'He liked it so he put a ring on it' and the wedding countdown begins

Melanie Greenlee Spedale and Gregory James Godec on their wedding day

The Godec's

Christmas in sunny Florida

Redington Beach Florida at sunset

Three, two, one, Happy Wedding Day!  The New Year rang in a highly-anticipated 2021 as well as a new beginning for Greg Godec and Melanie Greenlee Godec. Social media has gotten a 'bad rap' as of late, however, if it hadn't been for the forum, the happily married couple might still be single. 

The two knew each other while in high school but ‘never hung-out’ said Spedale. Both moved away after graduating but called Paducah their hometown. Spedale is class of ‘83 at Paducah Tilghman High School and Godec is class of ‘81 at St. Mary’s High School. Though they didn’t run in the same circles, the pair lived within a mile of each other growing up. 

Fast forward nearly four decades, Spedale and Godec reconnected via Facebook. “We had been Facebook friends for years and Greg found out I was single and looked me up.” smiled Spedale. She said they started dating in September 2017 and shortly thereafter ‘took a break.’ 

After ‘the break’ the couple started dating again in March of 2019. We can all agree that everybody deserves a second chance and this time Godec wasn’t going to repeat the Beyonce’ Knowles scenario, “If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it.” 

A trip to Shell Key Preserve took their relationship to the next level. If you’re unfamiliar with the underdeveloped barrier islands located in the mouth of Tampa Bay, it’s a secluded spot where locals and tourist enjoy wildlife, fishing and boating. 

While at Shell Key Preserve, Spedale said, “We were at Shell Key Beach and Greg popped the question. He put my ring in a shell and got down on one knee as we were walking on the beach at sunset. It was so special.”  

Godec proposed in May 2020 but there’s no way the two were having a wedding anniversary date of 2020. Spedale said, “We got engaged in May but didn’t want to get married in 2020 so we picked the first Friday in 2021 and it happened to be New Year’s Day.” 

Spedale and Godec live in Redington Beach, Florida which is right on the intercoastal waterway in Pinellas County about 26 miles from St. Petersburg, Florida. Spedale said, "We're three-quarters of a mile from the beach." 

The beach wedding will take place on Redington Beach at the private resident’s area. There will be a pre-wedding celebration complete with fireworks and grilling. Family and friends are taking to air and the road to participate in the wedding weekend. Temperatures will be in the upper 70s under a mostly sunny sky. The weather couldn’t be more perfect for outdoor festivities during a worldwide pandemic. 

The wedding party will be Spedale’s daughters, Samantha and Emily as maids of honor, Godec's brother Danny as best man, brother-in-law Andy Gilland as  groomsman and Spedale's great niece Halle Grace (11) with Godec's great niece Ava Grace (4) as flower girls. They'll be scattering seashells instead of flowers. 
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Of course, we all wanted to know the wedding attire. Spedale will wore an off-white beachy dress and the girls wore dusty blue dresses. Godec wore a white linen shirt and khakis. The guys wore navy blue patterned shirts featuring a hint of dusty blue to coordinate with the girls’ dresses. 

After the ceremony, the wedding party headed over to the ‘Godec’s’ home for a catered surf and turf wedding day reception. “The honeymoon will have to wait ‘til spring. We’re very busy at work,” said Spedale. 

Before the guests arrive

The kiss

After the wedding photos

The Godec's cut the cake