This Wedding was Full of Winks to the Couple’s Love Story

By Rhonda Reinhart

Payton Shoemaker & Grant Fate
July 27, 2024

When Payton Shoemaker and Grant Fate met at a Halloween party in 2022, the two weren’t quite themselves. “I was dressed up as Kayce Dutton from Yellowstone,” says Payton. “And when I say ‘dressed up,’ I mean pencil beard and my dad’s hunting clothes.” Grant, meanwhile, was sporting a wizard costume. The getup must have helped Grant cast his spell, because the pair started dating a few months later and were engaged less than a year and a half after their initial meeting. The North Texas natives tied the knot on July 27, 2024, at an elegant event they planned hand in hand. “Grant was way more involved than I would have expected him to be,” says Payton, “but I was so grateful, as I could not have made all the decisions without him.” —Rhonda Reinhart

Ranch Style
The Yellowstone-themed seating chart, complete with guests’ names and table numbers hand-painted on cowboy hats, was a nod to the fated evening Payton and Grant first met.

Altar Image
To provide guests with an unobstructed view of the couple’s vow exchange, which took place in the Joule’s secondary ballroom, Leslie used an in-the-round approach, placing seats on three sides of the altar.

Party Central
As Payton remembers it, the dance party was “nonstop all night long.” The couple surprised guests with a confetti drop and customized “As Fate Would Have It” trucker caps. “Everyone—I mean everyone—was rocking them!” Payton says.