We’ll admit that weddings can be overwhelming. There are so many things to plan and spend money on like the decor, the cake and the venue, but we love these events. They symbolize hope, commitment, partnership and most importantly… love. It’s hard for anyone not to like weddings. People feed off of the wedding bliss that newlyweds give. But sometimes, things just aren’t meant to be no matter how badly you want them to work out. Just ask Kolbie Sanders. But although her happily ever after didn’t pan out, she decided to give another couple a chance at the perfect wedding.The stunning University of Texas student seemingly had it all. While no one has a perfect life, at 24 years old, Kolbie Sanders was doing pretty well for herself. She was surrounded by extraordinary friends and a wonderful family who were counting the days ‘til the big day. You see, Kolbie had booked the perfect wedding venue and she was getting ready to tie the knot. But in October 2018, something changed.
The future bride-to-be had been dating Skylar Cotton for about 4 years. Kolbie was engaged to Skylar, who’s an oil worker, for a little over a year and a half, and the two seemed to be made for each other. The couple were planning on saying their I do’s on October 20, 2018. But Kolbie started noticing all the “I don’ts” that were making her second guess a few things. Despite her inner turmoil, the blushing bride kept the wedding planning train going.
Kolbie’s family was involved in all the wedding planning, from helping her pick up the perfect venue, to helping her find a cute wedding dress. Her mother and sister wanted Kolbie to really enjoy herself and have the most spectacular night of her life. They truly went all out for her to have her dream wedding, but even when everything was coming along, there was still something missing.
Kolbie’s wedding would take place at Belle Vue Wedding and Event Venue in Tyler, Texas, and it came with a hefty price tag. At $3,500 per night, Kolbie and Skylar’s wedding venue was about to burn a hole in their wallets, especially given the fact that she was only a college student and he was an oil worker. But Kolbie couldn’t see herself getting married in any other place, so they went right ahead and booked it.
But a week before the big day, Kolbie started getting anxious and having second thoughts. Pre-wedding jitters are completely normal, but she just couldn’t shake the feeling that she and Skylar weren’t meant to be. The spark had dwindled down a long time ago. She loved her fiancé, but Kolbie realized she just wasn’t actually in love with him anymore.
But how do you know if you’re actually experiencing wedding jitters or if you’re actually having wise second thoughts? Maybe the stress of organizing the wedding had taken a toll on Kolbie. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was on the wrong path, so she listened to her gut and called off her wedding. Sadly, the couple wouldn’t be able to get a refund on most of the wedding services they’d purchased. But did they wait too long to give their dream wedding venue a heads up, too?
Kolbie made the difficult decision to split up from her partner. And even though she and Skylar were still hurting after the split, she decided to spread some love and turn the situation upside down so that someone else could enjoy her dream wedding venue. She had a chat with the owners about her idea, and they came back with a response. Kolbie had 24 hours to find another couple who’d like to get married at that wedding venue!
Time was ticking fast. Belle Vue told Kolbie that if she wanted, she could keep her booking and use it if she ever decided to get married again. But she decided against it. After having a little chat with Skylar, they both agreed they wanted to donate the venue and let someone else have their dream wedding.
Kolbie went on Facebook and wrote, “With my engagement ending, I’ve come to find tremendous peace in knowing that I did the right thing for the both of us.” She added, “With that being said, now I want to do the right thing by others and let some good come out of this decision.” Much to her surprise, she was bombarded with hundreds of messages from brides-to-be, couples, and grooms.
Kolbie spent a considerable time sifting through the messages, filtering the stories that truly touched her heart. But Kolbie also had to make sure that the couples were legit. “I reached out to them all to make sure they were 110% sure that they could get married in a week,” she said. Kolbie stayed up until 5 am, writing down the most touching stories on tiny pieces of paper. She then placed them into a hat in order to pick a winner. It was a lucky day for Halie Hipsher and her fiancé Matthew Jones, the lucky winners!
Matthew had asked Halie to marry him a couple of years ago. The couple had a lot of love to spare, but almost zero money for their dream wedding, and there was a reason for it. When they first heard the news, Matthew and Halie were taken aback. They couldn’t believe their luck! The couple was truly grateful and thrilled to know they’d be getting a free wedding venue that even included the services.
