Elyse: "I remember exactly what we were wearing: I had on a red off-the-shoulder top with jean shorts, and Spencer wore a red Guy Harvey shirt with navy blue shorts. We met in the church lobby on the first day of youth group, where we talked about his summer in Georgia and bonded over both planning to try out for freshman tennis. What started as a friendship of seeing each other at church on Wednesdays and playing tennis together gradually became something more. For those who want the details: in first-period biology, a mutual friend from the tennis team was asking if I had a crush on anyone. He went through a list of names, and when he got to Spencer, I blushed and confirmed my crush. I made him promise not to tell Spencer, thinking my secret was safe. But by third period, I got a text from Spencer saying, “Hey, what’s up?” My heart dropped—he knew! After a couple of weeks of dates, Spencer asked me to be his girlfriend on a Wednesday night after church. And the rest is history!"

Spencer: ”When the time finally came and Elyse and I were both finished with college, I knew I wanted to propose in a place that held special meaning for us. One January afternoon, while scrolling through old photos, I stumbled across pictures from a spot we’d visited four years earlier. It struck me right then—this was the place I’d ask her to marry me. Next came the plan. Elyse knew I intended to propose sometime after her graduation but had no idea when. We made a deal: she couldn’t track my location, and she’d keep her nails done for the weeks after graduation. Little did she know, she’d only need to wait two days. To keep things a surprise, I told her I had to be in Phoenix for work on Monday. When Monday arrived, I “left” for Phoenix, but instead, I hid out in a coffee shop in downtown Flagstaff. As sunset approached, I made my way to the park, where my photographer friend from college was waiting. To bring Elyse to the park, her parents took her out under the pretense of a business dinner, prompting her to dress up. On the way, they skipped the freeway exit and pulled into the park instead. At that moment, she saw me standing there. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.”