May 18, 2019 7PM Old Woolen Mill 445 Church Street SE Cleveland, TN Dessert & Dancing Following Ceremony

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I first met Eric my freshman year of college in a church Bible study that he was teaching. I remember meeting him, him shaking my hand platonically, and me thinkng “Goodness, he’s so cute AND he loves Jesus. I would so date him.” Apparently the handshake wasn’t as memorable for him as it was for me (it’s fine) because we didn’t really cross paths again until my junior year of college. Junior year, I had a class with Eric’s best friend, Jack. Every class period Jack told me stories about clowns and how I should date his friend Eric because we were perfect for each other. I kind of shrugged it off because I thought boys were lame junior year and just laughed politely as one does. Also at this time, I began discipling my friend, Emily. Every time we met up to talk about Jesus and life, she would subtly plug that I should date Eric. Que the polite laughs again. However, these friends gave me the courage to do something I had never successfully done before: flirt good with a boy I thought was cute. By chance, I ran into Eric at a coffee shop. I was sitting outside, it had started raining, so I went inside, but all the tables were full. I saw Eric with an empty seat. With courage like I never have had before, I asked if I could sit with him. And he said no. Just kidding, he said yes. We sat there for over three hours just talking about life, creating an imaginary sport, and smiling more than either of us had in a long time. Those three hours at the coffee shop will forever be one of my favorite three hours because they lead me to marrying the boy I thought was so cute from the very beginning.

So Ashley and I had a few mutual friends and I had met her a few times. But my best friend Jack, who was my roommate at the time, was the one who saw it from the beginning. He knew Ashley and he would tell me almost every day that I needed to date her and that we would be perfect together. Nothing happened until one day I was sitting at a coffee shop and Ashley was there and asked if she could sit with me and do some work, and I said yes. Well we ended up really hitting it off and sitting and talking for over three hours. She was one of the most interesting and funny people that I had ever talked to. And she laughed at all my dumb jokes which is a huge plus. I remember texting Jack so excited about it at the time. I didn't get her number because I'm dumb, but since we did have mutual friends, thankfully I got another chance. We got lunch with some friends and I asked her on a date and she said yes. We went on our first date a few days later and I immediately knew that I really liked this girl. After only dating for about two or three weeks I knew that I was in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I didn't know when I went to that coffee shop that day that it would start the journey with the best friend I have ever had. But I'm thankful every day that she asked to sit with me.