Papillion teachers' wedding features 170 tie-dyed shirts, bingo and wildflowers (2024)

There was nothing cookie-cutter about the wedding of Papillion teachers Abby Schukei and John Johnson.

It wasn’t just the tie-dyed shirts the 170 guests foundin their gift bags.

It was important for the couple to minimize wedding waste for a one-day event, so they used centerpieces and vases collected from thrift stores.

Schukei didn’t wear the traditional white dress — hers was covered in embroidered flowers. Both parents walked her up the aisle.

“We also worked with a local flower farmand floral collective to help bring our floral vision to life,” Schukei said. “Now that the wedding is said and done, all of the flowers have been pressed to be used in future art projects."

They opted not to have a DJ-hosted dance for entertainment and instead played bingo with their guests. Many of them said they loved the unique entertainment, especially those who didn’t like to dance in a crowd.

“For many years, we’ve played bingo at Zipline in north downtown, and it’s been a fun activity for many of our friends,” Schukei said. “We befriended a former ‘beertender’ and bingo caller from Zipline and he hosted the games for our guests. It was an absolute blast. We even curated some great prizes, which included items from some of our favorite local Omaha places, including Myrtle & Cypress, Artemis Teas, All About Bees, Sweet Magnolias, Zipline, Kros Strain and Lumen.”

How they met

Johnson proposed at Arbor Day Farms in Nebraska City, 12 years after the couple met through a mutual friend in college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

They enjoy annual trips to the apple orchard,and the proposal took place with the bride’s family there.

Johnson was focused on proposing at sunset. With time almost expiring in the day, he asked the family for one last photo op. He asked if they could take a picture with a prop, and he pulled the ring from his pocket and dropped to a knee.

Schukei teaches at Ralston Middle School and Johnson at Papillion Middle School.

“The vision of the wedding was wildflowers, colorful, low-key and fun,” Schukei said. “We’re both teachers, so we know how to command a crowd, but we also wanted to create a different wedding experience.”

They were married on June 21, close to the summer solstice and the longest day of the year.

About those shirts

As an art teacher and artist, tie-dyed creations are a common theme for Schukei.

In fact, throughout the wedding planning process, everyone asked if the bride’s dress would be tie-dye.

“It was an opportunity to get a large group of people to all wear tie-dye at once,” she said. “We immediately had guests putting their tie-dyed shirts on over their dresses and under suit jackets. It made for a fun surprise for everyone.”

Sweet and near-sour moments

They loved the intimate nature of their ceremony.

They decided not to have a bridal party, and it made theday truly feel like it was about them. They were married by the bride’s twin brother, the Rev. Tony Schukei.

“We tried to make the day be about the people who supported us the most, so we involved our immediate family in as much of the day as we could,” Schukei said.

There was almost a disaster, too

It was a very hot day, and as the sun beat down through the window at Platteview Golf Club, the top tier of the cake began to slip forward.

“Most people didn’t notice it, but we were about to have a cake-on-the-floor moment.”

But they said the club was the perfect place for their reception. It was bright and light indoors, and had some beautiful outdoor options.

Play some funky music

Their favorite wedding gift was a record player to play the albums from their most loved artists.

Schukei is an art teacher and painted a visual map to represent some key moments in the couple’s journey.

New territory

Now that they’re married, Johnson said he had no idea Schukei would be the one mowing the lawn and he’d be folding the laundry. She had no idea he loved to keep everything so tidy.

But Schukei said her husband is the epitome of kindness and generosity.

“As an English teacher, he is a true wordsmith, effortlessly conveying thoughts and emotions with remarkable thoughtfulness and depth,” she said. “Always the first to lend a hand, John consistently gives his time and energy to support others.”

Johnson said Schukei brings all the colors of the rainbow into his life. Her passion for color transcends her career as an art teacher, he said, and truly makes their lives together more beautiful.

“Not only is she creative, but she can problem-solve like a lawyer and knows how to keep me organized,” he said. “Never in my life would I imagine my kitchen would be filled with wildflowers, my bedroom would be coated in tie-dye and my heart would be full every day.”