Emily- When Chase and I met, I didn't think that I was looking for a serious relationship. I had just come home from my first summer of drum corps early, and I had my heart broken. I was sure that I was going to just be single for a while, and then I told myself I would give things one more try. We matched on bumble of all things, and I knew from the start that Chase was different. We met for dinner at Taco Mac in Newnan, and I knew from the moment I saw him that I was falling head over heels. That night we talked about everything under the sun, and I went home with the biggest smile on my face. From that day forward, I have only fallen more and more in love with Chase. He is my best friend, my confidant, and now the best dad in the entire world. I am so glad to be celebrating our marriage with you all, and I am so excited to marry him...again! :) Chase- I messaged Emily on bumble, and she replied pretty quickly. I don't remember who mentioned going on a date first, but we met at Taco Mac. I remember being nervous, and I wanted to impress Emily. I also wanted to be genuine, so I tried my best to act like myself. I was so nervous, but we talked and by the end of the night I kissed Emily for the first time. It wasn't in the plans, but not much about our life together has been. As I was leaving, "Good Girl" by Dustin Lynch came on, and I smiled the whole way home. I remember thinking how much of a good time I had, and that I couldn't wait to see her again. The rest was history!

Emily- Chase and I's early relationship was a whirlwind. I left on drum corps tour before we had been together for 6 months, and from May until August, I traveled the country. I was TERRIFIED he'd find someone prettier or funnier while I was gone, and that I'd come home to find that he didn't want to be with me anymore. To my surprise, he supported me through the entire summer, and when I came home it was like our relationship was stronger than ever. Over the next couple of years, Chase saw me through the end of my performing career, COVID, getting our dog Ollie, going back to school, and starting to work for the school system. I eventually moved in with Chase, and while it hasn't always been easy, living with my very best friend is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. We eventually bought our first house (with a lot of help from our families) and we moved to Fayetteville. I started to think that maybe marriage wasn't in the cards for us, but as long as I had him I knew it would be okay. In the fall of 2022, I started to realize that he was going to propose soon. He knew I didn't like surprises very much, so to a certain extent I knew it was coming. Even still, December 21st, 2022 was the best day ever. Having my parents, some of my best friends, and the love of my life all in one place to celebrate the start of our engagement was so special. It still all felt like a dream, and I had no idea that the best was yet to come! Chase- Before Emily left for tour in 2019, we went on a trip to North Georgia together to spend some time with just each other before she left. It was the first time we took a trip just the two of us, and it made me really happy to have that time together before she left for the summer. I wasn't sure about how things would go after she left, because drum corps isn't really my thing. While I wanted to support her, her world and mine still looked very different. When she got back from tour, we were stronger than ever. Spending three months apart from each other was really difficult at times, but it made being back together that much better. Getting through COVID together was another big hurdle, but we supported each other through a lot during that time. One of the highlights during that time, was bringing home our best buddy Ollie. He is insane and makes me pull my hair out most of the time, but we love him a lot. We both lost a grandparent during the pandemic, and it was one of the lowest times both of us have faced. Having each other was so important. We moved in together, and we quickly realized we wanted a space of our own. It was September 15th, 2022. It was a Thursday night and I had decided to propose to Emily. She had already fallen asleep, and I was looking at rings. I saw one that fit everything I knew she wanted, so after asking her best friend Carol just to be sure, I bought her ring and I knew it was time to get planning. We bought our first house (with lots of help...thanks mom!) and things were really good. I always knew Emily loved Christmas lights, so when I was planning the proposal, I knew I wanted to take her somewhere with a lot of them. I met with her parents, and they reminded me that there were no givebacks, haha. We went to a Christmas light display in Kennesaw, and since her friend Carol wasn't there yet we did a couple of laps. One of the times we walked around, she saw her mom and dad. Emily started crying, because at that point, the cat was out of the bag. Finally, we made our way to a less busy spot, and I got down on one knee. It all happened so fast, so I don't remember much, but I remember being nervous. Before I knew it she was saying yes, and it was official!

Emily- I don't remember what prompted it, but one night sitting on our couch I looked at Chase and asked him "What if we got married...like...this year?". He chuckled and kind of brushed it off, but I asked my best friend Carol what she thought about getting ordained. I wanted to be married to my very best friend, and the idea of waiting another year felt impossible. Before we knew it, we were planning. It was going to be just our family and closest friends, and we were going to have it at his Grandaddy's house. I loved the idea of that, because his home has held so many special memories for both Chase and I. I always wanted to get married in front of a big tree, and so I was getting my "tree" wedding! Thanksgiving day we met and celebrated with family, and before we knew it we were setting things up and getting ready. I wore a dress we found from the goodwill, and Chase wore a suit we thrifted. Our friends and family came together to make that day so special, and we were so glad to finally be Mr. and Mrs. Lambert! Chase- It didn't matter to me how or when we got married, but I was glad to be marrying my best friend. I remember all the sparkly lights and decorations filling our house. Emily wanted to decorate, so we accumulated a lot of them over the months leading up to the wedding. Day of, it was SO HOT. I was sweating, and only a little bit from nerves. It went so fast. It didn't feel real to me that we were married, but I was glad that we were able to celebrate with friends in the way and on the timeline we wanted to.

Emily- We knew we always wanted a baby, and after everything we went through early on, I wasn't sure it would ever happen. My heart was prepared to have it just be us, but something made us both say we should try. In early January, I knew something was up, and sure enough our sweet boy was on his way! We didn't want to stress about a wedding with a newborn, and now knowing the hurdles that Joshua has faced I'm glad we made that decision. This year, we get to celebrate not only our marriage, but the family we've created together with the people we love most. I think the most exciting thing about marrying my best friend again is that I get to do it with our little boy by our sides. Chase and I both love Joshua more than we could ever explain, and knowing that he gets to be here for such a special day makes it so much sweeter! Chase- When we got pregnant with Joshua, we quickly knew we needed to postpone the wedding. It was a little bit of a relief, as the idea of paying for a baby and a wedding in the same year was a lot! Becoming a dad has been tough, but it's the most rewarding thing I've done. I think my favorite thing about being a dad has been seeing how much of a mix of both of us he is. Seeing his personality come out as he learns and grows has been so amazing. I think it's going to be really special having Joshua at our wedding. I think it will be neat for him to see that even though our plans changed, that we were still able to have a special day like this. I'm excited to have my little buddy by my side as I marry his mom again, and I'm even more excited for all the years to come.