Through the course of both Ellyn and Joey working closely together at Emerge Church, a friendship blossomed (that was at times tense due to working together). While everyone at Emerge Church, especially the Surge Students, seemed to think that Ellyn and Joey would make a great pair, the two needed time to figure it out for themselves. Mutual respect and admiration grew into affection and on September 24th, 2019 Joey asked Ellyn out to the movies on their first date.

Ellyn needed some professional headshots for her new position at The University of Georgia. She contacted our good friend and photographer Alicia Devine (go check out her work) and set up the appointment. Unbeknownst to Ellyn and not long after, Joey called Alicia and hatched a plan to propose at the end of the shoot. Ellyn and Alicia had already planned to do the shoot at Florida State University, where Ellyn was finishing her PhD. Ellyn invited Joey to tag along and provide some laughs for authentic smiles. Since Joey was coming it seemed too easy to ask Joe Wallace (Alicia's husband and our good friend) to join too. Secretly he was there to film the proposal. At the end of the shoot, Alicia suggested that Joey join Ellyn for a few pictures in front of Ellyn's favorite building, Dodd Hall. Ellyn still hadn't caught on to what was happening. She kept trying to get Joey to look at the camera and be quiet. She never expected it would be a day unlike any other in their lives as he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. #pandemicproposal