Words by Lisa Dukart

Kelci Atkins and Jack Temple met and became friends the way so many people do—through work.

The pair connected in 2016 as hospitality group SoDel Concepts was launching its latest restaurant, Matt’s Fish Camp, in Lewes. At the time, Jack was the opening manager and was hiring. Kelci, a teacher in the Cape Henlopen School District, was looking for a summer job.

In time, they formed a friendship but maintained professional boundaries. When Kelci switched restaurant jobs the following summer, however, it opened the door for something more. It was a slow burn—a lot of bumping into each other, with no big move on either person’s part—but Jack finally asked Kelci out. They began to build a life together, Jack says, and the rest is history.

To ensure he would have the right ring when the time was right, Jack says, he surprised Kelci with a trip to Harry K jewelers one afternoon in July 2021. It came on the heels of a trip to Funland and lunch, a common Sunday outing for the couple. There they designed Kelci’s sapphire engagement ring; the blue stone is a nod to their September birthdays and to Kelci’s late grandmother.

Afterward, Jack told Kelci to “forget that happened.”

The following summer, the couple joined Kelci’s family on vacation in Europe. In Brussels, the pair had a day to themselves, and after a morning browsing vintage shops, sipping coffee, and taking in the sights, they visited the Van Buuren Museum and Gardens. As they admired the lush surroundings, Jack got down on one knee and asked Kelci to marry him. They shared their news with family and celebrated over dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Wanting to imbue their wedding day with the feel of their engagement—a cozy occasion that would highlight the best of Lewes, Delaware—they chose to have their ceremony at the Dutch-style Zwaanendael Park, followed by a reception at Dogfish Inn. “[Zwaanendael] is nestled right in that quaint little picturesque part of town and would really show our family and friends why we love it here so much,” Jack says.

On Oct. 21, 2023, the pair exchanged vows in front of 130 guests in a ceremony presided over by a close friend.

Afterward, students from the Cape Henlopen marching band—bedecked for homecoming—accompanied them in a New Orleans-style procession to Dogfish Inn. (This was a tribute to another trip they’d taken to the Big Easy.)

The reception, too, was reminiscent of their engagement—flowers in fall hues were everywhere. They also gave guests flowerseed packets emblazoned with the words “Love in Bloom,” a twist on the popular Lewes in Bloom tradition.

Other special touches included the couple’s table, which had a handmade reclaimed wood sign from the restaurant where they had their first date. Jack and Kelci’s sister then added lyrics from Trey Anastasio’s “Sunset Days,” a song significant throughout their relationship and the one they danced to that night for the first time as husband and wife.

As the night wore on, the sky fading into darkness, laughter and sparks from the fire pit arose. The couple took a moment to soak it in. They saw before them what they’d hoped for, Jack says: “Our family and friends just like we had imagined—really enjoying our little town for the weekend.”