We're tying the knot!

We met on the first day of classes our freshman year at Furman. As tradition goes, after their first classes, all freshmen head to the local dive bar—lovingly called “the barn”—to mingle with the locals and crash their evening of karaoke and pool. Sam claims he found the only other person there who looked like they were having just as bad a time as he was. Cassidy, on the other hand, insists she spotted him from across the room and “bumped into him” on his way to the water station. However the story goes, we started chatting and quickly realized we had the same Spanish class the next day. The next morning, Sam walked into Spanish 201, claimed the seat behind Cassidy, and the rest is history. Almost eight years later, growing up together has been so much fun, and we can’t wait to celebrate our story with all of our loved ones this August!

It was a hot September day in Denver, and Cassidy was enjoying a leisurely morning ahead of brunch plans with friends. True to form, she put off getting ready until the last minute, insisting that brunch and a walk around Washington Park were “casual.” Sam had been playing it cool, but as brunch approached and Cassidy emerged in jeans and a T-shirt, he had to suggest she dress up a bit more. That’s when it hit Cassidy: what if this whole plan was actually a surprise proposal? She quickly changed her outfit, curled her hair, and somehow we still made it to brunch on time. Throughout the meal, Cassidy could tell Sam was nervous, though their friends’ relaxed demeanor kept her from being totally sure. Once we arrived at the park, Cassidy knew exactly what was about to happen. As we strolled through Washington Park to "meet our friends," Sam began his speech and led Cassidy to a blanket beside her favorite garden (pictured below). After a very tearful “yes,” we headed back to our house to find our friends, family—and of course Juniper—waiting for us at a surprise backyard celebration. Cassidy was beaming all day and couldn’t stop telling everyone it was the best weekend of her life. Think we can top it on August 22?