Outdoor boho vibes

Oct 17

Atalie and Josia’s relationship has been about adventure from the very beginning when they were introduced by a mutual friend while rock climbing.

“When I met her, I felt like I already knew her,” Josia said. “I was always ready to spend time with her, and she was always on my mind.”

But Atalie was heading out of the country.

“When Josia and I met, I was about to leave for Australia to do a missions school called Youth with a Mission (YWAM),” Atalie remembered.

Josia patiently waited, giving her time to adventure, and asked her to date him in early summer of 2020, following her return. However, still processing it all, Atalie wasn’t quite ready to start dating yet.

They continued being friends and hanging out until October, when Atalie was also ready to take things to the next level.

“I could completely be myself around him and felt accepted,” Atalie said. “I felt like I already knew him! He waited 4 1/2 months for me to say yes to dating him and still stayed friends with me but also pursued me.”

She said she knew he was the one when she saw how good he was with her niece and nephew.

“Every time I was vulnerable with her, she was kind to me and encouraged me,” Josia said. “She brought out the best parts of me and valued the real me.”

However, just two months after they started dating, Josia felt led to do missions work in Mexico with the same missions school Atalie had traveled with.

“We were long distance for six months after only dating two months, but it grew us stronger than ever,” Atalie said.

Once he arrived back in the States, their relationship continued to grow. In 2022, they realized they were ready for forever.

“Josia told me to dress up nice for dinner at a restaurant in Springfield because it had been a while since we went out and I was just excited for that,” Atalie said. “I had been painting my nails for two weeks straight and then decided to take my nail polish off the weekend before he proposed. When we got to the restaurant, he commented that my nails weren't painted, and I didn't even think anything of it. After dinner, he asked if I wanted to watch the sunset at Nathaniel Greene Park and see the beautiful flowers, and of course I wanted to go. So, we got there, and I still had no idea. I started looking at the botanical gardens and was putting flowers in Josia's hair and taking pictures of him. Pretty soon, we migrated to an area with trees surrounding us and then his tone of voice changed, and he started saying how much he loved me, and I started to realize what was happening. He went on one knee and asked me for my hand in marriage and in my nervousness I said, "Of course I will." I didn't think my response would be so cheesy, but I didn't know if he was serious because he jokingly had pretended another time to go down on one knee and then I realized he was being real. I looked to my left and said, "Hey look, it's your uncle Dave!"

Josia's Uncle Dave was hiding in the bushes to capture the special moment (his specialty for hunting and also photography).

“The experience was funny, exciting, so sweet, and magical all at once,” Atalie said.

To start their wedding planning, they went in search of a venue, and toured The Venue at Shadow Rock.

“I loved the outdoor ceremony look as well as the reception area, the atmosphere, the venue owners’ genuineness and kindness, and it was affordable,” Atalie said.

They booked a Friday in August and got to planning.

With their wedding day approaching, we asked what they were most looking forward to about their wedding day.

“When Josia sees me for the first time during the first look and also when I'm walking down the aisle,” Atalie said. “I hope he cries tears of joy because I rarely see him cry.”

When we asked what they were most looking forward to about marriage, their answers came easily.

“Living life with my best friend,” Atalie answered.

“I'm looking forward to being with my best friend every day, and serving others with her in our home and in the world,” Josia said.

The day of their August wedding was a hot one, but when it started sprinkling right before the ceremony, it was just the thing to cool it off. Then the rain went away and allowed for a beautiful outdoor ceremony.

Their boho touches warmed up the venue with lots of greens, golds, and oranges, and their friends and family celebrated them to the fullest as they started their life together.

When asked what advice they had for others planning Branson weddings, they said, “Don't forget to keep dating even when things get stressful for wedding planning, etc.”

It was such a joy to host Atalie and Josia’s summer wedding, and we thoroughly enjoyed this sweet couple and their amazing friends and family.

With their wedding behind them and a lifetime together spread out before them, we can’t wait to see what kind of adventures lie ahead for Atalie & Josia. While the destinations and experiences are yet to be discovered, they clearly know who will be there beside them for each adventure along the way.