Real life rom-com: Omaha couple get engaged at Neigh's drive-in theater - North Platte Telegraph

Marjie Ducey Omaha World-Herald

Brittany Soukup and Stephen Kotopka met successful 2019, the week earlier they started aesculapian schoolhouse astatine the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

They had some volunteered astatine the Sharing Clinic, a student-led escaped clinic.

Medical schoolhouse played a relation successful Kotopka’s matrimony proposal, too.

They were making 1 of their predominant drives to O’Neill, Soukup’s hometown. She was successful the mediate of teaching Kotopka astir the 5 types of “cardiorenal syndrome” erstwhile helium pulled a ringing retired of his pocket.

Now, that mightiness not dependable similar the astir romanticist of places. And conscionable what is cardiorenal syndrome anyhow? It’s a spectrum of disorders involving some the bosom and kidney.

But determination was a crushed helium popped the question astatine that time. They were pulling up to the TK/Starlite Drive-In movie theatre successful Neligh, 1 of Soukup’s favourite places.

“At archetypal Brittany was speechless,” Kotopka said of his proposal, “but aft we pulled disconnected the road into the theatre lot, she said yes.”

Soukup said it was decidedly a astonishment and being connected the road was unexpected.

“Pulling into the drive-in made it a beauteous moment,” she said.

Kotopka is going into geriatrics and Soukup into obstetrics, and they said it wasn’t casual readying a wedding during their country rotation the 2 months prior. They were successful their 3rd twelvemonth of aesculapian schoolhouse by then.

With the assistance of household and friends, they say, it worked retired well.

Being newlyweds successful their 4th twelvemonth of aesculapian schoolhouse hasn’t ever been easy, either, but they accidental it’s bully they tin recognize what the different is going through.

“Medical schoolhouse tin get busy, truthful we person to intentionally acceptable clip speech to beryllium together,” Kotopka said. “Next year, we volition commencement residency, which is adjacent much clip and vigor consuming. We volition thin connected each different for enactment during challenging times.”

Nod to the past

The mates had a accepted Catholic wedding successful the aforesaid religion — St. Patrick’s Catholic Church successful O’Neill — arsenic Soukup’s parents and paternal grandparents. A family-friendly reception catered to some sides of the family.

“We had a one-week interruption for our honeymoon trip, earlier starting the 4th and last twelvemonth of aesculapian school,” Kotopka said.

They wanted a time that was elegant and elemental and went with the colors bluish and gold. They had a impermanent database of astir 250.

Moments to remember

At 1 constituent during the reception, they took a photograph with each array of guests arsenic rapidly arsenic they could. “We ran from array to array and got a photograph with each impermanent successful little than 5 minutes,” helium said.

The funniest infinitesimal came erstwhile groomsmen threw Kotopka successful the aerial during post-wedding photos.

The sweetest was erstwhile Soukup and Kotopka danced to and sang “I Think I Love You” by the Partridge Family astatine the reception.

“It is simply a peculiar opus for us. We listened to the opus often erstwhile we were archetypal dating. We recovered that we some bask euphony from the ’70s.”

Hard to choose

The mates said they received truthful galore fantastic gifts from household and friends.

Some of their favorites, though, were sets of copper mugs and straws from Handlebend, a institution successful O’Neill.

“We are starting to person a collection, and they are beautiful,” Kotopka said.

He besides gave her 4 copper mugs. Soukup gave Kotopka a 6-by-8-foot greenhouse for a plot helium tin usage erstwhile they person a yard.

Musical family

Music for the ceremonial was provided by a choir of Kotopka’s cousins, directed by his aunt, Jean Timmerman.

They were accompanied by his relative Grace Raun connected soft and Erin Cosby connected violin.

“It was fantastic to person the euphony astatine our ceremonial provided by my family’s choir,” Kotopka said. “They sing unneurotic often astatine St. Teresa’s successful Lincoln, truthful they were much than up to the task. We are blessed to person the enactment and endowment of my family.”

Lots of roommates

After their marriage, Soukup moved into Kotopka’s country astatine Phi Chi aesculapian fraternity.

“It was antithetic to unrecorded unneurotic 24/7, particularly successful a location with a twelve different aesculapian students,” Soukup said.

Kotopka didn’t recognize Soukup enjoyed blistery baths truthful much. Soukup didn’t recognize Kotopka washed towels with each of the different laundry.

But Kotopka said Soukup challenges him to beryllium the champion helium tin be.

“She is ever determination for maine nary substance what,” helium said. “I americium truthful gladsome she agreed to beryllium my wife.”

Soukup said her hubby is simply a kind, smart, dedicated, loving husband.

“I adore the passionateness and committedness helium has for his household and adjacent friends. He ever takes the other measurement to marque maine consciousness amended connected atrocious days,” she said.