Sunday, Jun. 14, 2009

Dustin and Chelsey: 'I held up the (Will you marry me?) sign and that was it'

Dustin Alldredge let the parade pass him by once. On its second lap, he proposed to long-time girlfriend Chelsey Brendel.

"At the Marine homecoming (in 2007), she was on a float from the Dew Drop Inn Bar," he said, sitting alongside Chelsey on a green plaid couch in the home they'll share. "I had been thinking about it for a couple weeks."

His mother and sister helped him choose a ring in St. Louis.

"The whole parade had gone by once. The second time around is when I did it. I stopped the parade. I had made a sign on the computer. I got down on one knee, called out her name, held up the (Will you marry me?) sign and that was it."

They married at 1:30 p.m. June 6 at St. Gertrude Catholic Church in Grantfork. Father Carlos Bohorquez was personable and kind. The church overflowed into the sunny, breezy day.

Between bringing folding chairs into the church and greeting guests, the bride's dad recalled the first time he set eyes on Dustin.

"He came over on his Harley," said Steve Brendel, who had a tiny red rose tucked in his lapel. "He was very polite, very nice."

The couple: Chelsey, 24, is a fifth-grade teacher at St. Paul in Highland. Dustin, 26, is a used-parts manager at Fabick CAT in Fenton, Mo., a 40-50-minute drive from their home in rural Marine.

How they met: "She used to work at a bar in St. Jacob," said Dustin. "I would go in with my buddies. I knew who she was. I heard she was having a party. (He showed up with a group of friends.) The rest is history. Here we are three years later."

"Our maid of honor went to (Triad) high school with him," said Chelsey, a 2003 Highland High School graduate. "I met her and she encouraged us to start dating."

"Our parents knew each other," said Dustin. "Our grandparents knew each other. We all kind of went to school together."

Engagement: They met in fall 2005 and have been engaged two years. "We decided we were going to wait," said Chelsey. "I had just graduated from college."

The wedding: "It turned out to be a pretty large wedding," said Chelsey. "We invited 620. We're expecting 500-550. Between us and our friends, our parent's friends and family, it added up real quick. I always wanted a big wedding. I'm the only girl and the oldest."

"A couple people here and a couple people there and you are up to 600," said Dustin.

Wedding colors: Ivory and cafe, a real light brown

Wedding party: Five bridesmaids, five groomsmen, two ushers and a flower girl

The gown: "It's the second dress I tried on," said Chelsey. "Just to be sure, Mom and I went to 13 stores in one day."

"It was so much fun, me and her," said Rhonda Brendel. "We went from 9 to 7:30. Litchfield was our last stop."

"I ordered it from Elegant Brides in Edwardsville," said Chelsey. "It took seven months to come in."

His part: "I do what I am asked when I am asked. It's been easy for me." Bachelor party: A barbecue at his brother's house. Bachelorette party: The girls rented a party bus and went barhopping.What guests tossed: Sunflower seeds. Chelsey tied up 230 packets in netting. "I did them watching TV and when the power went out." Favors: "Red fabric roses filled with candy," said Chelsey. "In our area, they do coolie cups. Who doesn't have a hundred? Mom and Grandma (Maxine Gruner) came up with the idea and we tackled it." Aunt Kathy Gruner helped sew.

Reception: KC Hall in Highland

Advice they've received: "It's a team effort," said Dustin. "And never go to bed mad, which seems kind of hard at times."

"Tell people what to do the day of the wedding," said Chelsey. "Have people do things for you."Honeymoon: "The day after we get married, we're leaving for four days to go to Saskatchewan for my work first," said Dustin. "The following Tuesday, we'll leave for our honeymoon on Riviera Maya (in Mexico)."

For fun: They like boating, four-wheeling and spending time with family and friends.

Favorite trait: "His sense of humor," said Chelsey. "The fact she was very family oriented," said Dustin, who has a younger brother and sister.

Most helpful: "My mom," said Chelsey. "She has a flexible schedule. If she wasn't there, I'd be a hundred times more stressed."

Pet: Lily, a Shih Tsu puppy.

Where they live: Along a country road between Marine and Edwardsville. Their small house is next door to his parents. "My grandpa (Bud Schmidt) owns 300 acres around here," said Dustin. "When given a good deal on property, it was hard to turn down. We bought six acres two years ago in January. ... It's a temporary home. She's in graduate school."

"I'm starting a master's program (in special ed at SIUE) three weeks after the wedding," said Chelsey. "I might as well dive into it all at once."On living next door to his parents: "If we run out of milk, we can grab some from Mom," said Dustin.