Alexandra Stamps and Mason McDowell of Wichita, Kansas, are both teachers at McLean Elementary School, where Stamps teaches fifth grade and McDowell teaches third. When the couple first became engaged, they knew they wanted to do something special for their students. They both decided to invite their entire classes to be junior bridesmaids and groomsmen at their wedding in 2021.
When Stamps asked her class to be part of her wedding party in April 2021, she decided to film their reaction and post the video to Tik Tok. The kids were ecstatic and began jumping around and yelling with excitement. Stamps said that because the past year has been so challenging, she wanted to give her students something fun to look forward to.
On the day of the wedding, the students all lined up and closed their eyes before they saw the bride and groom for the first time. They were so happy to see the couple in their wedding attire, and some kids even looked a little emotional. It was clear that they all were very happy to be involved in such an important day in their teacher’s life.
The kids all dressed up for the occasion, looking exactly like a typical wedding party, only smaller. They took photos with the bride and groom and even danced with them at the reception. It is likely that this was the first wedding experience for some of the students, and they seemed to be having such a wonderful time. It was incredibly kind of Stamps to include her class on her wedding day.
Stamps had to endure teaching remotely in 2020 and 2021, and she knew spending so much time in isolation was taking a toll on her students. She said to Inside Edition, “I wanted to give them something to look forward to this summer, since this past school year was really difficult with COVID.” The children definitely looked happy on the day they were invited and on the actual wedding day.
The town of Wichita really pulled together so the students and teachers could have an incredible time. Local vendors helped provide services so the girls could get their hair done on the day of the wedding and even wear dresses donated by Morilee designer Madeline Gardner.
The designer helped put together beautiful green gowns for each of the junior bridesmaids. “I just looked at it and I said, ‘Oh my goodness, how is she going to find 21 dresses for each one of those girls?” Gardner said. The boys all wore white shirts with white ties and black pants. They looked very dapper and official.
Every one of the students looked to be enjoying their time at the wedding as they all danced and laughed together. “The best part was just their genuine smiles. I know they’re all excited to be here, so it’s just really sweet and it just means a lot to me,” Stamps said at the end of the big day. We wish the newlyweds a long and happy marriage and commend them for letting their students participate in such a special occasion.
According to The Wichita Eagle, Stamps and McDowell met while competing for the same teaching position in March 2021. But instead of keeping their distance as competitors, the two young teachers hit it off talking about barbecue, which escalated to the pair sharing their phone numbers with each other.
“I usually don’t give my number to guys that I just meet,” Stamps told The Eagle. “But I thought he was really cute.”
Stamps added that “we realized that we liked each other without saying it and he asked if we could spend time together.”
Unfortunately, however, the pandemic got in the way. Stamps, who was trying to be cautious, was reluctant to meet up in person, though she eventually gave in and met with McDowell in a park in Wichita.
A little more than a year later, McDowell got down on his knees in the same park and proposed to Stamps. It didn’t take long for Stamps to ask her students if they’d like to attend the wedding.
“We spend over 40 hours a week with them, and we both really love our students so much. And so I thought it would be kind of fun to include them in the festivities instead of just having them in the audience,” Stamps told The Eagle.
“I just want to give them this special part of my life. I want them to be part of it because I’m so proud of the hard work that they’ve done this year, and the fact that they’ve not only survived the pandemic — but thrived in it — and watching them grow as people this school year, they deserve to be up there with me.”
What do you think about this story? Would you ever do something like this at your wedding? Let us know your opinion, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family.
