Docker and Allie first met at Della Viti Wine Bar in Cedar Rapids. Allie and her friend Megan had decided to check out the brand-new spot after work, excited to try something different. As they parked, they noticed two gentlemen walking behind them, seemingly heading in the same direction. Allie was convinced they only came in because they saw “two pretty girls” walk into the bar. (Why else would 2 guys walk into a wine bar?!)

Once inside, Megan and Allie grabbed seats at the bar, while the two men—who we later learned were Docker and his coworker, Shawn—sat nearby. Della Viti had a unique setup where you added money to a card and used it to pour wine directly from dispensers mounted on the wall. As they sipped our wine, they couldn’t help but notice one of the guys struggling with his. Shawn had tried to pour himself a 6 oz glass, but instead, the entire bottle kept draining into his glass uncontrollably. That's when Docker had to keep grabbing extra glasses just to catch the overflow.

Afterward, Shawn walked over to Megan and Allie, holding several glasses of wine, and jokingly asked if they wanted one. Allie laughed and said, “Of course, that’s why we’re here!” That little mishap ended up bringing her and Docker together.

As the night went on, Megan and Shawn eventually left, leaving just the two of them at the wine bar. Allie turned to Docker and asked, “Do you want to grab some chicken strips with me? I know a great place across the street.” He agreed, letting her show him around downtown Cedar Rapids—though she had no idea at the time that he actually worked right across the street!

Having moved to Iowa from Georgia a year and a half prior, Allie was still getting used to the area. When Docker mentioned that he lived in North Liberty, about 15 miles away, she assumed that meant it was a long drive. Coming from Atlanta, where 15 miles often meant sitting in traffic for an hour, she had no idea that in Iowa, it meant just a quick 15-minute drive.

They spent the rest of the evening wandering around downtown before he finally admitted he worked nearby. As they wrapped up the night, Allie casually mentioned that she'd be at Big Grove Brewery the next day with a friend and maybe she'd see him around. To her surprise, he looked at her and said, “No way! I’m actually planning on going there tomorrow with some friends.”

And sure enough, the next day at the brewery, they saw each other again. From there, things just took off, and the rest is history!

Registry

Thank you for your generosity and for selecting gifts from our registry! If you’d like to contribute to our honeymoon fund, you can send monetary gifts via Venmo @Aljoseph (last 4 of phone number is 6773)