Neighbors Alyssa Rodgers, 32, and Erik Gomez, 33, spent months feeding an unspoken attraction from their respective Eugene apartments. That is, until the bride-to-be came outside, cracked open a beer, handed it to Erik and the rest is history. A deep-sea-fishing cruise was this adventurous couple’s first date, followed later by a sweet proposal outside the den of a pair of cuddling tigers at the zoo. The couple spent the next two years working on the DIY details of their ultimate country wedding. Highlights of the big day included a surprise dance number by the bride and her dance troupe, Infusia, hors d’oeuvres of canned tuna from the couple’s first fishing trip, dinner that featured a 200-pound smoked pig and a grand entrance by the bride who rode into the ceremony in a vintage stagecoach. Handcrafted details infused the entire celebration, down to the bobcat pelt the bride sewed onto sister Alyssa’s maid of honor dress. After a camping honeymoon, Erik returned to his work as a bicycle mechanic while studying to be a power-line repairman, and Alyssa went back to teaching and nannying in Eugene.
