Rings? Who needs stinking rings?

 

(Photo:dresses for prom)Heather Wright and Patrick Doudna met during the summer of 2005 on the deck at Kahunaville, the now defunct Wilmington riverfront bar, when she walked up to him, grabbed his beer out of his hand, took a swig, handed it back and said, “Hi, I’m Heather.” She was there with her girlfriends, and Patrick was there with a co-worker. Patrick’s friend and Heather had a mutual friend, and Heather’s group walked over to say hello when they spotted them. Patrick was somewhat taken aback by her nonchalance, but intrigued. He liked her right off the bat, but she was already dating someone. Both were 22. A Delaware native, Heather had just earned a degree from the University of Delaware in English education and was working with a friend whose father ran Crossroads substance abuse center. Patrick was working at Staples after moving to Delaware from the big island in Hawaii to attend the University of Delaware in computer science and information technology. They became part of the same group of friends. Somewhere in there, Patrick joked about having Stormtroopers at his wedding someday. Heather rolled her eyes, but her best friend Christine Bryan whispered, “That’ll be your wedding.” Heather laughed at the thought.

FIRST DATE: During the six years they were friends, Heather had several dating relationships, but Patrick never dated anyone seriously. In the spring of 2011, when only Heather and Patrick were hanging out at her sister’s house, discussing the books “Things Fall Apart” and “Lord of the Flies” by a bonfire, Heather realized Patrick was perfect for her. She would later find out that he had been waiting a long time to tell her how much he liked her.

THE FIRST KISS: They kissed in her sister’s kitchen that night and began dating. After a few months, Heather called it off. She was living in Bridgeville at the time and unhappy with a long-distance relationship. But she quickly realized her mistake and they began dating again. Their relationship gradually became more serious until she decided near the end of 2012 to move back upstate. Because she needed a place to live besides her parents’ home, she and Patrick began looking for a house.

THE PROPOSAL: By Dec. 23, 2012, they had talked about marriage and seemed headed that way, but no specific declarations were made. That day, Heather thought she and Patrick were going to meet her sister Tiffany and sister’s boyfriend for dinner at Firestone’s. On the way there, they stopped at Iron Hill to pick up a growler of beer as a Christmas present for Heather’s grandfather. Since they were parked, and parking isn’t always easy to find at Firestone’s, Patrick suggested walking over to the old Kahunaville, which is now the site of the Delaware Children’s Museum. The gate to the old deck, which was then just an empty lot, and Patrick suggested they go in. He walked her over to the approximate spot where he was standing when she stole his beer that first night, dropped to one knee and proposed. She said yes, but was shaking so hard, he had to put the ring on for her.

TELLING THE PARENTS: Patrick had asked her parents back in August for their permission to marry Heather. “Are you crazy?” her dad responded. It was his way of joking around with Patrick. Heather’s mother immediately started looking for mother of the bride dresses, but was “an anxious mess” – according to her daughter – for months while they wanted for Patrick to actually propose. The night he did, though, he also surprised Heather by having her parents, grandparents, sister and sister’s boyfriend waiting at Big Fish Grill, one of Heather’s favorite restaurants, to celebrate with them after popping the question.

THE CEREMONY: They married May 17, 2014, in Pell Gardens in Chesapeake City. They chose it because it reminded them of a trip they had taken to San Diego, California, in 2012. There, they had fallen in love with a shopping and dining area that included a beautiful seafood restaurant on the water. They chose a Hawaiian theme, and guests were met with Heather and Patrick’s friends handing out leis as they arrived. Patrick’s stepfather, John, gave a speech incorporating some Hawaiian blessings and adages. The couple wrote and read aloud their own reasons for loving each other, in addition to traditional vows. And then realized no one had brought the rings. In a video of the ceremony, Heather says, you can clearly see it dawn on her. She looks at Patrick. He looks back at her. She looks at her sister, who is maid of honor. Her sister looks at Paul, Patrick’s brother who is best man. And then Heather bursts out laughing. When she turned to look at the congregation, who were also laughing by then, she saw her sister’s best friend, Jordyn Holly, literally running down the aisle toward the bed and breakfast to retrieve the rings. In the meantime, Paul stepped forward, tore a piece of palm frond off a flower arrangement, fashioned them into rings and the ceremony went on. When Jordyn returned with the rings, they were blessed at the end of the service.

