Sitting at dinner one night with a great friend, I mentioned that I was ready to date again and had joined a dating site. As if it were an epiphany, she started to tell me about a teacher from her school. She gave me the highlights - single, around my age (maybe a little older), middle school history teacher, and a GATOR. She even showed me a photo; I was definitely intrigued and told her to find out more. A week or so later, I got a message on the dating site from a really handsome ... middle school history teacher and GATOR. It couldnt be the same person, could it? I immediately text my girlfriend to ask if this could be him. I so vividly remember sitting at my desk in shock. She hadn’t told him anything about me - he had reached out to me without any knowledge of our mutual friend. Coming from both directions, I knew I had to meet this man. Was this a sign from God? We quickly decided to meet for dinner on a Saturday night in 5 Points (Jacksonville). Walking up to the restaurant, I spotted him holding his Gator umbrella. He looked up and smiled at me, and I immediately melted. His crooked smile and blue eyes mesmerized me. We had the absolute best time at dinner, barely eating, entirely focused on getting to know the other. I think we both knew by the end of that night that we had found our forever.

Jacob spent his last summer as a bachelor traveling the world. Diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, teaching English in Bali, and sitting under the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan planning his upcoming proposal. After being away for 6 weeks, Jacob returned late on a Friday night. I picked him up, tired and ready for a shower. Our reunion was sweet and so full of love and gratitude to be together again. I was shocked he didn't sleep in much the next morning. He was ready to catch up on where we'd left off. We made sandwiches at his house for lunch and he barely ate. In the early afternoon, after hearing many of his adventure stories, he told me it was time for me to go home. But that he would be joining me soon. His only instruction was to text as soon as I got home. Following his instructions closely, I text as soon as I pulled into the driveway. He replied by asking me to take a look in my glove compartment. Inside, I found a set of ornate aluminum boxes in the shape of a heart. And on the outside, a note. I opened the note, and started to cry as I realized what was happening. It was time to start the adventure of a lifetime. The note directed me to go to the place where we had our first date; at that point I could open the next box. Each box held a note that let me see into the heart of the man I would soon be engaged to. His feelings, our inside jokes, the love songs we cherished. After making several stops, I landed at one of our favorite spots to watch the sunset. This is where the man of my dreams got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Without an ounce of hesitation, I said YES!

We originally started planning a traditional wedding in Jacksonville. But as the to-do list and the stress grew, we realized 'traditional' wasn't for us. We decided, for many reasons, that eloping was what fit us best. We wanted, more than anything, to be in a beautiful, serene place where we could make a covenant in the presence of God. And why not do it in a winter wonderland with all the classic touches of my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies?? Woodstock, VT fit all of our requirements. We were married in the backyard of an inn while the snow fell. It was nothing short of stunning. God blessed our special day more than we could have imagined. We will honeymoon in Italy and Switzerland in June 2020!

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