Danielle & Joslyn married 7.15.17

Game On by Laura Vietmeyer

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Photo Booth & Videography: Sound By Design

Photography: Heather Cook Elliott Photography

Reception DJ & Lighting: Sound By Design

Competitive couple Joslyn and Danielle brought their once joked about idea of a football themed wedding to life. Joslyn notes, “As a diehard sports fan myself, Danielle is the perfect partner to share a night on the couch or a day at the game with.” Married before 236 guests who came in from all over the country, they represented their favorite football teams, the Chicago Bears and the Denver Broncos, respectively, in blue and orange and with a myriad of unique football touches throughout the reception. As the happy couple looks to the future, they see themselves still being 110% in love.

Joslyn and Danielle met at Library Bar on Halloween in 2011. Neither cared much for the holiday, but dressed up and went out that night to appease their friends. Danielle met Joslyn’s best friend Dewy, and they found out they were both teaching assistants. After talking for a while, Dewy introduced Joslyn to Danielle,

saying, “You should talk to this girl. She is really cool.” They hit it off immediately.

The couple’s first date was over Daylight Savings Time. They went to Tracks Tavern, where the conversation turned to football. “Are you a Packers fan?” Joslyn asked. To his relief, Danielle replied, “I’m a Denver Broncos fan!” They knew then there was a connection. “Daylight Savings Time is still a special day that we celebrate!” Danielle says.

Danielle knew Joslyn was “The One” when he met her childhood stuffed animal, Stinky Duck. “Stinky Duck is old and falling apart and Joslyn accepted ‘him’ for who he is,” Danielle says. Similarly, Joslyn knew Danielle was the one when he saw Stinky Duck lying on the snowy ground after falling out of Danielle’s bag. “Without thinking I dashed outside in my shorts, tank top and bare feet as if the stuffed animal was a child in danger. At that moment I knew I would do anything to make this girl happy.”

The proposal came during a 2016 trip to Seattle for Danielle’s birthday. They had dinner and drinks upon arriving, and Danielle talked about how Joslyn was such a hooligan when they met. The next day, as they were getting ready to take the hotel shuttle to go meet a friend of Danielle’s, Joslyn asked her to stop getting ready. “He said, ‘I have something important to tell you,’” Danielle recalls. “Joslyn said, ‘Last night you called me a hooligan. You have turned me from a hooligan to a gentleman. Will you marry me?’ My initial reaction was, ‘What about the shuttle?’ Then realizing what happened said, ‘YES!’”

Both Joslyn and Danielle were very involved in the planning. Joslyn says, “Wedding planning is a ‘boss fight.’ It can be challenging for not only those directly involved, but also those indirectly involved such as parents, friends and loved ones. Talk to them when planning becomes tough or overwhelming.”

On the big day, the couple did a first look before the ceremony. “Joslyn told me that my dress was not anything like he pictured it to be, but that it was the perfect choice for me,” Danielle says. Joslyn donned a bone tie clip for their dog, Harvey, and pineapple cufflinks for Danielle’s love for pineapples.

The day was filled with many special moments. Danielle’s bridesmaid, Dana, sang Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up,” at the ceremony. The Best Man and Maid of Honor held a competition for “best speech,” with the Best Man taking home the win. The couple had a Jamaican Rum Cake to honor Joslyn’s Jamaican heritage. They also had a DIY gift for their guests. “We made bottle cap magnets from all of the beer caps we collected over the years and wrote a poem to go with it,” Danielle says.

Looking back, the couple notes that their photographer, Heather Cook Elliott, was worth every penny. “She did an amazing job with the photos. That was always the one thing people told us not to skimp on and they were definitely right!” Danielle says.

As for the whole experience, Danielle advises other couples to step back and enjoy it all. “Have fun with it and take all the help you can get! Just enjoy the fact that you are going to marry your favorite person.”