Sometimes fate works in the most unexpected ways. Maitland Pickle, a 2019 graduate of Kingfisher High School, and Talon Woody, a 2020 graduate of Claremore High School, had no idea their lives were slowly weaving toward one another long before they met.
In high school, they never crossed paths, yet they knew some of the same people. Maitland, deeply involved in student council, often traveled across Oklahoma for events, sometimes coming as close to Claremore as Owasso and Collinsville, never realizing that the man she would one day marry lived just up the road.
Their worlds finally collided at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, where they were both involved in the men’s and women’s soccer programs. At first, they were just two people connected through a mutual friend on Talon’s team whose games Maitland never missed. Still, when she first saw the new guy on the field, something about him stood out. A year and a half later, fate brought them into the same friend group, and everything began to change.
One day, Maitland got free tickets to a Thunder basketball game and invited her closest friends. When one couldn’t make it, she scrambled for a replacement and thought of Talon. He said yes, never guessing this simple decision would change his life.
During the game, Talon asked Maitland one question about her life. That was all it took. She began telling her story and didn’t stop until the final buzzer sounded. Talon didn’t mind at all, he was captivated. That night marked the start of something neither of them could have imagined.
After almost two years of dating, Talon knew it was time to take the next step. During a family vacation with Maitland’s loved ones in Broken Bow on July 27th, he began planning the proposal. One evening, he slipped away under the excuse of running to the store for laundry detergent, but in reality, he was scouting the perfect lakeside overlook to ask the biggest question of his life. He returned, detergent in hand, to keep the surprise alive.
The next day, Talon took Maitland shopping and told her to dress up for a “random photo shoot.” When they arrived at the scenic spot and saw a photographer waiting with a tripod, Maitland realized something was happening. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Talon got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Through happy tears, Maitland said yes. That evening ended with a celebration back at the cabin with her family, a night filled with love, laughter, cake, and the excitement of what was to come.
The two wed on July 31st at Sparrow Beginnings in Stillwater, a big, beautiful modern rustic venue, and were married on the lawn. The theme was vintage rustic with hints of gold and a pastel pink, green, and blue color palette accented by navy. Surrounded by family, friends, and everyone who had watched their love story unfold, they began the next chapter of their lives together, a story that started with a basketball game, grew on a college campus, and now promises a future full of adventure, laughter, and love as bright as the Oklahoma sunsets that have witnessed their journey every step of the way.
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Woody!
