"It's not a sweet story"

This is not a typical prelude to a couple’s journey, but Chelsie and Dalton are not your typical couple. When they met in 2012, marriage was the furthest thing on their minds.

“It’s not that we weren’t serious,” Chelsie explains. (“It was a big joke,” Dalton interjects.) “We weren’t searching for the person we were going to spend the rest of our lives with.”

Dalton and Chelsie throughout their relationship.

Understandably so. With Chelsie beginning her college career and Dalton convinced against the idea of marriage, the odds were stacked against them. After a year and a day of dating, however, Dalton left his reservations behind and popped the question.

Needless to say, the proposal was unexpected. They never sat down and formally discussed their future, and she had already accepted the unlikelihood of Dalton changing his mindset.

Despite expectations, Dalton’s surprise ended in a resounding yes. The plan called for a small eloping ceremony at Pirate’s Alley in New Orleans, but after skimming their familial guest list, “small” would prove to be impossible.

Once they decided to carry out an official wedding ceremony, Chelsie took to the Internet for inspiration, claiming that most of her aesthetic decisions stemmed from pictures she saw on Pinterest at the time.

Left: Center pieces made of Baby’s Breath in recycled wine bottles painted in mint by Dalton.

Right: Dalton and Chelsie's wedding cake.

“We just wanted simplicity.”

Chelsie explains that the overall theme of simplicity was intended to mirror their relationship rather than their individual personalities.

“It reflected us as a couple,” she says. “We didn’t want anything crazy, even though I’m crazy.”

Guest sign-in table.

Pictures of the couple scattered on lace and among white Christmas lights to compliment the wooden accents.

Frugality played a vital role in the selection of their venue. Dalton suggested his aunt’s house, to which Chelsie agreed upon.

The venue.

Chelsie’s desired color palette for her bridesmaids’ dresses was blush, although she wasn’t too picky on shades and styles.

“The dresses had to be something that they could wear later, and I didn’t want them to spend a lot of money. I wanted something that worked for them because they are all different shapes and sizes,” says Chelsie. “I wanted a different dress for each bridesmaid because I don’t like the basic chiffon bridesmaid dress. I knew it wouldn’t look good for everyone.”

The bridal party with the bride.

In similar fashion, the groomsmen all wore different color bowties, some even sporting suspenders.

As far as deciding on a wedding dress – much like the rest of the decisions made – the dress Chelsie left with was not her expected choice. Originally, a short off-white dress was favored as to not look like a typical bride, but she somehow found herself at David’s Bridal with her maid and matron of honor trying on a dress reluctantly pulled from a mannequin in the front window. It ended up being the one.

Chelsie’s wedding dress.

The couple preferred a summer ceremony, considering Chelsie was still a student at the time. Conveniently enough, June of 2014 presented an option for Friday the 13th, Dalton’s favorite number.

“That’s very us,” Chelsie exclaims. “I loved everyone’s reactions.”

On that unconventional date, Chelsie and Dalton became one. Replacing a unity candle, the couple poured purple and blue paint on a blank puzzle piece, mixing their colors forever. This tradition carried on when revealing the gender of their first child, Oli.

The quirky couple making a mess.

At the gender reveal party, family and friends guessed on what they thought Oli would be.

It's a boy!

Within the past two years, the couple purchased a home in Maurice together. The house they decided on went against everything they were intending on getting.

“I didn’t want a house in a subdivision, as I’m sitting in a house in a subdivision,” Chelsie laughs.

The plan was to have a house with plenty of land, but all of their options proved to be fixer-uppers. They had to choose between having a lot of land and having a nicer house. They chose the latter, picking the second house they looked at.

Additionally, Chelsie graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a degree in Public Relations, thanks to the financial aid she claimed under her and Dalton’s combined income.

Now, with Oli due at the end of this year, Chelsie finds that although they may not be physically ready, they are eager for parenthood.

“I hope we can be cool parents. I want to have an open relationship with Oli and give him opportunities I know Dalton and I wish we had growing up.”

Dalton is looking forward to having a new friend to play video games with.

As far as pregnancy goes, Chelsie has a few choice words.

“People say being pregnant is wonderful and you start to glow… I got acne for the first time since high school. It’s not beautiful,” she says. “People treat you differently, which I don’t like. I have to often remind Dalton that I can still walk and do things for myself, because he wants to do every little thing for me.”

Before little Oli arrives, Chelsie and Dalton have an important decision to make: this year’s Halloween costumes. Chelsie has narrowed it down her options to Cindy Lou Who and Violet Beauregarde. A chef with a Prego jar is still on the table, as well.

The king and queen of couple costumes.

The Parkers are the epitome of “expect the unexpected.” The couple went from casually dating to happily married, all the while learning that previous plans are not always guaranteed. Every milestone along the way, from picking a wedding dress to picking a home, shows that although the decisions made didn’t go according to plan, they fit just right. More importantly, they were made together. After all, it is Chelsie AND Dalton, forever mixed and never without the other.

All wedding photography provided by Annie Rabalais. Website: www.annierab.photos