Wedding Day

The Belvedere Wedding Venue

Ceremony

Reception

Summer

Our Wedding

Elena Sofia Rodriguez and I first met in June of 2022, but our unlikely journey together started in November of the previous year. I had many weird traditions to ensure a victory on Friday nights, as most football coaches do. One of my favorite weekly traditions, as a younger coach, was visiting local ice cream stores, every Thursday night before a game. One night, after I posted a Halo Top ice cream pint as my “good luck charm” for the next game, I noticed a direct message from a girl who recently followed me on social media. She was not someone I knew, but I remembered thinking she was cute when she requested to follow me and I was excited to see her intrigue in my routine. We discussed Halo Top ice cream flavors, among other topics. In a conversation on a separate occasion, she asked if I had ever tried Pho (a Vietnamese dish). To her either surprise or dismay, I told her that I had not even heard of Pho. Foreshadowing what would occur time and time again throughout our relationship, she encouraged me to try something new. I saw her inquiry as an opportunity to ask Elena out to dinner, and was surprised and excited when she agreed.&nbsp; The morning of our date, I was walking through the hallways of Monett High School, lost in my own little world, per usual. My daydreaming was then interrupted by my head coach, who asked if I had anything prepared to say for our football banquet. I told him that I did not, but I could think of something to say between that moment and the time of the banquet. I was then informed that I needed to figure something out quickly, because the banquet was happening that night. My mind immediately shifted to my date with Elena, and I realized that I was going to have to cancel our date. She was very understanding when I texted her, informing her of my situation and that I was going to have to take a “raincheck” for our date that evening. We texted back and forth throughout the rest of the evening but those were the last messages we would send for 7 months.&nbsp; Later that spring, I went over to my parents house to have dinner with my family. That evening, my dad told me about a conversation he had at work that day with the court’s interpreter. In between court proceedings, Elena’s mom, who works in the courts&nbsp;as an interpreter, asked my dad, a judge, if he had a son named Joey. She then told my dad the story about me canceling my date with Elena earlier that fall. Usually my dad doesn’t mind claiming me, but I’d have to imagine that there was some remorse in his voice when he confirmed her suspicion. My dad apologized for my misstep, but before leaving, Alicia mentioned that “the door might still be open” if I was interested.&nbsp; &nbsp;I felt very embarrassed, but also hopeful when my dad mentioned that Elena might still want to go on a date with me. The next 2 months were spent trying to figure out a reason to ask her out. I typed out apologies, denied the temptation to “swipe up” on Instagram stories, etc… Finally I reached out in June, apologized for failing to reach back out to her, and explained my rationale for never texting her after canceling our date. Elena made me work for it, but I was finally able to secure a date with her at the bowling alley (June 16th, 2022).&nbsp; Even though the bowling alley wasn’t accepting walk-ins, we still ended up having a really nice first date. We continued going out on dates throughout the rest of June and into July. After Independence Day, Elena left town to work as a camp counselor at Kanakuk. Because phones are not allowed during the week at this camp, we wrote letters to each other consistently, and her absence became a formative time in our relationship. When she came back, we resumed our dates, and “officially” started dating on September 4th, 2022. The next 15 months were an absolute adventure. Together, we went through two football seasons, trained and ran a half-marathon, celebrated Elena’s graduation from college, and spent another sweet month corresponding through letters when Elena was a counselor again during the summer of 2023.&nbsp; On December 27th, 2023, my sister, Katie, convinced Elena to go out to dinner with her and Elena’s friend, Jaden. What Elena didn’t know was that I was at my house preparing my backyard to propose to her. After the dinner was over, Katie drove Elena to my house and asked her to go inside with her to get a Christmas present she had given to me for Elena. Elena was then met with a note prompting her to go to the backyard. When Elena opened the door leading to the patio, a lot of the memories that we shared flooded through my mind.I can’t remember a thing I said, (besides asking her to marry me),&nbsp;but I can clearly remember her saying “Yes!”&nbsp;Neither of us can claim credit for our relationship reaching engagement and soon marriage. First and foremost, God has blessed us in so many ways throughout our journey together. He has blessed us both with qualities that suit each other, and has consistently given us wisdom, patience, and joy throughout this season of life. To Him be the glory!!&nbsp;

Our Story- from Joey’s perspective

Our Story

Photos

Evan Hutcheson

Evadne Rodriguez

Jeffery Dankelson

Katie Dankelson

Justice Hylton

Jaden Moore

Cole Carter

Millie Moyer

Zach Snodgrass

Caitlin Mueller

Wedding Party

Kindly RSVP by April 15th!!! We can't wait to see everyone!!!

Joseph & Elena

Joseph & Elena

Photos