John and I met during our time at Arkansas State University. We originally met in the fall of 2016, but really got to know each other around the poker table at the Tau Beta Sigma Christmas Party a few months later. As Valentine's Day was approaching, I told a mutual friend (and now our officiant!) that I was definitely crushing on JC and was thinking of asking him out. Of course she didn't keep it a secret, and told John to ask me out before I could. We went on a few fun dates, but that's about as far is it went. Fast forward to a year later, I reached out to John again to let him know that I hadn't stopped thinking about how much fun we had together and was hoping we could give it another go. Well, if he hadn't agreed I think it's safe to say we wouldn't be here! It's taken a lot of time and patience for us to get to this point. John was a senior and I was a sophomore when we started seriously dating. We'll never forget the many weekends driving back and forth between Jonesboro and Little Rock to visit each other, or the drives and flights between Little Rock and St. Louis. Though we can say for certain we never want to be long distance again, we know that these experiences have made our relationship stronger and that it makes our time spent together so much more special. We often tell each other that the best part of our days is coming home to the other every night. The two of us have been through a lot during these past five years, but what has never ceased to amaze me is our resilience and commitment to each other. We are so excited to celebrate this commitment with our friends and families- that's you guys! Neither of us would be here without your love and support, and we can't wait share our special day with you all. It will be a night to remember!

John did an amazing job of keeping me guessing the whole way! He had come up with the idea to invite my sister and her husband to stay with us for the weekend, and while they were in town we would have her take some nice couples' photos of us in the park. To throw me off the scent, we planned a full day of fun in St. Louis. Before ending the day with a family dinner in the city, we found a lovely quiet spot in Forest Park where we started taking pictures together. For one "photo", I was posed to stand with my back to John. My sister then told me to turn around, and there was John down on one knee asking me to spend the rest of our lives together. Of course I said yes!