THE DRESS: Heather wore a strapless Alfred Angelo Disney Fairytale dress designed to look like Tiana’s gown in “The Princess and the Frog.” It had a sweetheart neckline, rhinestone-embellished bodice and full skirt of tiered lace. She bought it at the Bridal and Tuxedo Shoppe in Newark.

SOMETHING OLD: A piece of “Woobie,” her baby blanket, pinned to the underneath of her dress.

SOMETHING NEW: An infinity bracelet her mother-in-law gave her at her bridal shower, and a necklace with birds and pearls that Patrick gave her as a wedding gift, sent to her the day of the wedding via Heather’s sister. Heather gave Patrick a pair of “Game of Thrones” cufflinks she bought from an Australian site on Etsy. One was engraved “my sun and stars” and one was engraved “moon of my life,” endearments used by a married couple on the show.

SOMETHING BORROWED: A diamond bracelet from her mom.

SOMETHING BLUE: Her favorite necklace, a dove from Tiffany and Co. given to her by her sister, pinned in a blue pouch right over her heart.

THE RECEPTION: Before the reception at the Chesapeake Inn, all the groomsmen and dads changed into Hawaiian shirts to fit the theme. Heather fulfilled Patrick’s prediction (and her friend’s) by having two life-size cardboard cutouts of storm troopers waiting by their table. Because Patrick is big into fantasy novels and games, they cut the cake with a sword she bought him in Spain in 2012 when she was chaperoning a high school trip there. The newlyweds walked in to the Darkness’s “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and their first dance was to “You’re the Reason” by Victoria Justice (Heather’s got a thing for ‘tween shows). Heather danced with her dad to an acoustic version of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” which has always reminded her of her father. She made him laugh the whole time so he wouldn’t cry. Patrick and his mom danced to Isreal Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The funniest moment came after her sister and her boyfriend caught the garter and bouquet. Both of them like being the center of attention, and when the DJ insisted they switch places and Tiffany put the garter on Rob to “show him how it’s done,” things turned risque enough that the bride was blushing. “Everyone else was in hysterics. All I could think was, Dad is watching this!” she says.

THE MOST POPULAR GIFT: Servingware. “We got a little bit carried away registering for things, and didn’t realize how many trays and appetizer display things we had ordered,” Heather says.

THE MOST SENTIMENTAL GIFT: When Heather became a teenager, her mom put away her Cabbage Patch Doll, Cappie, and told Heather she couldn’t have her back until her wedding. At the rehearsal dinner, Heather’s grandmother surprised her with Cappie, fully decked out in her own wedding dress, complete with a bouquet and a veil. Heather cried.

THE HONEYMOON: They spent a week at the Hard Rock Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Unfortunately, Heather had a stomach virus for the first four days, so she spent a lot of time watching Netflix. After that, they swam with dolphins, ziplined and relaxed at the beach and in the pool, enjoying drink delivery.

THE FAMILY TREE: The bride is the daughter of Tamberly and Thomas Wright of Wilmington; the groom is the son of Kay and John Storck of Kona, Hawaii, and Duke Doudna of San Diego, California.

WHAT’S NEXT: Heather and Patrick live in Bear with their two dogs, Zuma and Zelda, and two cats, Mana Pua and Lau Lua. Heather, who earned a master’s in school counseling from Wilmington University in 2013, had been teaching English at Ursuline Academy middle school, but now is seeking a job in school counseling. Patrick, who earned his degree in computer and network security from Wilmington University in 2010, is an information analyst at Genesis Healthcare. He hopes to eventually move into the cybersecurity field. They plan to have children one day, but right now are just enjoying married life.Read more at:cheap evening dresses uk