It could be the beginning of a soulful country song: Boy meets girl at a basketball game. Soon, they’re hanging around each other as friends, watching movies and shooting pool. Innocently enough, they’re drawn to each other. Pretty soon it’s ice cream dates, musings about how incredible the other person is and then, they’re hooked.
Tyler and Keela Hoskins have the all-American, small town story. She grew up in Rushford, attending Rushford-Peterson High School. Just a stone’s throw away, he was from neighboring Houston. After their initial introduction, the two fell easily into friendship after graduation in the summer of 2014.
After being friends for quite a while, Keela invited Tyler to accompany her to a cousin’s wedding reception. She had no idea it would be the day they officially became a couple. “I thought he was handsome and had a great smile. He was genuine,” she remembers. He was also a trooper, meeting all her family at once at the wedding, being hassled just a little for fun.
“She was very attractive and outgoing,” recalls Tyler, who was smitten. After the wedding, the two headed up to the iconic Magelssen Bluff in Rushford. As they overlooked the town, Tyler caught Keela off guard. “I don’t think we can be friends anymore. I think we should be more than friends.”
Soon after, Keela headed to Winona State University. “I knew there was something special about Tyler when we couldn’t stand to be apart,” she says. As time went on, she noticed how good he was with children, particularly Keela’s niece. “I knew he was ‘the one’ when he fit right into my family. We’ve all loved him from the beginning.”
Fast forward two years. It’s August 2016 and Tyler and Keela had spent months planning a camping trip to the majestic Colorado mountains. The second day into the trip, the lively couple is hiking Rocky Mountain National Park. After three miles, on their way down the mountain, they stop and ask a passerby to take their picture with the stunning backdrop. “Before she could take the picture, Tyler was down on one knee,” says Keela. “I had a feeling it would be soon, but at that moment I was completely caught off guard. The background was picturesque and we were lucky to have pictures of this special moment.”
Knowing they wanted a fall wedding, the pair set the date for September 9. From the start the two were in agreement on what they envisioned: a simple, rustic wedding. “We both love the look, so there weren’t any compromises that needed to be made there,” they say.
“The only compromise I can think of was being that we had to come together and decide what religion we would move forward with,” adds Keela. The Hoskins clan are members of the Catholic Church and so the two chose to proceed with a ceremony at St. Peter’s in Hokah, Minn. “The church is gorgeous!” she enthuses. “It has three aisles and is painted with gold trimming with white altars. It’s a beautiful church.”
The two involved their family and friends in the day’s details. From choosing a bridesmaid and cousin to sing during the processional with three family violinists, to handmade decorations and heaps of baby’s breath flowers handmade into corsages, bouquets, and centerpieces, simple elegance set the wedding’s mood. It was also friends and family that helped Keela pick out her dress. “I was asked what my style was and I had no clue,” she says. “To my surprise, when I began browsing their selection I definitely had a style; dresses with lots of beading and gems and the classic look of lace. It was the third dress I tried on. I also knew I preferred a dress with straps and I loved the classic look of lace. The dress I chose was the third dress I tried on.”
When the day came, it was as perfect as an autumn day in Minnesota could be. “Our wedding day was practically perfect and the weather was amazing. It’s so hard to know, planning a year in advance, but it was 70 degrees and sunny.”
Sticking to tradition, Tyler and Keela opted not to see each other before the ceremony. “I know it sounds cliché, but I was speechless,” he recalls, seeing her walking down the aisle in a lace and beaded, mermaid-syle gown. Tyler and his groomsmen were casually-styled in tan pants, white button-up shirts, skinny ties, and leather suspenders. The bridesmaids were classic in high-collared, floor-length, deep merlot dresses.
“I am a sucker for romance and two moments stood out for me; the moment I walked down the aisle was a moment I lived for. I had dreamed of that moment since I was a child,” says Keela. “I also cherish the moment we said our vows. There is nothing that can explain the moment you confess your love for someone in front of all your family and friends. It was so very special to me. Some people want to speed through the ceremony to get to the after-party, but the wedding was what I looked forward to most.”
Following the ceremony, the wedding celebration was held at Stoney Creek in Onalaska where the family had decked out the outdoor-themed venue with burlap pennant banners, barn wood-framed engagement pictures, a wood pallet backdrop for the head table, and mason jars filled with baby’s breath with wood pieces as centerpieces. The cupcake and cake table was tiered with rustic wooden boxes, lanterns, and wooden cake stands. The bride and groom were treated with a two-tiered, white cake decorated with succulents and a wooden arrow topper saying “T <3 K.”
“From the heartfelt ceremony, beautiful day, and happiness throughout, there really couldn’t have been a better day. We will cherish it forever,” adds Tyler.
The couple honeymooned in Mexico at Playa del Carmen. “We both wanted an all-inclusive resort somewhere warm with bright blue waters,” says Keela. “I had never left the country and had yet to take a tropical vacation. Tyler had been previously and wanted to show me the lifestyle and the beauty of Mexico.”
They intend to spend their first year continuing to grow together and become the best example for their future children. “Family is very important to us and we wish to spend as much time with family and friends as possible,” they add.
While they wouldn’t change a thing about their day, there were some challenges along the way. “Unless you’ve planned a wedding before, you just don’t quite know what you’re doing and there is always something you didn’t think of. I think the most challenging part of the day is making sure all family and bridal party members are in tune to the schedule of events to make for smooth transitions. The big day is really not challenging if you are as prepared as possible,” they say. “Don’t overlook the small things. Make lists, lots of lists! You can never be too prepared.”
“Enjoy the planning. So often couples just look forward to the big day so much that they don’t enjoy the preparation and special moments leading up to it,” they caution. “Don’t let anyone take away from this most special time in your life. Make sure the special moments happen and soak it all in!”
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