10.10.26

Alex and Andrea met on their first day of freshman year of high school in their US History class. If you were to ask Alex, he would tell you he has zero memory of his first day of school. Andrea would tell you that she wore a blue and white floral dress, and Alex awkwardly told her she looked nice when they sat down across from each other. They would both tell you the details of their story a little differently, but the overall story stays the same. Over time and with multiple classes together, Andrea and Alex became close friends and eventually became a couple in their senior year of high school. Eight years later, with many core memories together, they can't wait to see what the future holds.

After many years together, it was only a matter of when, not if, we were getting married. We went ring shopping previously and decided pretty quickly on the details of the ring. As Andrea’s graduation from Graduate School approached, Alex began planning the right time to propose. He reached out to Andrea’s close friend and bridesmaid, Michaela, because he knew that she lived far enough away to keep details from Andrea. Michaela helped Alex prepare for lunch with Andrea’s parents, where he asked for their blessing to propose. When Alex arrived at Bonefish Grill, he was very nervous. He ate two bites of his food and, if you know Alex, you know he slams his food. After nervously talking about the weather for an hour, he went to the bathroom to hype himself up. Tim and Lauren looked at each other and were confused wondering if he would finally ask. When Alex finally got the courage, Tim made him ask three times. Immediately after lunch, he ordered the engagement ring. The following weekend was Andrea’s graduation and marked the start of Alex’s support mission at Joint Base Charleston. Since Alex only had a small window of time to pick up the ring, he drove from Columbia to Charlotte to pick it up before driving back down to Charleston. Alex had to turn his location off so Andrea wouldn’t wonder why it was taking him so long to get back to Charleston. From May 2nd-29th, the engagement ring remained hidden in Alex’s hotel room. Every day after work, Alex checked to make sure it was still there. Since Andrea went home following graduation, it was easier for Alex to keep the big secret. One day, while looking at the jewelry store website, Andrea learned that the ring setting had been discontinued and called Alex to share the disappointing news. Her mom, who already knew he purchased the ring, had to calm her down and remind her that she could get it custom made. Andrea encouraged Alex book a ring consultation while they were in Charleston and was upset when Alex told her they could just wait. During their time apart, Alex messaged one of Andrea’s friends who lived in Charleston, Nisha, to figure out the perfect proposal spot. Nisha recommended a beautiful area near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Alex scouted the location a week in advance and posted a photo of it on Instagram as a subtle Easter egg. Andrea saw it and even liked the story — totally unaware it was the spot. As the date approached, Alex became nervous and he started telling more people. He also had to coordinate with Andrea’s family since she was back home.  Andrea was so focused on making a job offer decision that she didn’t notice any suspicious behaviors. She even picked a bright blue nail polish and, if you know Andrea, she always picks a neutral color. Andrea arrived in Charleston a day early. This threw Alex off and his plans changed fast. Andrea’s friend Nisha texted Alex, “Can you send me the spot?” — and Andrea saw the message. Alex had to improvise and make it seem like nothing was going on, all while confirming with Nisha that she could still be there to capture the moment. To keep things smooth, Alex told Andrea to dress up because they were going to a fancy dinner that night. When Alex was close to the proposal spot, Nisha texted him that she needed five more minutes. So Alex started stalling, driving around the park and making up random history facts about buildings to kill time. Andrea was getting frustrated and hangry. Finally, they arrived. As they parked and got out the car, Alex asked “Are you ready?” Then, Andrea began to realize what was happening. Alex forgot his whole speech and said “When do you think I asked your parents?”. Then he got on one knee and said “Andrea Johnson, will you marry me?” When he opened the box, all Andrea could do was cry.