Woman unexpectedly met a fellow cat lover at her friend’s wedding — and one text she sent him about his pet that night changed their lives forever

Exhausted from her shift, she almost skipped the reception, but she pushed through and showed up.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

(L) A wedding. (R) A woman using her phone next to her pet cat. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Klaus Vedfelt, (R) dolgachov)

A woman who ran into her friend from high school on a random day was invited to her wedding reception. The wedding held in 2022 turned Mitzi Guizar Dudgeon's ordinary evening into the beginning of a life-changing story when she met a fellow pet lover. A light talk about pets, followed by one small text she later sent about a cat, opened a path that connected her to the man she had just met. What started as a quick chat on a dance floor soon grew into something neither of them had planned, but both would come to cherish.

A man walks a woman down the aisle on her wedding day. Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Lilen Diaz — A man walks a woman down the aisle on her wedding day. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Lilen Diaz)

As reported by The Globe on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Mitzi’s habit of embracing sudden chances had already shaped her life in important ways. She once shifted her plans from nursing to exercise science after enjoying an introductory class at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She went on to earn both a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s degree in athletic training. Today, she works with mentor Joel Krekelberg through Sanford, guiding student athletes at Worthington High School and Minnesota West Community and Technical College. That same openness guided her in May 2022, when she happily accepted a last-minute invitation to the June wedding of high school friend Alyssa (Landwehr) Quade, even though she was tired from “doing an internship with the Minnesota Vikings” and working weekends at Perkins.

Woman smiling to herself after finishing call on phone. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Igor Suka) — Woman smiling to herself after finishing call on phone. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Igor Suka)

After nearly skipping the reception, Mitzi pushed through and found herself talking with a friendly guy, introduced as Cody. She remembered they talked about cats, and by night’s end, they had traded numbers. “I love cats,” said Mitzi, “and Cody had a fat—I mean, she was very obese, like 25 pounds—orange cat named Cheeto. I have a male orange cat named Cheddar.” Later that night, she sent the message that started everything, “I texted him, ‘How’s your cat?’ and we just hit it off.” Their long-distance relationship lasted about a year before they moved to the Twin Cities, where Cody proposed during a fall photo session in late October 2023. From there, the pair began planning their August 31, 2025, wedding with care and creativity.

A couple with their pet cat at their wedding. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Jin Wedding)

The celebration blended effort, heritage, and support from people around them. Cody, now an art teacher at Worthington Middle School, made more than 80 Mexican cantarito-style vases for the reception because, as Mitzi said, “It was a labor of love. We used them as centerpieces and decor.” They included a lasso ceremony to honor her Mexican roots, and her mother added churro cheesecake to the desserts. Local vendors played important roles, from Seed & Stem 12:27 to DJ Brody Wright, and guests enjoyed a fajita bar catered by Tacos Coahuila. Today, settled with their two orange cats, the Dudgeons feel grounded and grateful. “Cody is so patient and kind,” said Mitzi. “He grounds me quite a lot.” And as she reflected on the town that shaped so much of her journey, she added, “I never thought I’d move back to southwest Minnesota. Worthington has given me a ton of opportunities.”