Love story: From dare to the beaches of Hawaii
When the new kid in seventh grade took the dare, little did he know it would someday lead to marriage.
"Brandon was the new kid in school, and he was dared to ask to me out ... he did it," says Tammy Kofoot, a registered nurse at St. Marys Hospital. "The romance didn't last through middle school, of course. We dated some in college, but the timing was wrong. We met up again in our hometown four years ago and we've been together ever since."
Brandon Kofoot, a driver for Viking Electric, decided that being together was in their cards and popped the question on Nov. 30, 2006.
"Tammy was just getting up from working a night shift. She had been sleeping on the couch. I had gotten a call that day the ring was ready and picked it up," Brandon says. "I couldn't wait and asked her right there on the couch in her pj's. We then spent the rest of the day telling our families the news."
Planning to live long and happy lives, the newlyweds reside in Rochester and together enjoy activities like walking their boxer, Tyce, watching movies and the TV sitcom, "Scrubs."
"We like to be outside, hiking and enjoying nature," Tammy says. "I also enjoy running, reading and shopping while Brandon likes hunting and fishing."
Perhaps their love of nature and the outdoors prompted their nontraditional wedding in a tropical paradise.
"We were married on Nov. 10 on Shipwreck Beach in Kauai, Hawaii," Tammy says. "Fifty of our closest family and friends attended the weekend festivities. We had the pleasure of hiring Fagan Studios from here in Rochester to come and take photos and my uncle performed the ceremony."
Witnessing the ceremony were four attendants.
"The girls wore aqua blue JCrew dresses and the guys wore khaki linen suits with aqua ties," she says. "It looked amazing with the ocean behind them. We had an outdoor reception in the garden at the Grand Hyatt Kauai and cocktail hour with a slack key guitarist for entertainment followed by a luau buffet dinner. After that, we had a DJ who entertained for the next four hours."
The honeymoon, of course, followed on the Islands.
"We spent one week in Kauai, one week in Maui and then three days in Oahu. It was amazing," Tammy says. "What's not to love about Hawaii? Especially when you have to come back to the cold weather."
Someday the couple hopes to have two or three children and live in the country.
"I love Tammy's tolerance and her caring nature, and she loves my passion for life," Brandon says. "She says I have a tough exterior, but a kind and gentle heart. She really loves that I give great foot rubs."
