I’ve had the privilege of knowing both the bride and groom for over a decade. As one of Emma’s closest friends, I have been lucky enough to watch her and Bo grow from newly-dating high school sweethearts to loved-up-grown-ups juggling demanding careers with busy social lives. Their story began freshman year in high school when Emma moved to Aiken. We all know Emma well enough to know she quickly made friends with everyone, including Bo. Her warmth and generous nature draw people to her. She is generous, brave and full of love and fun energy. It is no wonder that when Bo met Emma, he knew he needed her in his life. After graduating high school, Emma left for The University of Alabama and Bo stayed in state at Clemson. The cliché “distance makes the heart grow fonder” was not so cliché in their case because not even two years had passed before Emma transferred to Clemson to be with Bo. Their relationship held strong through college. When it came time to graduate, another obstacle presented itself. Emma accepted a job in Charlotte while Bo stayed in Clemson to finish his degree. Bo graduated in the summer of 2019 and accepted a job in Atlanta; so naturally, Emma packed her bags and moved to Atlanta to, once again, to be with Bo where they first moved in together. After two years of feeling cramped in a one bedroom apartment, they moved into their current home in a quaint neighborhood which they love and eventually got a dog (Hank!). And here we are, celebrating a love that has survived college, living in separate cities, and several hardships they both have faced along the way. For as long as I’ve known Emma, I knew that Bo was her person. To this day, she lights up when she talks about Bo and it’s been that way from the beginning. The joy you both bring, not only to each other, but to the friends and family you surround yourselves with is a precious gift.

As we walked down the stairs of Bo’s parent’s house, I wondered if Emma would notice my giddy smile and shaking hands. Emma, who had no idea what was about to happen, was calm and collected trying to rush us out the door to make a dinner reservation at the Wilcox. She had no idea that we were, in fact, NOT leaving the house and that in ten minutes she was going to be asked for her hand in marriage, and I had the job of leading her into the “trap” and photographing the whole proposal. The mixture of excitement for my best friend and the pressure to capture every special moment was overwhelming. Before she had too much time to notice the gourmet meal that Gretchen had prepared for us, our best friend Meghan said “girls, we HAVE to get a picture together before dinner!” We walked outside to the yard, Emma oblivious to Bo’s beaming and teary-eyed parents behind us. The ten-minute ordeal of snapping pics went by in slow motion as I tried to make small talk, anything but rings, weddings, and proposals. Poor Bo was waiting patiently, and also sweating. He grabbed Emma’s hand and started walking toward the pool. My trigger finger furiously snapping pictures of what was about to happen. Bo kneeled on one knee. Her mouth fell open, not believing her eyes. He pulled a little black box out of his pocket, shaky hands evident even from a distance. While I couldn’t hear their exchange of words, the smiles, tears and excitement pouring out of them told me that he had asked to marry her, and she had said “yes.” With tears rolling down my face, I refused to lower the camera to wipe them, afraid to miss one single moment. They hugged, kissed, looked at the ring, and repeated about 10 times. After a few minutes, and to Emma’s surprise once again, a few of her closest friends and Aunt Lynda came out of hiding. Emma ran to the open arms of her loved ones, “y’all knew about this?!?” We all made our way back inside to friends and family who were all dying to wrap their arms around our newly engaged Bo and Emma. At this point, you can imagine the conversations and squeals that took place… the laughs/cries and hugs, all trying to get a better look at Emma’s new rock. We all high-fived each other, amazed at our ability to keep such a colossal secret from the worlds sneakiest friend. She had no idea, SUCCESS! Throughout the rest of the night, I couldn’t stop smiling and crying happy tears. To see your best friend having the most exciting day of her life is an incredible gift and wonderful experience.

“Emma and Bo are exactly what I always imagined love would look like. Everyone says you should marry your best friend. That’s Emma and Bo, the best of friends. It’s hard to picture one without the other. Being around Emma and Bo, and getting to witness their love first hand is a privilege. Their love truly lights up any room. You can feel it.” - Rowan Easterbrooks, Bridesmaid "Since day one, Bo and Emma's relationship has been so easy going and filled with fun. Their connection is second to none, and I can't think of anyone better to embark on the journey of marriage than Bo and Emma." - Daniel Zaremba, Groomsmen "I was lucky enough to be roommates with Bo for freshman year of college and every year after. After the first time meeting Emma our freshman year, it was immediately apparent how special of a person she was. Going through college with the both of them set the example of what a successful relationship looked like. Both are truly committed to each other and will build a wonderful life together." - Chris Brown, Groomsmen “They are and have always been the couple that everyone wants to be around! Neither of them has ever met a stranger. Seeing their love story unfold from high school to now has been one of the sweetest love stories I’ve been able to bear witness to. There are no other people in this world that I’d want to jump in pools with in all my clothes, bar hop with during the weekends, make fires with until the early morning and laugh with until I’m in tears. They are my people and it’s been one of the biggest honors of my life to see them both choose each other, unconditionally, every single day. Love you both so much!” -Meghan Petersen, Bridesmaid “The way Bo loves Emma is something most people only dream of. Watching their relationship blossom from college up to this point has been a blessing.” - Bethany Hall, Bridesmaid “I knew Emma was the one for Bo when she transferred to Clemson and was whipping up the best food for all the boys. I know she’ll continue to take care of my man for many years to come.” - Robert Holmes, Groomsmen