12/18/2025
Most relationships begin with a first date. Maybe it is a nice dinner, coffee, a movie, or a sporting event. Tanner’s first date with Mary was squirrel hunting.
Mary did not hunt, but Tanner invited her anyway. They were in eighth grade, and Tanner was really looking for an excuse to have her come over. And it worked. They went on a successful squirrel hunt, brought home their prizes, and Tanner’s mom cleaned the squirrels and roasted them over a fire. How romantic.
Over time, they graduated to hunting larger animals, such as deer. And somewhere along the way, the relationship progressed, too. They have now been together for over ten years.
When Tanner decided it was time to propose, he told his mom he wanted to recreate that very first squirrel hunt. And that is exactly what they did. Tanner’s mom, in his words, “went all Hallmark on it.” They returned to the exact spot, the scene was carefully set, and his brother even started a fire. Everything was ready.
The plan was simple. Tanner asked Mary to check the trail camera with him. That was the excuse to get her outside to the proposal site.
She said no.
It was December, and Mary had absolutely no interest in going outside.
Tanner tried again. “Come on, let’s go check the trail camera.”
Again, no.
Finally, with just a hint of desperation, Tanner said, “You really need to come check the trail camera with me.”
That worked.
Mary thought the question would come eventually. She just never expected it to happen that way.
Their wedding day was celebrated at The Barn at Hart’s Grove in Windsor, Ohio. A beautiful setting for a love story that began in the woods and grew over a decade of life together. Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Stellmar.
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