Before getting into how I describe our first chapter, Danielle and I would like you to know how extremely excited we are to have you join us for the most important day of our lives. If I have not yet had the pleasure, I can assure you Danielle has spent the time sharing your story and relationship with me, and I can not wait to spend the weekend getting to know you. As far as this first part of our story and not really being sure how to write it, I will be quick with a personal intro here if you do not know me like you do her.

My name is Patrick Deckbar and I am originally from where D and I currently reside in Charlotte NC, along with some time living in Birmingham AL sprinkled in there too (Roll T…). In Charlotte, I grew up in a very similar family to Danielle’s, which is one of the many reasons I believe we are so perfect for eachother. I also grew up a child of 3 under my incredible parents Larry & Carol. Along with my older brother Larry, & younger brother Peter, my family made me every bit of the man I am today. We are an intensely loving, caring, close knit family which comes first to each of us. I encourage you to say hey and get to meet them at the wedding because I am more than proud to recognize that you could understand just as much of who I am, by knowing who they are.

The reason I want you to have that background is because one, if not her best trait that I love about her, is that Danielle values her family as much as I do mine. I couldn’t be happier to get to add the Scheplers to my family, just like Rich, Jennifer, Richie, and Katie, have welcomed and brought me into theirs. I am lucky enough to already say they see and treat me as their own, as I do them.

When I think of how D and I started, it can kind of be an awkwardly funny story. I would describe our early start/meeting her in two first dates. 1) the day I met her, as the best first date of my life. And 2) a week or so later, the day we went out on OUR first date together, as the last first date of my life. Now let me explain.

See, the day I finally met her in person, I was actually out on a first date with someone else… Which, before judging me, I can happily say was the last date I’d ever go on without Danielle. For a little more context here, D and I both already knew who eachother were through mutual friends and had seen and recognized eachother on social media long before that day. We were somehow even friends on FaceBook before ever having met in person until we finally did at that country concert/bar Coyote Joes-Charlotte, in October of 2021 (always knew I’d meet the love of my life at a country concert).

Finally having the opportunity, I made it a point to go up to her and our mutual friends she showed up with, and introduce myself. From only seeing pictures of her before, I had known prior to ever meeting her, if I were to see her in person I wouldn’t let the moment pass by. She caught my eyes exactly like I thought she would when she walked up. To me there was no question, she had all of my attention whether she knew it yet or not. We spoke pretty casually and with our friends for a while, and just like you have in the time you’ve read this, I completely forgot about anyone else around me, who I came with, and quickly came to realize who I couldn’t stop thinking about after talking to her.

It wasn’t long after that night I somehow convinced Danielle to let me take her out on our first date (our last first date). The conversation was easy. It wasn’t ever difficult getting to understand eachother in those early moments. It felt right. And as cliche as it sounds, it was like we fast forwarded through the date to, “when’s the next time we’re doing this already?” She kissed me after dinner before we went our separate ways, just to get together as soon as we could again the next night. I convinced her to come over to my brothers for a bon fire that next night throwing her in the deep end with a lot of my good friends and family there bombarding her about who she is, and she fit right in. My people loved her right off the bat. So that’s when I really knew.

I think we spent almost everyday after that for the next two months together. Getting to know eachother better. Going out, having fun, meeting more of eachothers friends and family. And it stayed just as easy a process through all of that. And then she moved in. So it’s been us ever since.

Anyway, I think you can see now why I describe meeting her that night as best first date of my life. Knowing that we are forever since I dropped down on one knee at our house with a lot of you there to see, is why I can describe OUR first date as the last first date of my life. Some would call it “fast”, or “too quick”. We knew it while we were doing it to be honest. We just didn’t care. Because as much as we knew people could call us moving in together fast, they would also have to call it “right”. So here we are. Engaged after a year and a half. Getting married under 3 years after meeting.

Danielle continues to be one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met. She’s all about her people and her circle and if you know me you know that’s how I am too. My friends are my family just as much as my family, and she’s made them all hers as well. She loves me more than I could have asked for. She’s tough, hard working, cracks me up all the time, loves to travel as much as I do, while equally loves to lay around not doing anything just as much, and obviously, she is astonishingly gorgeous. She’s the first thing I think about when I open my eyes in the morning. And what I think about when making any decisions. We’re partners through the tough times as much as we can get on eachothers nerves. But at the end of those days despite the hard times, we still know the next day we can’t imagine the other not being there. She’s a tremendous aunt to our little Olivia, Cole, Jackson, Mason, Davis, and Jordan. And just like she is to our oversized Chocolate pup TJ, I’m positive she’s going to be an incredible mother when we are lucky enough to have our own. I know I’ve never loved or wanted anyone more than her. And I always will.

This first chapter of our story has been so much fun it’s hard to explain in a few words without a few laughs. I’ve never been more excited to turn the page and write another chapter starting with this wedding day, & this wedding week. And I know she is looking forward to it, as much as I am, to have you be a part of it. Next chapter coming up, let’s write another story this week. See you all there.

-Patrick

So for months I have been trying and trying to write something that would compete with how perfectly Patrick wrote about our story. But as many of you know - not the best with words :)

So all I can say is "ditto. to everything he said LOL"

I am the luckiest girl to be marrying this man who takes such pride in our relationship and makes me feel like the only girl in the world.

I can't wait to be his wife and so excited for you all to be here for this ride.

-Danielle