Chelsea (Singley) and Andre Kozaczka

July 18, 2009 at the Saint Francis Xavier Church, Winooski

How we met:

Our love story begins at a semiconductor manufacturer located just miles away from where I grew up – IBM. With a greater appreciation of Vermont, I moved back after college for work. Similarly, Andre relocated from Massachusetts to Vermont for a job after his college years. We had many mutual friends and coworkers which allowed our paths to eventually cross.

During our first time out for dinner together I remember being so comfortable around Andre and we never ran out of things to talk about. We talked and laughed and before we knew it the restaurant was closing down. One date quickly turned into him cooking me dinners, helping me with my graduate school homework, driving cross country to friends’ weddings, meeting each other’s families, finishing my basement together, adopting kittens, taking a whirlwind trip to Ireland, and that was just the beginning

Our engagement:

Andre, being very proud of his Polish heritage, had enjoyed many trips to Krakow when he was younger. We decided to visit Poland together for 10 days in April 2008 so he could share this experience with me. I had been secretly hoping that this was the trip where he would ask me to be his wife but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

One evening, after waking from a nap, we decided to go on a stroll to find a restaurant for dinner. As we were walking through the medieval square in Krakow, referred to as the Rynek, the clock struck 8 o’clock and a trumpet appeared in the west window of the basilica towering above us. I had heard this tune several times over the past few days as it is an hourly historic tradition in Krakow. As the trumpet began to play, Andre interrupted my jetlagged mumbling by turning to me and opening a box. I immediately snapped out of my daze, realizing the question that he was asking me to which I replied “of course.”

We called our parents that night to tell them of the news, news that they were anxiously awaiting to hear, already knowing Andre’s plan. I couldn’t contain my excitement. Andre would laugh as I told him how I was going to be “the best wife ever.”

Most memorable details:

Andre and I decided to have an outdoor reception at my parents’ house in Jericho. This was extremely personal to me as it was the only house I had ever lived in growing up and had countless memories there. Since we were having an outdoor wedding at a residence, we had to plan every detail as no ‘coordinator’ existed as with typical venues.

Needless to say it was a LOT of work. The entire week leading up to the wedding we spent setting up. Together with our families and close friends, we hung over 200 lit paper lanterns from the ceiling of the tent, baked and frosted 225 cookies, and tackled all of the other countless wedding preparations. Those days are so memorable to me because everyone came together to help and everything just seemed to fall in place.

The day was finally here and so many details made it perfect. Our flower girls and ring bearer melted hearts, speeches hit home, our friend Jeanne sang during our ceremony as well as during our first dance, the L.C. Jazz Band got everyone out of their seats, and our loved ones were there to celebrate it all with us.

One of the most exciting moments of the night was when we were introduced into our reception tent. The ground was so wet, beginning to get muddy from constant summer rainfall compounded with 225 guests. When we were announced as Mr. & Mrs. Kozaczka, Andre surprised me by scooping me up, carrying me into the tent, dancing with our bridal party, and everyone went wild.

Unfortunately, Andre’s father had passed away six months before our wedding after a three year battle with cancer. While we knew he’d be there watching over us, we wanted to make sure that we kept his memory alive at our wedding. From a candle and a prayer at our ceremony, to our programs, to the homemade ribbon cookies presented with a favor donation to Dana Farber Cancer Research, there were many details throughout the day that made us smile in remembrance of him.

Finally, one of the most memorable details was something people normally take for granted – the weather! With an outside reception, we were definitely paying attention to the forecast the week leading up to our wedding. We had come to terms with it; we were accepting the reality that it was going to rain on our wedding day. We bought umbrellas for the bridal party to ensure a couple of outside photos.

It poured the evening of the rehearsal dinner and going into Saturday, there was an 80 percent chance of rain. To our surprise, when we walked out of the church for the first time as husband and wife, there was nothing but sun and a bright blue sky, which lasted for the rest of the evening. Andre and I know that the sunny skies on our wedding day were his father’s gift to us.

Planning advice to brides:

When choosing vendors, listen to your gut. Having a great working relationship with your vendors can make the planning process so much better.

Don’t hesitate to delegate! So many people will ask you how they can help, take them up on it. They really want to help you.

Try your hardest to say hello to every guest. At the beginning of the reception make the rounds to all the tables. Being torn in different directions, we missed several tables and regretted it. We wanted everyone to know how much we appreciated their love and support.

Take a couple of minutes throughout the day to spend with one another. Absorb it all, celebrate together and imprint the memory.

Don’t stress about things that are not exactly the way you imagined. No one will even notice.

Never stop dating. Monsignor Lavalley spoke about this during the homily at our wedding and we took it to heart. Make time for each other and don’t forget what all the planning is really for – a marriage.

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