Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

<p>Max and I met when I was 17 and he was 20. We had a mutual friend that invited us both to go to a party with him that night; I remember thinking how cute he was the second I laid eyes on him. I spent all night trying to flirt with him and even got him to drop me off at my car at the end of the night so I could have an excuse to talk to him even longer. I gave him my number at the end of the night but he didn’t have the guts to call me after.Every time we saw each other at parties after that night we would spend hours talking and flirting. A year later he finally got the courage to ask me on a date. From that day forward my world spun in the opposite direction. I knew very early into our relationship that he would be the man I married. He supported me constantly even though I got my undergraduate degree two hours away. He never missed a single sorority dance or opportunity to have a Mexican or pizza dinner date.</p>

How We Met

<p>Max and I had just arrived at Panama City Beach for a week long vacation. He informed me that he made dinner reservations for our first night there. The second he informed me of our dinner reservations I was very anxious considering we had been dating for three and a half years and he had never made dinner reservations for us before. We both got ready and set off towards dinner. He had made reservations at a beach front restaurant that was right down the beach from our hotel. We started walking on the beach towards the restaurant. We laughed and joked the whole way of how our calves were burning from walking through the sand. The restaurant we were eating at was called Sharky’s. We passed the entrance to the restaurant and just as I told Max we went too far, I noticed a man start snapping photos of me and a beaming smile upon Max’s face.That’s when I noticed a beautiful heart sand sculpture that read, “Will You Marry Me Melanie?” My eyes filled with tears as Max told me how I changed his life for the past "1,246 days". He then dropped to one knee, pulled out the most gorgeous ring I had ever seen, and asked me to be his wife.&nbsp;After saying yes, everyone sitting at the beachfront restaurant along with people on the beach bursted into cheers. My heart was beaming with happiness. The man he hired to build the sand sculpture also captured photos of us directly after the proposal. While taking photos a little girl came up to me and handed me a sea shell and said, “Here’s this since you’re married now.” It was so precious and made the experience even sweeter. Once pictures were done, Max finally took me to our dinner reservation at Sharkey’s where they had reserved us a table that looked out on the beautiful sand sculpture.</p>

How He Asked

Our Story

Details

Brian Schmitt

Kiona and I met in high school and have been best friends ever since! We have been inseparable ever since we met. We stayed best friends even as we were a state apart for college. She graduated from USI with healthcare management and&nbsp;works in health care. Her dog Izzy and our dog Lexi are also best friends.

Kiona Friedman

Gavin Eckert

Aren and I were roommates our sophomore year of college. We met through our sorority. Aren is an engineering major and she is currently attending WKU. She and I clicked from the second we met!

Aren Apley

Travis Main

Trist and I met our sophomore year of college at WKU where we both lived on the 4th floor of our college dorm. We had multiple classes in college together. Trist recently got married to her husband Brandon and&nbsp;is in OT school in Louisville. She also owns her own boutique! They have a sweet puppy Dixie who loves to play with Lex.

Trist Hanna

Laurel and I&nbsp;met through our sorority and lived together my junior year of college. We did absolutely everything together this year. She graduated the year before me and works as a teacher! She is the most bubbly and kind hearted soul.

Laurel Huber

Robert Eckerle

Jacob Durcholz

Hannah and I&nbsp;met in high school and have been friends ever since! She is an ICU&nbsp;nurse and lives in New Albany. We never lost touch through all of our years apart after high school. She visits home frequently where we pick up just where we left off every time.

Hannah Mehringer

Nick Martin

Melissa is Max's older sister. She is married to Craig&nbsp;and they have&nbsp;two precious kids, Lilly and Liam who are our flower girl and ring bearer. Melissa works in Jasper as a GI Lab nurse. We love getting to spend time with their family! Melissa has always been a go to person for advice and has felt like a sister long before Max asked me to marry him!

Melissa Wagner

Jenny is Max's older sister who is married to Grady and they have an adorable little girl Ellie who is also a flower girl in our wedding!&nbsp;Jenny is a chiropractor who owns her own chiropractic business! They live in Jasper. Jenny also offers such support to me and is so sweet!&nbsp;

Jenny Fromme

Luke Messmer

Kegan Aldridge

Wedding Party

Photos

Registry

Q + A

A Hotel approximately 6 minutes from the church. This hotel is approximately 20 minutes from the reception venue.

Hampton Inn Jasper

This hotel is approximately 25 minutes from the church and 8 minutes from the reception venue!

Comfort Inn 

This is currently the only transportation service our hometown offers! They have multiple vehicles for very decent pricing!

Redstone Car Service

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Jasper is located in Jasper.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 77 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Conveniences include safes and desks, as well as phones with free local calls.Amenities Take advantage of recreation opportunities including an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center.Dining For your convenience, a complimentary breakfast is served daily.Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include complimentary wired Internet access, a 24-hour business center, and a 24-hour front desk. Planning an event in Jasper? This hotel has facilities measuring 336 square feet (30 square meters), including a meeting room. Free self parking is available onsite.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Jasper

Quality Inn & Suites

Travel

Our favorite bagel shop to grab a quick breakfast!

Azura Cafe

If you love to gamble, this is your place! It is located 30 minutes from the church and 50 minutes from the reception venue. It is a hotel, spa, and casino! There are multiple things to do in town like a winery, golf, go-cart, and eateries.

French Lick Resort And Casino

Our little German town has an authentic German restaurant! This is a cool experience if you like to try different foods!

Melanie & Max

Melanie & Max

Things to Do

Azura Cafe

French Lick Resort And Casino

Schnitzelbank Resteraunt