For the last 9 years, I have been saying I wanted to get married out West. I didn’t have a place— it is just where I easily feel the most alive and at peace. The closest to our Creator. Just unplugged and enjoying creation. I moved to Idaho in 2021, and two of my best friends and I took a road trip through Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. When we arrived to Montana, I remember looking around and thinking, “Wow, now THESE are mountains!” I still didn’t know to who it would be, but I knew that is where I would get married. I wanted more than just a wedding night, but a weekend of memories together with our favorite people, and to have people together in a place they might not have visited otherwise. - Ansley It was always a dream of Ansley’s to get married out west. For me never being out west, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. After a visit to Patagonia where we stayed at a 20,000+ acre estancia(ranch), it confirmed our decision that Montana was the perfect place to tie the knot. -DeFoe
DeFoe and I were set up! Rollins Parker, a Jackson native I met while living in Nashville, knew I had moved back home in October 2023. She had Easter lunch with DeFoe in March 2024. Her sister, Anne Snow, is married to DeFoe’s cousin, Parker Snow, which is why he was at their lunch. Afterward, they told DeFoe about me, and he added me on Facebook. Rollins texted me to give me a heads-up, and my response was, “His name is what?!” I told my friends about him, and every couple of weeks, they’d ask if I had heard from this mysterious DeFoe guy. Weeks went by with nothing. Finally, I decided to Facebook message him with a message my friend Sarah Ellis drafted for me (shoutout to Sarah!). He responded, got my number, and asked me out. Our first date was on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024, at 5:30 pm at Amerigo’s, and it lasted until the restaurant closed down. I didn’t want to jinx it, but I texted a couple of friends afterward and said, “I’d be shocked if he’s not my person.” Our connection was instant, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. For the year leading up to meeting DeFoe, I had been praying for a clear sign when I met my person. I kept having a vision of purple flowers that I never actually saw in real life. The day after our first date, I went out of town, and when I got back a week later, I noticed a tree with purple flowers had bloomed right by my driveway — a tree I had never seen before. That was my confirmation, and our timing felt so divinely orchestrated. I will forever thank the Lord for bringing DeFoe into my life and for using Rollins and Anne to set us up! -Ansley
For me, it all started Easter of 2024. I was at CCJ with my cousin Parker Snow, his wife Ann Mccaslin Snow, and her family. At lunch, Ann Mccaslin’s sister mentioned a girl she used to room with in Nashville who had just moved to Ridgeland—her name was Ansley Pugh. Of course, I added her on Facebook. I didn’t message her right away, and Ansley got tired of waiting. So she messaged me first. She didn’t know it at the time, but when she did, I lit up inside. From there, I asked if she'd allow me to take her on a date. Thankfully, she agreed. My first request was Kiefers, a nice in-between restaurant to get to know someone. But Ansley had other ideas. She told me she didn't like Kiefers (who doesn’t like Kiefers?) and wanted to go somewhere else. My initial thought was that Ansley knew what she wanted and I admired that. While also thinking this could be a high maintenance issue that I'd never be able to satisfy. Then I thought I'd take her to Amerigos. If she didn't want to go to Amerigos, then we may have been at a stand still. She replied that yes, she'd love to go to Amerigos! So on May 22, 2024, I picked up Ansley from her parents’ home in the Township. We immediately hit it off. We skipped the small talk and got right into getting to know one another on a deep level, sharing our life experiences. Next thing you know, three hours had passed and they were attempting to close the place for the night. We were both lost in time, fascinated/interested in one another. It was early on that I know this women was unlike any I'd ever met before. It was the start of a whole new life for both of us. From then on, we talked daily and kept going on dates. I knew I wanted to spend my life with this woman—my best friend and my partner. I thank the Lord for that night at Amerigos, for Facebook Messenger, for Ansley’s courage to reach out, and for the life we now share. I’m looking forward to spending forever with Ansley. I feel like the luckiest man in the world. – DeFoe
1. Marrying DeFoe! A river side ceremony surrounded by natural beauty in the presence of God vowing to love and be loved to him for the rest of our time earthside 2. Everyone being together- This is my dream come true to have so many I love travel to a remote place for an adventurous weekend together 3. Dancing to the band with everyone! - Ansley I’m excited to get our closest family and friends together to celebrate our marriage. It will be very special to spend a weekend in Montana living life fully with our people. These memories are some that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. -DeFoe