Staci Schellinger and Jeff Hogg.Photo: Ashley Howland Photography
Whiskey Myersdrummer Jeff Hogg has tied the knot!
The musician married his longtime love Staci Schellinger on Sunday atThe Wildflowerin Emory, Texas, the bride’s hometown. “We arebigTom Petty & the Heartbreakers fans, so the venue being named after their song made this choice feel like home,” Schellinger tells PEOPLE.
Jeff Hogg and Staci Schellinger.Ashley Howland Photography
“They say one key to a lasting relationship is laughter, so why not start the marriage with a ceremony that doesn’t take itself too seriously?” Hogg tells PEOPLE.
Hogg and Schellinger, a registered nurse, were sure to include their beloved pups in the ceremony; Schellinger wore the ashes of their late schnauzer Max in a necklace, while their other schnauzer Calder donned a tuxedo and “snuck snacks from anyone who would part with them,” Hogg jokes. “We have dogs for kids.”
The bride walked down the aisle in a dress fromSweet Caroline Styles, and wore rings fromEast West Gem Company, while Hogg wore aSuitSupplytuxedo and aDavid Yurmanwedding band.
“[I can’t wait to see] Staci in her wedding dress for the first time,” the groom told PEOPLE ahead of the ceremony. “I haven’t seen it yet, but I know it’s not a traditional wedding dress. No matter what it looks like, I know she’ll be beautiful.”
John Jeffers, Jamey Gleaves, Jeff Hogg, Staci Schellinger, Cody Tate, Tony Kent, Cody Cannon.Ashley Howland Photography
Guests danced to tunes from DJ Connection while noshing on a taco buffet fromMatt’s Tex Mexand desserts fromSweet By Design Cakes. Offerings included a smaller two-tiered cake, as well as cupcakes, macarons, Rice Krispies treats and brownie bites.
“Once plans were in place, it would have been quite difficult to cancel, but we did put feelers out with friends and family to gauge what scenario they would be most comfortable in,” Hogg says. “Of course, we always want our guests to be at ease, and no way obligated to attend in person, so we offered a streaming option to watch from afar.”
The newlyweds first met while living in Tyler, Texas, where Hogg’s band is based and where Schellinger moved to attend nursing school.
“We were in the same social circles but rarely hung out due to the band being constantly on the road,” Schellinger says. “One day, we happened to both be single at the right time, and Jeff sent me a message on Facebook. We have been talking/together ever since!”
John Jeffers, Jamey Gleaves, Jeff Hogg, Cody Tate, Tony Kent, Cody Cannon of Whiskey Myers.Ashley Howland Photography
Even so, the couple disagrees as to how long they’ve actually been dating: Hogg puts it at about seven years, since January 2015, while Schellinger says longer, since August 2014.
“The jury will forever be out,” she jokes.
That disagreement seems to be the only hiccup, though, as Schellinger says she’s confident Hogg is her person.
“I never wanted to get married to just anyone. I wanted a teammate,” Schellinger says. “Jeff doesn’t try to fit me in a box of who he thought I should be. He has always let me be who I am, even if that is a wand-waving Harry Potter fan at Universal Studios theme park.”
Staci Schellinger and Jeff Hogg.Ashley Howland Photography
Hogg, meanwhile, says realizing Schellinger was the one was a “culmination of things,” including the fact that she made arrangements to fly him out of town for his birthday to catch a Texas Rangers game, and the fact that she wasn’t a fan of the band when they first met.
“I figured she must like me for me,” he explains. “She puts in the effort to do things because she knows it will make me happy. If each of you put the other person first, the relationship will grow, and that’s what we both try to do.”
As the couple gets ready for a honeymoon trip to the Maldives, they’re looking forward to their biggest adventure yet: spending the rest of their lives together.
“Originally a trip that we said, ‘We’ll go there, one day — maybe after retirement’ due to its isolation and cost,” Schellinger explains. “However, I think between my experience in nursing with how short life can be and the pandemic, we decided to check this destination off the list while we are able. You don’t know if you have a ‘tomorrow’ or ‘someday’ afforded to you. We are fortunate and privileged to have the opportunity to travel now.”
source: people.com
