This Funky Las Vegas Vow Renewal Included Taco Bell, Tattoos and Lots of Casino Fun
Doing life with your partner is no easy feat, especially when you navigate major changes together. For Alex (27, a destination wedding planner and designer) and Stefan Moreau (28, a logistics analyst), transitioning from military to civilian life was one such milestone. The military has long played a role in the couple’s relationship, and its absence would eventually require a huge shift once Stefan re-entered civilian life. As his military stint ended, it conveniently coincided with the couple’s five-year wedding anniversary. To celebrate both, Alex and Stefan did what every “self-proclaimed dirtbag” does: head to Vegas, baby. “The prospect of hitting the casinos, racing sports cars, getting tattoos and chowing down on tacos was an absolute dream come true,” says Alex.
Let’s rewind: The pair, who live in Austin, met in high school and dated long-distance while Stefan attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. (It sounds like a movie meet- cute, does it not?) “Our relationship was complicated by the distance and the added challenge of his military commitments,” recalls Alex. “Despite the challenges, we stayed connected with each other every chance we got and cherished every moment we spent together. This allowed us to build a strong foundation for our relationship that has withstood the test of time. The obstacles we faced early on helped us mature as a couple and strengthened our bond.”
Stefan and Alex initially said “I do” on June 10, 2017, with over 250 of their loved ones in attendance. “Overall, our journey has been worth the hurdles we’ve endured, and we are proud of the love that we’ve cultivated together,” reflects Alex. Naturally, the couple chose to reinforce and honor that bond in no place other than...Taco Bell. With an Elvis impersonator as the officiant and a bouquet made of hot-sauce packets, Alex and Stefan committed to each other again. “It was the perfect way to kick off the next chapter of our lives together,” says Alex.
The off-the-cuff theme even influenced the vows. Alex recited her words off her phone, as it was either that or the envelope of a water bill (the only scrap of paper she could hunt down). As for Stefan, he penned his vows while watching Storage Wars. As a seasoned wedding planner and designer accustomed to organizing large-scale events, Alex was thrilled by the chance to do something against the grain with her intimate vow renewal. “In fact, we had the idea for our vow renewal long before our first wedding, and we knew the iconic Taco Bell Chapel was the perfect setting to bring our vision to life. It was an experience we’ll never forget. After the ceremony, we got the holy grail of wedding gifts: a taco twelve-pack. Getting married in Vegas seems to have some kind of magical effect on your appetite.”
At this point in the story, you may be wondering: What does one wear to a Taco Bell vow renewal? Sweet kicks. Alex rocked metallic sneaks with shoelace tags that read “forever baby” and Stefan slipped into special edition Nike Air Force 1s. The two are big sneakerheads, in case it wasn’t clear.
After downing a few hard seltzers, Alex and Stefan made their way to a local tattoo parlor to get inked on their ring fingers. They also hit up a casino, because no Sin City rendezvous would be complete without time at the slot machines. “We just went with the flow that night,” reflects Alex. “We completely broke from tradition, and it was a blast. But if we had done this for our actual wedding, our parents might have had a few choice words for us.”
The only thing that truly matters is creating a lasting union and hosting a celebration that reflects your relationship to kick that chapter off. Sounds cliché, but be unapologetically you,” says Alex.