Dale Earnhardt Jr. wedding day tradition and emotions took center stage when the famed driver wed Amy Reimann on December 31, 2016, at Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina. Despite nearly seven years together before their vows, Earnhardt Jr. maintained a powerful tradition: he refused to see his bride before the ceremony, believing this custom would make the moment even more special.
A Tradition Upheld and an Emotional First Look
Traditions have long influenced Dale Jr.’s personal rituals, from toasting before a drink to instinctively reaching for steak sauce. On his wedding day, he anticipated that following the time-honored custom of waiting to see Amy Reimann until the ceremony would amplify the emotion of the moment. As the couple’s loved ones gathered at the North Carolina vineyard, Earnhardt Jr. went to extra lengths to preserve the magic of his first glimpse of his bride.
Remembering that day, Dale Earnhardt Jr. emphasized just how much the tradition meant to him.
“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.”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Driver
To make sure their paths didn’t cross beforehand, he took refuge in a treehouse on the grounds of Childress Vineyards, keeping his distance until it was time to exchange vows. He recalled,
“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,”
—Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Driver. This separation wasn’t about tradition for tradition’s sake; for Earnhardt Jr., it was a bridge to a memory he wanted to feel with full intensity, ensuring the moment felt uniquely powerful.
Amy Reimann’s Thoughts and a Practical Regret
Amy Reimann later shared her perspective on their wedding day tradition, offering honest reflections when fans asked for advice. While she acknowledged that the “first look” at the ceremony was magical and full of impact—echoing her husband’s view—she also admitted to one lingering regret. Amy wished they had spent time together before the evening ceremony for the sake of capturing more and better-lit photographs. The decision to wait until the aisle meant their wedding album was limited to images taken after sunset, and the couple didn’t have pre-wedding or engagement photos to offset this loss.
She explained that, from a practical viewpoint, the missed opportunity for more shared moments and photographs was genuinely disappointing. Yet, Amy was clear that the real surprise and emotional charge of seeing each other for the first time on the stage stayed vivid and unforgettable. For both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy Reimann, upholding a cherished tradition ensured a wedding memory that felt authentic and irreplaceable—even if it came with a few sacrifices along the way.
Their experience at Childress Vineyards speaks to the enduring value of honoring meaningful rituals while openly acknowledging the trade-offs, offering insight for couples seeking their own balance of emotion and practicality on a day to remember.
