We met in January of 2017 in Columbia, SC working at a restaurant together! I was a hostess, and Ruskin a waiter. On my first day of work, Ruskin showed me the ropes of working in a restaurant, and we hit it off ever since! We bonded over our love of trying new restaurants, listening to music in the car, and each others' sense of humor.

After careful consideration and scouting, I found the the perfect diamond: a family heirloom from my mother's side. The setting came from a small jeweler in Columbia, SC that our family has trusted for decades. I decided to ask Emily to be my forever on our family vacation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I secretly contacted her family to come up and surprise her after she said yes. I was so nervous, that I put the ring on the wrong finger and had to be corrected (thankfully we both laughed it off). We are both so grateful that both of our families could make it to celebrate our moment!