Wedding Date on Feb 20, 2021

(As printed in the May 2021 issue of New Orleans Magazine) Brody and Shelby met in high school at the back to school dance. “Brody was trying to get my attention and accidentally kicked me doing the Cotton Eye Joe,” says Shelby. “We have been by each other’s side ever since!” “My grandfather passed away in the summer of 2009 and I met Brody in August of 2009,” shares Shelby. “I was so close to my grandfather and I believe that he sent Brody to me.” Shelby’s grandmother would compare Brody to her grandfather noting all their similarities. “All of these were signs to me that Brody was meant to be my person,” says Shelby. When Brody proposed in July of 2019 at City Park in New Orleans, Shelby’s grandmother offered him the ring that Shelby’s grandfather had given her years before. “This ring meant so much to me and I am so honored that I get to keep it in the family for generations to come,” says Shelby. The couple was engaged for 19 months prior to their February 2021 wedding, but had most of the planning done within a few months of getting engaged. They chose St. Mary’s Church where both Shelby’s grandparents and great-grandparents were married as the perfect location to say their vows. “We walked in and automatically knew that was where we were meant to get married,” says Shelby. “You could definitely feel the sense of family in this church.” “Hands down, my favorite part of the day was the First Look with Brody,” says Shelby. “I thought I did not want to do a First Look and I am so happy that we did. The First Look gave us a special time together before we said our vows in front of all of our friends and family.” Shelby wore sparkly tennis shoes for the wedding and knew she needed some cute socks to go with them. “Magnolias always reminded me of my grandmother and both me and Brody were extremely close with her…when we saw the magnolia socks we knew we had to get them.” The couple danced their first dance to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley and had a special song at the end of the night for just the two of them, dancing to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Shelby and her father danced to “The Man Who Loves You The Most” by the Zac Brown Band. “Both my dad and I were crying the whole time,” says Shelby. “It was very special.” Keeping with the family traditions, the wedding cake topper was the same one that sat atop Shelby’s grandparents’ wedding cake. The evening closed with a sparkler send off for the newlyweds. “We had been practicing Brody dipping me for our sparkler exit for a few weeks just to make sure we didn’t mess up,” says Shelby. After the 4 hour reception, Brody told Shelby “I might drop you.” to which she replied “We’re fine!” As they approached the end of the sparklers, they came to the big moment for the dip and kiss. Brody very carefully “dropped” Shelby on the ground. “We were laughing so hard and I popped back up like nothing happened! It was one of the best parts of the night because it fit our relationship perfectly!”