for. There are a billion tiny details you didn’t know existed, and there will always be unwarranted negative opinions that can ruin the whole experience.
The only way I’m able to stay sane is to focus on what I’m actually trying to accomplish. First and foremost, my goal is to be married to Clay. Second for me, is to be able to celebrate my union with my closest family and friends. If I’m able to do these two things, the rest of the noise does not matter.
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
I love the simplicity of the app, I love that my guests will be able to share pictures from the wedding. It’s structured enough to guide you on what important wedding information should be included while still having a ton of flexibility on what gets shown on the website.
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
One of the best things I found using Joy is the responsiveness of the Joy team. My advice to couples using joy is if something isn’t exactly what you’re looking for contact them. They’re incredibly friendly and easy to work with.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
The joy that lasts forever comes from the love of the married couple. Life is never easy, but it can always be joyful. The wedding is the start, and the joy from that day can be shared and relived through the memories.
