We're Getting Married!

Brooklyn and James first met in 7th grade at Harvest Hill Church in Midlothian, when James was visiting a friend. He swears it was love at first sight—Brooklyn was, in his words, the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. His middle school guy friends gave him endless grief for the crush, but it didn’t stop him. Meanwhile, Brooklyn mostly just thought he was hot and could do a backflip—thus dubbing him “Hot James,” a title he proudly wore for years. They stayed in touch over the years—seeing each other about once a year, catching up, flirting, and somehow always finding the same things exciting at the same time. During those early years, they connected a lot over their shared love for ministry and big dreams. They'd talk about launching future projects together long before they ever thought they'd end up dating. Things finally clicked in junior year of high school when James joined a band that practiced in Midlothian and Brooklyn just so happened to be single—and in need of a prom date. The timing was right, and the connection was instant. They’ve now been dating for about four years, had an amazing college experience together at Texas A&M, and are about to graduate side by side—just like they dreamed about back when “Hot James” was still just the boy who could flip.

Brooklyn knew the proposal was coming—she even knew the exact day, that it would happen under the Century Tree at Texas A&M, and that there was a party afterward. What she didn’t know was that her day would start at 5 a.m. with AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” blasting and a full-on “airing out” from a squad of girls in military uniforms yelling at her to get up and report for duty. Terrified (and half-asleep), she threw on a uniform and stepped outside, only to find even more people—James’ buddies from the Corps and a few other friends—lined up in formation, ready to put her through a surprise morning workout in the neighborhood pit. After push-ups, yelling, and enough adrenaline to last a week, James’ best friend Jack gave a speech declaring her ready for “Cullumination”—the final right of passage before becoming James’ fiancée. James appeared, she ran to him, slightly mad but mostly relieved, and finally started the day she thought she was having. From there, things got sweeter. Her girls surprised her with donuts, letters, breakfast, a nail appointment, and a mini shopping spree (funded by James, of course). Meanwhile, James opened a gift from her, ate breakfast with the guys, played a little golf, and made his way to the Century Tree to get everything set up. Later that afternoon, Brooklyn walked through campus with her roommates, Landry, and Keilah… only to see a crowd of 50 people gathered around the Century Tree and a full saber arch waiting. The walk toward James felt so long that she finally just took off running—much to everyone’s delight. He gave a practiced (and almost perfect) little speech, then was handed their golden retriever puppy, Rebel, who took all the attention. James got down on one knee, and Brooklyn said yes. The celebration didn’t stop there. With the help of roommates, BBQ legends (shoutout Alec, Charlie, and the bbq chain gang), party-hosting heroes (Steve, Jen, and Jon), James' parents, and tons of family and friends from Virginia to Dallas, the night ended with the best kind of backyard party—and a whole lot of love.