To say that money was tight at Matthew and Halie’s household would be the understatement of the year. The lovely couple had just had a son, a precious baby boy named Riley. Their sole focus at the time was to provide and take care of their boy. Their little bundle of joy was one of the many reasons why the couple was excited to tie the knot. But for Matthew and Halie, there was a special someone they needed to make sure would attend their wedding.
Halie’s “Pawpaw,” Edwin Truett Hipsher, had sadly been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The couple had originally intended to get married next fall, but they weren’t sure if Halie’s grandpa would make it. Halie had always envisioned he’d get to see her walk down the aisle.
For a moment, the couple felt like life was throwing them a curveball. But Kolbie and Skylar’s generous offer was a gift sent from above. Not only were they getting free catering, floral arrangements, photography, and hair and makeup services that were donated from locals and companies that were inspired by Kolbie’s story. But the couple’s dreams were about to come true, as they’d even be able to include Halie’s grandpa in the ceremony as well.
The couple invited Kolbie to the wedding and made sure to include her in their photoshoots. After all, she was sort of like a fairy godmother to them! Kolbie wasn’t about to miss the ceremony! And if you think Matthew and Halie’s big day would bring back bad memories for her, think again.”I wanted to see it followed through. I want to see her get married – it will make me feel complete,” she said. The wedding might’ve been put together in a matter of hours, but the young couple was able to celebrate along with their families and loved ones.
The winning couple tied the knot on On October 20th, 2018, the day where Halie Hipsher became Halie Jones. Matthew and Halie were beside themselves. Their love story had a happy ending after all, and Halie couldn’t believe how they managed to pull it off last minute. She told GMA, “Walking down the aisle was breathtaking and I wouldn’t want to change one second of the day because it is all I [could’ve] dreamed of and more.” The couple was thrilled they were able to include their 7-month-old son Riley, but there was a special someone who got to make his wish come true as well.
If it wasn’t for Kolbie’s generous offer, Matthew and Halie would’ve never been able to put together an impromptu wedding and include their loving grandpa in the celebration. Thankfully, he was able to sit in the audience and watch Halie exchange her vows. Her pawpaw might’ve been too sick to walk her down the aisle, but he was very much present all through the way. When Pawpaw was introduced to Kolbie, he couldn’t find the words to thank her for everything she’d done.
As you can imagine, Kolbie’s post ended up going viral, and people were hooked on the story. But now everyone wanted to know what happened after the big day! The media got hold of Kolbie, Matthew, and Halie’s story, and they were truly touched by how the deserving couple ended up making their dreams come true. “This is more than a love story between two love birds, but also a love story between a girl and her pawpaw,” Halie told Kolbie when she explained why she’d love to get chosen.
Now, Matthew, Halie, and their baby Riley were a big happy family. The newlyweds took a few days off to celebrate on their own and go on a mini-honeymoon trip. Halie couldn’t believe she was able to pull off the wedding on such short notice and include her beloved grandpa. “My grandfather is the person who glues our family together and words cannot express how happy I was that he got to see me get married,” she said. And although Halie still worries about her pawpaw’s health, she is still able to enjoy being a wife and a mom.
Halie has nothing but appreciation for Kolbie, who she sees as a “gift from God and the sweetest person I have ever met. ”She went on to add, “She is a part of our extended family now and she has brought so much joy to a family in need of it. This wedding lifted up my grandfather and brought a spark back in him.”
Kolbie might’ve been dealing with heartache, confusion, and the emotional stages most people go through after their love story came to an end. But she was surrounded by friends, family, and a strong support group that made sure she’d bounce back in no time. They took her out for fun dinner dates, checked out on her every day, and would often show up at her place with face masks, all in an attempt to make her crack a smile.
If anyone deserves to live their very own happily ever after, it’s this generous young woman who went above and beyond to make someone else’s dream come true. And things seem to be looking up for Kolbie, who’s enjoying life as a teacher and has recently uploaded a new profile pic next to a special someone.
