This groom proposed right before 'Beauty and the Beast' at the Fox Theatre

Courtney Chodes and Andrew Bobrowiecki first matched on Tinder two years ago, and wed this fall in downtown St. Louis.

by Erica Sloan

October 19, 2017

8:00 AM

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Photo by Colby and Jess Moore

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Courtship: When Courtney Chodes came across Andrew Bobrowiecki’s Tinder profile in November of 2015, she swiped right at first glance. (His “really pretty” eyes had her hooked.) As the best of Tinder relationships go, their conversation quickly drifted away from the app to Snapchat photos and text messages, until Andrew worked up the courage to ask Courtney on a date. A St. Louis newcomer, he deferred to her for the location. She chose Bailey’s Range, and the two bonded easily over burgers.

At some point that night, the topic of favorite movies entered their conversation. “I have a pretty solid top three,” Courtney says, “and The Goonies is one of them. When I found out he hadn’t seen it, I suggested a movie night.” So their second date followed just a few days later. It was on the night of pub crawl “12 Bars of Charity” that Courtney told Andrew she was going to marry him—and thankfully, he didn’t run away. Not long after, he was headed to Boston to meet a friend for New Year’s Eve. Courtney decided to tag along last-minute, and when the clock struck twelve, the two shared their first, “I love you.”

Proposal: When Andrew arrived home from a weekend trip in March of the following year, he suggested a dinner date at Zito’s. Courtney was a bit put off by the hour—he told her to be ready by 4 p.m.—but assumed he was hungry from the flight back. After the meal, Andrew slid the check in her direction, asking “What should I tip?” But when Courtney opened the book, she found two tickets to Beauty and the Beast at the Fox (the perfect surprise considering her love for all things Disney).

As they approached their seats, Andrew suggested they take a photo together. “I was like, ‘No,’” Courtney says, “the usher is going to yell at us!” But he insisted, and waved over a nearby woman, handing her his phone so she could grab the shot. Just as he did, he turned to face Courtney, before dropping to one knee and proposing. “The only bad part,” she says, “was having to sit through the whole show with this huge news!”

Ceremony & Reception: Courtney and Andrew got married on September 2, 2017 with a ceremony in the courtyard at St. Louis Union Station and a reception in the venue’s Grand Hall. “Because we had several out-of-town guests,” Courtney says, “having the hotel attached was great—but it was the cute courtyard that had us sold!” On reception decor, she aimed to keep things simple, avoiding anything that would take away from the beauty of Grand Hall itself. Instead of large floral centerpieces, for example, she opted for wreaths of greenery and gold terrariums.

The night’s biggest hit was the photo booth, which offered guests fun fish-eye selfies complete with props, like oversized glasses and feather boas. Although the party lasted until close to midnight, the newlyweds and their families rose early the next morning for a post-wedding brunch at no place other than Bailey’s Range.

The Details:

Venue: St. Louis Union Station

Photography: Colby and Jess Moore

Wedding coordinator: Katie Bourgeois (St. Louis Union Station)

Catering: St. Louis Union Station

Cake: The Blue Owl Bakery

Flowers: Wildflowers

DJ: Rex Anderson (Complete Weddings + Events)

Hair & makeup: Brittny Wear

Videography: Pollock Pictures

Dress: Norman’s Bridal

Shoes: Converse