Throughout my last year of high school Chris and I became extremely close and I slowly started to consider him to be my best friend. After being dumped right before my senior prom, I decided that I would have the most fun if I went with Chris. We had both planned to ask the other to go to prom together, but I was slightly faster than he was. This was the time period where the friendship we had built began to feel like more than just a friendship. Several days later we went on what we now call our first date which was to pick out corsages for prom followed by Wing Stop (super romantic). For months following prom Chris was sure that he wanted to be in a relationship with me, however I was moving from California to Nashville for college and was afraid to commit to anything. Throughout my first year of school, hours were spent on FaceTime, constantly in communication, and while we were not in an official relationship no one around us could dispute that we might as well had been. That next summer, a year exactly following my senior prom we made our relationship official and Chris planned to move to Nashville to attend his dream school for college. Fast forward to April 3rd, almost 4 years since our first date Chris proposed to me in Nashville where we had created a life together.

When I finally proposed to Ashley, I don't think the news came as a shock to a lot of people, as this was a day she had talked about and fantasized over for a long time. What she didn't know was that 4 months before April 3rd, on my birthday in fact, I set out to get the ring and put my plan into action. I knew the ring was perfect when I saw it, and while I knew there was very...specific... desires by the bride to be, I rest assured knowing I picked one I felt was special and designed by myself. Fast forward 4 months to April 3rd, on a peaceful spring day, we made our way to the walking bridge overlooking the river and the skyline of downtown Nashville. I certainly wasn't focused on the scenery, however, but rather I ran through my script a thousands time in my head. A funny thing happened though. Once we hit the top of the bridge, my nerves settled, my thoughts cleared, and all I could think about was how lucky I was to be in that moment asking the love of my life to be with me forever. Was I nervous she would say yes? Absolutely not, there was never a doubt in my mind. And, well, here we are! The world may look a little different now, but I would not have chosen any other time to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.