‘Everything aligned beautifully’: Waco couple gets married during eclipse and experiences totality with loved ones
WOODWAY, Texas (KWTX) - A local couple is enjoying their first days of wedded bliss after getting married at an unforgettable ceremony during The Great American Eclipse on Monday.
Giselle Vento, 33, and Kelby Noack, 35, of Waco, said their vows during the eclipse at the Woodway home of Junette and Leon Noack, Kelby’s grandparents, in a backyard ceremony overlooking Lake Waco.
The ceremony took place during the eclipse with clouds clearing up at the location just in time for the bride and groom and their 80 guests to experience totality.
“Everything aligned beautifully,” Giselle said.
The couple planned the wedding in just over two months after Giselle came up with the idea while working at her job as a music teacher at Parkdale Elementary in Waco ISD.
Giselle, a 2009 graduate of Waco High who was named teacher of the year of Parkdale, and has been nominated for teacher of the year for all of Waco ISD, was letting the kids use bells when the wild idea crossed her mind.
WEB XTRA: Timelapse video of The Great American Eclipse totality
“One little girl compared the sounds to a star and I asked, ‘speaking of stars did y’all know about the eclipse?’” Giselle said, “That’s when it hit me. You know, it would be magical.”
She texted her idea to Kelby, a 2006 Crawford graduate, and he was immediately on board.
He just goes “let’s do it!” Giselle smiled.
The couple planned the wedding in two-and-a-half months and included special eclipse touches from the invitations to the personalized glasses for guests to use.
Giselle said she was worried about projected traffic and an influx of visitors to Waco. She also stressed about the weather conditions, but she didn’t let that stop her from gathering their friends and family for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to wed in Waco during a total eclipse.
“I think that whenever you declare something the universe conspires in your favor and the universe includes all the people that loves us and that we love,” she smiled.
Family and friends traveled from across Texas, Georgia, and Florida and many came from Mexico, where Giselle was born.
The couple started the ceremony during the eclipse and despite the weather looking not promising all morning, the clouds parted over the ceremony just in time.
Giselle walked down the aisle to her niece and nephew playing The Beatles hit “Here Comes The Sun.”
As soon as they said their “I do’s” and were pronounced man and wife, totality set in.
“We were just trying to stay positive, and I was just trying to keep her focused on the fact that it’s going to open up and it’s going to work out and even as the ceremony was starting it was going on and off with clouds and just magically it opened up perfectly during the eclipse,” Kelby said.
Giselle said the guests were able to enjoy the more than four minutes of totality, adding it was a moment their guests, many which spoke different languages, didn’t need translation to feel a common bond.
“People were so amazed by it,” Giselle beamed. “God’s marvel united us.”
The newlyweds say they hope to travel to Spain to see the total eclipse in 2026.
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