Melissa and Chad met at work during mid-August 2014 when Melissa joined the same team. We didn’t work directly with one another so there was not a lot of interaction other than a generic, “Good morning!” “See ya later!” or “Have a good weekend!” It wasn’t until nine months later, in May 2015, that we actually started to get to know each other. Melissa had just moved in with a fellow co-worker and mutual friend, Cate, and the two were throwing a house warming party.
Cate was friends with Chad and invited him to come by. Melissa was a NFL cheerleader at the time and had practice all afternoon on the day of the party and got home after Chad had already arrived. I quickly went to my room to change and get ready. When she came out she could see Chad looking at her. Having gotten ready in a rush, she began questioning if she should change her outfit. That’s when she heard, “Don’t change. You look good!” It was Chad. They hung out the majority of that night but neither were sure if it was going anywhere.
Cole Garrett Photography
A couple weeks later was the 4th of July and coincidentally they were both going to be in Lake Tahoe for the weekend. They had been texting here and there and decided to meet up at the beach near where Chad was staying. One day at the beach turned into an entire weekend of meeting up and hanging out. They both felt the spark between us but Melissa was hesitant of the possibility of a relationship with a co-worker.
At the end of the weekend Chad asked if he could take her on a date when we got back. She let him know where her head was at, her concerns, and told him she would think about it. Her heart was all in. Three days later they went on their first date—the last “first date” either of them would ever have.
Give us the details! When? Where? How?
Chad gave me the surprise of my life on December 17th, 2016 at Wente Vineyards. We had planned a holiday couples’ wine tasting trip with our friends Cate and Aldo. We spent the first hour of the day tasting a flight in the tasting room. After that we headed to meet Dennis who would be taking us on a private tour of the barrel room. It was completely empty, with Christmas decor, reception lighting, and hundreds of beautiful oak barrels.
Half way down the walk way we stopped at a private bar set up for the 4 of us to taste more wines and take pictures. About 20 minutes in a woman came up to ask Dennis to assist her with something. At that moment Chad grabbed me to take pictures to distract me while our families made their way into the room.
Your wedding day is the first day of the rest of your life. We think how you start it will really set the tone for what is to come so make sure you spread the Joy with everyone and leave that lasting impression about your love.
When Dennis returned, Chad pulled me out to the center of the barrel room under a spotlight where I saw a group of people. I saw my mom and began to cry as I realized what was about to happen. At that moment, in front of both our families and four of our closest friends, Chad dropped on one knee and asked me to be his wife. And of course I said YES!
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
We just got started but finding our venue and The Dress will be hard to top!
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
So far it’s actually been a lot of fun! I love event planning so I find Joy in doing all off this. After all, you only get to plan your wedding once! My mentality is to get as much done while I still have this initial excitement about being engaged. I have hear that I will hit a low so I am want to make sure I am on top of everything so that I can let that moment happen and not feel behind when I need to jump back into planning everything.
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
It’s simplicity!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Take advantage of all the great features! You can also save a lot of money on invites by referencing all info about the ceremony, reception, and accommodations here!
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Your wedding day is the first day of the rest of your life. We think how you start it will really set the tone for what is to come so make sure you spread the Joy with everyone and leave that lasting impression about your love.
Cole Garrett Photography
