It's almost time for "I Do"

Memphis was planned to be just a place for studying, with a sprinkle of fun on Beale Street. Ben had his crew of friends from dental school while Aaliyah enjoyed her time with the Grizz Girls and friends from her master’s program. Both of them were working their butts off while balancing life outside graduate programs. Fast forward to year three in Memphis for both of them, and Aaliyah decided to give Hinge a try after encouraging nudges from her Maid of Honor. That’s when she swiped on Ben! If you ask Ben, he’ll claim he used the funniest and smoothest pick-up line ever. Aaliyah, on the other hand, would say it was the corniest. Regardless, their conversation was filled with laughter, and they managed to schedule a meetup despite their busy grad school and athletic commitments. Fortunately Ben turned out to be pretty funny, smooth,..... and corny while Aaliyah made a solid first impression and demonstrated her preparedness by bringing a list of first date questions to discuss together. Despite a few reservations from both, their first date went well, but neither was quite convinced. They went on a second date at Shelby Park and a third at the Vincent Van Gogh Exhibit. By the time they reached date number five, they had deleted Hinge and were invested in each other! By date six, it was official. Their love story didn’t stop there. Early in their relationship they would talk any chance they could during Ben’s dental school rotations and meet in Nashville to spend what little time they could together. Notably when Aaliyah had a car accident, Ben made the noble trek from Bristol to Nashville to Memphis and back to Bristol to help her. (Don’t worry—Aaliyah called Ben every hour on the hour until he got back to his rotation location!) Once both were back in Memphis, it seemed they spent any moment they could together. It was bittersweet when Ben graduated and moved back to Cookeville in July 2023, but it was also a new beginning when Aaliyah found a lovely new home for them. By the end of August that same year Aaliyah followed Ben to Cookeville, landed a job in her field and they began their life together in their new home. On October 22, 2024, with help from friends and the blessing of Aaliyah's parents, Ben got down on one knee and proposed to Aaliyah! Aaliyah and Ben cannot wait to celebrate their love and union with all of you on July 25, 2026. See you there! #AllAboutABenjamin