Local bow hunters tie the knot in a tree stand

Presenting Mr and Mrs. Frank Dunlop in their tree stand.

When avid County bow hunters Frank Dunlop and Tanya Blundell started chatting online three years ago, they shared their stories of the hunt. When they decided to marry, they knew there was only one way to do it.

Wedding day preparations began at 5 a.m. on a cool, windy, October morning. Within the hour, Frank and Tanya had joined 13 fellow hunters at the Wood farm on Christian Road, just north of Wellington. They began a long hike down the tree-lined lane led by Frank’s brother,  Rob Dunlop.  At the usual stops, each hunter quietly left the exuberant group with a hushed, “good luck!” from their peers. One by one, they took to their stands.  The sun arose over the fields to bless each hunter with some much needed warmth.

“Todd! You’ve got a 6-pointer headed your way! Keep an eye out!” Rob warned.
Each hunter came to attention. There was a buck in their midst but the deer slipped silently into the bush, not to be seen again.

The two-way radios lit up again with a question for the bride. “Well, little lady? Are you getting cold feet yet?”  “Yeah  Mikey, my feet are cold alright, but it’s not what you’re thinking!” she quipped.

By 9:30 a.m. the hunt was called. The hunters descended from their tree stands, all but the bride and the groom.  Paul Wood and son, Kurtis, headed up the lane to round up the cheerful wedding guests who had begun to gather at the barn. A hay wagon ride delivered the well wishers and wedding officiant, Larry Hurley, to the ceremony site.

At 11 a.m. sharp, the bride and groom appeared at opposite ends of the field from where their guests had gathered. With an orchestral version of “God Blessed the Broken Road” playing in the background, they made their way to the single tree in the middle of the field, where a double tree stand had been secured, to be joined in marriage.

The bride picked her bouquet of flowers on her way to meet with her intended. The groom’s mother, Katie Dunlop, presented her with yellow flowers to add to the finery.

The unique nuptials were about to begin, but wait! One last thing.
“Good morning honored guests. I would like to begin this ceremony but must first ask something of the bride and groom…Frank and Tanya, could you kindly disarm before we proceed?”

And with that began an exchange of vows few are likely to forget.

Friends and family watch the ceremony.