Tradition runs deep in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s life, whether it’s clinking glasses with a tap on the desk before taking a sip of beer or reaching for steak sauce before the meat hits the plate. And on his wedding day, he upheld yet another time-honored ritual, one he refused to compromise on.
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Dale Jr. tied the knot with Amy Reimann on December 31, 2016, at Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina. Though the couple had shared nearly seven years together before saying “I do,” Dale Jr. remained adamant about preserving one particular custom, not laying eyes on his bride until the ceremony began.
Recalling the moment, he said, “You’re standing on that stage and everybody’s in the room and the next thing you’re going to see is Amy or your wife. If I had seen her an hour or two before, that moment might have been different… I will never ever be able to replicate the feeling I had when she turned the corner and faced me and started coming down that aisle. There’s no feeling like it.”
To honor that emotion, he took deliberate steps to avoid crossing paths with Amy before the vows. “I was like, ‘Try your best to hold off.’ I went and stayed in the treehouse to stay away from her and that was awesome. That was so cool to be able to have that feeling, and it be so genuine. I’m not sure it would have been the same. It would still be good, but not quite as perfect,” he shared.
For Junior, it wasn’t just about keeping up appearances; it was about preserving a moment that would hit him like nothing else ever had. And by sticking to tradition, he ensured it landed with full emotional force.
Amy’s reflections on the tradition — and her only regret
When a fan asked Amy for wedding day advice, she was very candid. Reflecting on her own experience, she admitted to wishing that she had seen Dale Jr. before the ceremony. Her only regret, she explained, was missing out on more photos and shared moments ahead of the evening vows, which left their entire wedding album cloaked in dim light.
Amy noted that skipping the “first look” cost them more than just a passing photo op. The couple didn’t do engagement or pre-wedding photos at all. So, according to Amy, they missed the opportunity for capturing memories in better lighting. Still, she clarified that her regret hinged only on the practical side of things.
Beyond that, Amy echoed her husband’s sentiment that the moment they laid eyes on each other down the aisle, with no preview or rehearsal, was nothing short of magical. The surprise, she said, was every bit as extraordinary as they had hoped.
