Shelly and Doug were matched on eHarmony.com, after Doug had signed up just a week prior. They texted a few times and talked on the phone for hours on a Sunday while Shelly drove back to Colorado from her home state of Iowa. They arranged for a lunch date that week, but the evening before their date, Shelly texted Doug saying that she was at Duke's Steakhouse in Castle Rock and asked if he'd join her. Doug made a quick change of schedule and rushed over to meet her. He instantly fell in love with her and was even brave enough to ask for a goodnight kiss.
A couple years later, Doug asked Shelly's son for his blessing to marry her and proposed to her at the top of Sunshine Peak at the Steamboat Springs Resort on New Years Eve. She said YES!
It took Shelly and Doug a little while to find the perfect venue for their wedding. They considered doing a destination beach wedding, but realized that they wanted to have a mountain wedding that really reflected their lives. They love live music and were at a Red Rocks concert last year. There was a wedding at the Trading Post and they simply looked at each other and immediately knew they had found the perfect place for their wedding.
Their June day arrived hot and sunny. The family helped set up their ceremony and soon Shelly was getting zipped into her dress and Doug tied his tie. With just their children and families present, it was a beautiful intimate wedding. Doug fought back years as Shelly's son walked her down the stairs and across the grass towards him. They wrote personal vows to one another and sealed it with a kiss in front of a spectacular view of the Colorado foothills.
It's so evident the love these two have for each other and their families. So much so that one of their life goals together is to be holding hands in their old age rocking chairs on their deck, reminiscing about a life full of love.
Congratulations, you two. You deserve this second chance at love and a life filled with happiness.
The couple's biggest wedding planning advice: "Keep your focus on your love for each other. The details will sort themselves out."