We got together...I forget the rest

We met at a campus ministry conference in Louisville, KY... His story: This was my second time going to the Awakening conference. It was the most interesting experience because I was going on the trip by myself and rooming with a stranger from another campus ministry. Whenever we went into breakout sessions, I was late and lost, per usual, when I saw one of my buddies spitting game with a pretty girl in his breakout session. I interrupted him, because I needed to find where to go and what to do for the breakout sessions since I missed the memo. Of course our conversation consisted of many racial slurs between rednecks and Mexicans, a dialogue which was making my friend's interest chuckle. As common courtesy suggests, I turned around and introduced myself to the lady that was talking to him. I said "I'm sorry, my name is Matt by the way," and she said " *cutest giggle ever* My name's Alyssa, nice to meet you". I didn't know it then, but that's when I met my future wife. Her story: It was my first time attending this particular conference. I was nervously jabbering with a few members of my breakout group when Matt came over to say hi to one of the guys I was talking to. We engaged in a short-lived small talk session and parted ways. I didn't see or speak to him again until the last day of the conference when my friend stopped him to get his Instagram handle, and I obligatorily asked for it too. Little did I know that that small gesture would lead to DMs, which would lead to texts, which would lead to phone calls, which would lead to dates, which would lead to our perfect love story!

Our families were meeting for the first time in New Orleans, LA... His Story: The day had finally come. I was so exhausted from the previous festivities of that weekend-with our families meeting AND Hamilton. That morning, we walked the streets of New Orleans as a distraction and found a small cafe. We sat down at the bar without an appetite but with a mission. With every mission, you must have coffee. I was drained. At the same time, I was so excited! The site was made ready, I received the text that everything was set, we walked to the spot, she read the card, and I cracked the concrete of Jackson square due to the speed my knee hitting the ground. She. Said. YES. Her Story: The whole weekend had been a very good kind of hectic, so Matt's nervous/quiet disposition was not strange to me. He told me he wanted to take me on a mini date so we could have some time to ourselves over the weekend. We planned a breakfast and coffee run downtown, but the restaurant Matt wanted to go to was packed, so we stopped for coffee across the street where he told me he wanted to show me something in Jackson Square. It was St. Patrick's day in New Orleans, so I assumed there was a show or event he wanted us to see. We strolled to a side entrance of Jackson Square, where the flowers were budding under a beautiful oak tree. When he pulled his jacket from my shoulders and gestured to the letter lying a few feet away from us on a bed of sunflowers, I knew...it was happening! I read the sweetest card and turned to face him. He dropped to one knee, and popped the question...and I said YES!