a wedding story l by weddings editor anita neal harrison
Married August 4, 2012
Toby Asel & Brad Dible
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inside columbia october 2013
F
or most of a decade, fate seemed set on keeping Brad Dible and Toby Asel apart. Just as Toby was leaving Columbia to attend Vanderbilt University in 1999, Brad was arriving in Columbia to attend the University of Missouri. Four years later, in 2003, Brad began veterinary school at MU, and Toby moved to London to work in aviation insurance; in 2004, she moved to Atlanta for the same line of work. Finally, in May 2007, Brad graduated from vet school and moved to Wentzville to begin his practice — and three months later, Toby moved back to Columbia to begin law school at Mizzou. Despite missing each other in Columbia, their paths finally crossed in 2007 with the help of future groomsman Grant Mechlin, a childhood friend of Toby’s and a college fraternity brother of Brad’s. Toby’s father had even spent time with Brad on hunting trips with the Mechlins before Brad and Toby met. The two got to know each other as friends and then began dating in the summer of 2010, after she graduated from law school and moved near St. Louis to begin practicing law. On Thanksgiving weekend 2011, Brad arrived at Toby’s apartment in a T-shirt and jeans for a casual date night. He managed to sneak a new sparkling collar on Hanley, the puppy he had given Toby in May, and then he let Hanley run to Toby. As Toby bent down to look at the new collar, she spied an engagement ring. She turned around and found Brad down on one knee. That wasn’t the end of the surprises. After Toby said “yes,” Brad let her know he had brought some dressy clothes to change into for dinner and had a limo waiting outside. › photos by love tree studios