Allison Barry’s new husband, Nick Still, wanted to make sure their engagement was memorable, so he designed a personalized scavenger hunt for her that led to a special proposal.
“I knew he already had the ring, but I had no idea when he would ask me,” Allison says. “The day of the proposal, he said he was going to a golf tournament with his dad. I went shopping with my mom, and she insisted we go to Maggiano’s for lunch. Then she handed me a letter from Nick.”
It was the first clue in the scavenger hunt, which included locations that were meaningful to the couple. One stop was the YMCA where Nick worked, and the mutual friend who had introduced the pair gave Allison her next clue. “At the end of the hunt, Nick was waiting for me at Castlewood State Park, where we’d gone on hikes together,” Allison says. “A photographer was there to capture the moment, and afterward, we went out and celebrated with our families.”
The couple had an outdoor wedding ceremony at The Old Barn Inn at St. Albans that included special vows they wrote for the exchange of rings. “My wedding band is my late grandmother’s, and Nick’s father died when he was very young, so he wears his dad’s band,” Allison says. “Giving them to each other was one of the most special moments of the whole day. Our guests told us they were really touched by it.” A few sprinkles of rain threatened to dampen the ceremony, but the weather held off and everything went smoothly, she recalls.
After the wedding, guests went indoors for cocktails and dinner. “I spent the whole evening on the dance floor,” Allison says. “I just wanted to celebrate! We had been planning the wedding for a year, but we had such a great time that evening, I felt like it was all over in the blink of an eye.”
Allison and Nick live in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, but are planning to move back to St. Louis soon. She is a Parkway South High School and Missouri State University grad; he is an Indiana native and is working on an MBA from Culver-Stockton College.
resources
ceremony and reception | The Old Barn Inn at St. Albans
gown | Allure Bridals
cake | Sarah’s Cake Stop
florist | Schnucks
music | RPM Music
honeymoon | Florida
wedding party
matron of honor | Chrissy Gockley
maid of honor | Caroline Barry
bridesmaids | Chelsea Still, Hanna Still
best man | Mike Strande
groomsmen | Brant Beckman, Kyle McKenna, Adam Lee
bride’s parents | Christopher & Rosemary Barry of Ballwin
groom’s parents | Steven & Tamara Still of Mt. Sterling, Illinois
wedding date | October 21, 2017
Photos | Lisa Meyer Photography
