Wedding Ceremony and Reception

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

We met when we were in 6th grade back in 1995. We probably first talked when we were band nerds in Mrs. Goodman’s class. By the time 7th grade started, we were close friends. Our friendship grew stronger when we were in morning track practice and would take an alternate route to Legion Field, so we didn’t have to run there (because running TO a running practice seemed redundant to us!)In 1997, when we were in Middle School, there was a protocol for ‘asking someone out’….you ask your friend, who asks her friend, who asks her, and then the answer is delivered in reverse. Those were the rules. Well… Mike tried that a couple of times and assumed the answer must have been confused in translation. So, one day after lunch recess, he surprised Chelsea at her locker and (throwing ALL tween by-laws to the wayside) ‘asked her out’ DIRECTLY!!! He just needed to be sure that she understood it was him who was asking her. This event marked a benchmark in our relationship. Chelsea took the opportunity to break up at the end-of-the-year party because she ‘needed to be single’ over the summer. (Really, she didn’t want him to find out that she spent her summers pulling weeds, milking goats, and cutting firewood).From this time on, our friends would chant ‘2-2-8’ when we were conversing. As we remained best friends, we were together a lot. Our freshman year, Chelsea had enough. “WHAT IS 2-2-8?!?!”&nbsp; Well, apparently, we had ‘dated’ for 2 Weeks, 2 Days, and 8 Hours back in 7th grade. While we never tried to date again throughout school, we would often also refer to our brand of ‘2-2-8’ and recognize that we had a bond that would carry through the rest of our lives, and it did.Mike went off to pursue his music career, and a time or (maybe) 1,000, Chelsea would wonder if he was ‘the one who got away.’&nbsp; But, we always supported each other in life’s events, even if it made us hurt a little bit. Mike attended (and participated) in Chelsea’s past major life events and supported her through the highs and lows that she faced, even when he was on a boat to tour Alcatraz and Chelsea needed him to come home. Chelsea, likewise, was always a phone call away when Mike had a crazy idea and wanted to ‘run it by someone.’ She went to every show she could, even when she had a baby on her hip and one in the oven. We held each other’s babies, attended birthday parties, grabbed quick lunches, and stayed in touch.When Chelsea thought her life was falling apart, she knew just who to call— her Michael. The phone calls went from weekly or monthly to daily. He would drive from Denver to Fort Morgan just to help get Maya or Kaley to a practice or event if she needed him… but most of all, he was patient while Chelsea was a typical female and didn’t know what the right next step was for her life.But it was Mike. It was always Mike.&nbsp;&nbsp;Chelsea joined Mike in his concert production business, and we started to grow it into what Mike always dreamed it would be. Mike became a father to Maya and Kaley, and Chelsea and Kinnon were able to lament about Mike’s dad jokes together.&nbsp;Mike jokingly started to ask Chelsea to marry him early on, to which she would reply, “Yes. When it is time.”&nbsp; As a joke, we started to count these times, and eventually, Chelsea would reverse the question. When we quit counting, we were at 532.About a year ago, we started thinking that maybe our relationship was going to really ‘stick.’ 😊We did some fun ring shopping, but we didn’t think it was serious. Until Mike decided it was time. Through a maze of phone calls, sneaking rings around, using friends to help keep the surprise, and letting Chelsea think something was up with the accounting, Mike pulled it off!On the evening of December 23, 2021, Chelsea was preparing for her annual Christmas celebration and was elbow-deep in pastry dough, scrambled eggs, and cheese. Mike asked if he could help, to which Chelsea said, “Yes, can you please brown the sausage?”&nbsp; As Chelsea continued to run around, prepping for the upcoming Christmas Eve events, Mike (and the girls) just watched her. Taking a deep breath, Chelsea again asked, “Can you brown the sausage? Do you need scissors?”&nbsp; Mike replied that he had it, and the girls side-eyed him. On the third pass through, Chelsea picked up the scissors, handed them to Mike, pointed to the sausage and the pan, and again asked if he could do it or if he wanted a different task. To which he requested they step out front because he wanted to show her something and she could get some fresh air for her headache, and then he would brown the sausage. Anxious to get the food done, she humored him, wiping the majority of the gunk on her hands on a rag and joining him. Once on the front porch, Mike frantically started messing on his phone to get a certain display on the LED screen he had up as a Christmas decoration. Chelsea was just happy to get out of the kitchen briefly and said it was ok, he could show her later, and she laid her head on her knees for a moment. When she opened them, Mike was kneeling in front of her, the girls were screaming through a window they were using to take in the scene (they knew), and Chelsea was so confused for a second that she missed the first half of the proposal, but she got the gist.&nbsp;&nbsp;Again, these are not the rules, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Chelsea didn’t even say yes. She just started crying and hugged Mike. Mike held the hug for a moment, then pushed back to ensure it was a ‘yes.’By the time Chelsea washed her hands, called her mom, took 100 pictures of her hand, and made it back to the ½ prepped Christmas Eve feast… Mike was hunched over the stove, browning the sausage.To share every moment of our friendship would take pages, as there are too many stories to tell. From mishaps as Vanilla Ice’s dancing clown, gross teenage daughter ‘things,’ missed flights, to accidental vacations, sleeping in Walmart parking lots, and tattoos that shouldn’t exist… we have a book worth of memories together. This very abridged version of our quarter-century-long history brings us to where we are today… hoping our friends and family will support us through the next chapter in our perfectly imperfect love story. As is the story with Chelsea and Mike, it is to be continued…

M&C 

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Travel Info and Tips

 If you are flying into Colorado:

Denver International Airport - DENThe airport is approximately 1 hour from Fort Morgan, CO.&nbsp;It’s too far to take an Uber or Lyft from the airport so your best bet is to rent a car.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you are driving from the Denver metro area

Head Northeast up I76 to mile marker 80…actually its 2022, so put Fort Morgan, CO 80701into Google Maps or ask Siri for directions.

CAR RENTAL INFO

Car rental takes a bit to get to, you’ll need to get on a rental car shuttle to take you the off-airport car lots.&nbsp;Add approx. 20-30 minutes extra time for this.Budget car rental discount code: t886290 – compliments of our good friend Keith

Budget Car Rental

HOTEL INFO

Call the hotel BEFORE JUNE 25TH and request the "Schraeder/Blecha Wedding grounp discount"

Best Western Plus Overland Inn

Additional hotel deal is coming soon @ Hampton Inn - room rate will be more than Best Western but its a bit closer to the wedding/reception location

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

We are almost there!! A few things to keep in mind: -It might or might not rain. Please keep an eye on the weather and plan your outfit accordingly. -We will have a limited open bar. You can also BYOB. If you visit the open bar, please make sure you bring a tip for our bartenders, who are good friends of ours. -We will have someone available to give rides. Contact details will be all around the venue. Rides will be a minimum of $10 + tip. Cash or venmo -When you drive north out of Fort Morgan on Main Street (Hwy 52), you will take your first right after crossing Rainbow Bridge (Co. Rd. T). It is about 1 mile north of town. You will likely see the tent. -Cannot wait to see you all!!!

Chelsea & Mike