The Whirlwind Continues

The couple celebrated their first Valentine’s Day as fiancés just two weeks later, although it wasn’t the most typical date. 

“This is so lame,” Dave said, “but I was [Community’s] sophomore coach when we were dating, and on our first Valentine’s Day we had a game in Peoria.”

After the game, the couple celebrated with a quick meal before heading back to the court to watch one of the Ironmen’s upcoming opponents.

“We went and scouted a [second] basketball game, and he bought me a Snickers bar.” Pam said, before jokingly adding, “Isn’t that nice?”

Despite the certainty that basketball season would coincide with several Valentine’s Days to come, Pam was undeterred, and preparations for the wedding soon began.

Meanwhile, news of the engagement started to spread.

The site of the couple’s Valentine’s Day celebration was not a one-off occurrence, and Pam — never a regular at Ironmen games — was suddenly in the stands during the school’s basketball contests. 

Students the couple shared would pass notes between the teachers, or admire the ring, Pam said, “and [as] people started to put it together…everybody wanted to talk about it.”  

While enjoying the excitement at school, outside the classroom, the couple’s free time was quickly filled with wedding planning.

Dave had always hoped that his older brother — an ordained minister — would officiate his wedding. 

However, at the time, his brother´s pastoral work had permanently taken him to Hong Kong — more than 8,000 miles away — and he would only be able to spend a few weeks in the States in late July.

Working around that schedule meant the whirlwind romance would continue — Pam and Dave would be married just six months after the proposal.

Other members of the family — Osborns and Witzigs alike — were an important part of the preparations as well.

“We both have big families, and we wanted [the wedding] to be family-oriented,” Pam said.

So, from flower girls to musical performances, both sides of the family were heavily featured.

The Witzigs’ shared family values made the venue an easy decision as well. The wedding and reception would be held in Elgin, Illinois — Pam’s hometown.

As the school year came to an end, summer break gave the couple a chance to finalize the details: the dress, guest list, and vows.

Each week passed by faster than the last and finally, it was time for the rehearsal dinner. 

That night, Pam and Dave’s closest family and friends celebrated the couple, as stories, memories, and jokes danced around the dinner table. 

As the night came to a close, each of the well-wishers gave the couple their final blessings before leaving for their respective hotels.

Pam and Dave were the last two left in the room. 

The next time they saw each other would be at the altar, and the weight of the journey they were about to begin wasn’t lost on either of them.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Dave said, “but when I looked at her it was this moment of realization, that tomorrow we were going to be married. She was going to get into her car, and I was going to get into mine. But from [then] on, we were going in the same direction.”