We first met in September 2017 when Ellis went to a Camp Gladiator workout led by Jeff. At first, it was just on Wednesdays. But soon, Ellis found herself driving the extra 10 minutes on Mondays & Thursdays too. She was usually the first to show up and the last to leave, but that doesn't mean she made it easy for Jeff. After she turned down multiple invitations to hang out, fate stepped in. On a rare Friday night that Ellis ventured out into Charlotte with her friend, Jeff happened to be at the bar across the street. He recognized Whiskey Warehouse from her snapchat & headed right over. We connected right away & on June 2, 2018 Jeff officially asked Ellis to be his girlfriend.

Jeff knew Ellis envisioned an engagement day that included a photogenic spot, friends and family in town, making sure she wasn't wearing workout clothes, AND surprising her. He started planning the proposal in April 2023 & pulled off the perfect day on October 14, 2023 despite Ellis' attempts to complicate things. When NEEDTOBREATHE announced they were going on tour, Ellis purchased tickets to the nearest concert which happened to be in Savannah, GA on October 13. Jeff couldn't say no, he convinced Ellis they needed to save money and drive home after the concert instead of getting a hotel. After getting home from the concert at 2:30AM, the next morning started with Beckham headbutting the corner of Ellis' eye which immediately welted up. Fortunately, Ellis made it to brunch and mani/pedis with her friends with no black eye! Meanwhile, Jeff has started hiding out at White Point Gardens. He had to wait a *little* longer than anticipated thanks to a closed coffee shop, too many mobile orders at Starbucks, and a missed exit on the way to the Battery. Finally, Ellis and her friends arrived. They suggested taking some photos on the gazebo. After a few group photos, they insisted Ellis take some solo photos. It took some convincing, but finally Ellis was alone on the gazebo. She turned around to find Jeff down on one knee and of course she said yes!