We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Our story starts at a combined Bachelor & Bachelorette weekend for my bridesmaid Jessica McIntosh and Darren's best man Frank North in Charlottesville, VA. A shoe was broken, pretzels were thrown, and there was a spark.

After a few months, we saw each other again at Frank & Jessica's wedding. Though we weren't seated at the same table, we found each other at the photo booth, on the dance floor, and on the balcony with a bag of suction darts. We may or may not have used the heads of Frank & Jessica's wedding guests as moving targets for the rubber darts...

A few weeks after the wedding, master orchestrator Jessica McIntosh individually invited us to go to a concert to see Mt. Joy in Richmond, VA. Darren was a fan of the band already and was in. After a text from Darren the Wednesday before the show, nudging me to join, I said yes, despite knowing nothing about the band. After a lovely evening of Chick-Fil-A from a hospital dining area, a spilled drink from leaping over a barricade, and crazy lines, the band was wrapping up their set. As they came back for their encore, I just couldn't hold it anymore. Darren fought through the masses and missed the last few songs to take me back to the porta-potties.

The weekend after the concert, mastermind Jessica McIntosh was at it again. She once again invited both Darren & I to a Friday night pizza out with her and Frank. We both agreed to join for pizza, only to find out that Frank & Jessica conveniently could no longer make it... Despite being stood up by Frank & Jessica, we went to Rivermont Pizza and chatted for hours. After hyping up their famous Spin Dip (spinach & artichoke) all week, I made Darren order and try it. Turns out, he did not like it.

We spent most days talking or together from October on, and in January, we made things officially official. Darren made his debut into Chelsea's work life at E.C. Glass High School (her former school) at a basketball game where many, many student council kids gawked.

On the way to a weekend at Busch Gardens Christmastown with Darren's , we picked up Crumbl cookies as a roadtrip snack. I ordered an "I love you" sticker for the cookie box, and that night we said it for the first time.

Darren's mom grew up in New York, and her whole family skis. Darren taught himself how to snowboard in one day in Colorado with friends from college, so this winter they decided to plan a family ski trip to Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. I was invited along on the trip, but if you know me, I'm not much for extreme sports. However, I was not going to be the only one on the trip not participating in a snow sport. So, I bought bibs, a jacket, and new mittens. Two weeks before the trip, we went to the Snowflex Center at Liberty University, a turf-like surface for skiing and snowboarding year-round. I learned how to strap onto a board and even went down the bunny hill a few times without falling, feeling nervous but pretty confident. Flash forward to Snowshoe mountain: I am strapped into a snowbaord at the top of a green slope. Spoiler alert: Snowflex is nothing like real snow. And I did not do it. A hour and a half later, I made it to the bottom of the mountain with Darren stopping every 20 feet with me.

After we returned from our snowy adventure, my Mazda's 4WD light came on. The dealer came back with a diagnosis of a failed rear differential, which would require a complete replacement of the part for a crisp $4000. It was the first time that the big problems felt like "our" problem. I spent the next few months working after school to pay for the repairs, and Darren made dinner almost every night. A year & 4 rear differentials (yes you read that right 3 separate rear differentials in the same car) later, we were a real team. We started seriously discussing our future & what it would it be like for us to be on the same team forever. And we bought a new car for me :)

Early in 2025, we decided we wanted to get married. We went to a jewelry store and looked at 15 different rings, which Darren later described as all looking exactly the same. Some may say I’m particular, so he left the choosing to me. By July, I had finally decided, and then it was my turn to wait. From then on, my nails stayed engagement ready at all times. As the school year started, Darren joked that each time I asked "when it would happen", he’d add another week. While I wondered (sometimes silently, sometimes aloud), Darren was secretly planning the perfect proposal. On Saturday, November 22nd, Darren planned a date night with a walk before dinner at one of our favorite places in Lynchburg: the Blackwater Creek Trail, where we’ve spent countless hours walking, biking, and running together. Despite the rain earlier that day, Darren convinced me to take the unpaved creekside trail. About a mile and a half in, I spotted lights on the hanging bridge ahead of us. As we reached the center, there was a bouquet of roses, scattered petals, and a note. I picked it up to read it, and when I turned around, Darren was down on one knee. I said yes! My sister Abi and her husband Michael helped Darren set everything up ahead of time, and Abi had been hiding in the woods to capture the moment. Afterward, we celebrated at our celebratory restaurant in downtown Lynchburg, Fratelli’s Italian Kitchen. On our way home, Darren made a “missed" two turns, and before I knew it we were at Rookies, a local ice cream sandwich shop, where Darren had arranged for some of our closest family and friends to celebrate with us.