Ellie and Josh met while working at South Alabama's campus bookstore in May 2016. One year later, two best friends found themselves single at the same time. A summer of study dates ensued, and a spur of the moment Matchbox Twenty concert sealed the deal. While they were both living in Mobile, the two were inseparable. Ellie moved to Hattiesburg for a year in 2018, then to Atlanta in 2019, while Josh remained in Mobile. Two and a half years of long distance followed, with many more concerts, road trips, and sports games scattered into any break they could find.

In the months leading up to August 2020, Josh planned the proposal with the help of Ellie's two best friends and family. Meanwhile, Ellie was being nosy (shocker) and spent the entire time bombarding her friends with questions and checking Josh's messages over his shoulder because something was definitely up. On August 22, they spent the day together running errands in Mobile. Ellie wondered if that day was THE day, but Josh kept it together so well that she figured well, maybe not. She was almost done getting ready for their dinner date when Josh walked in and started dragging her toward the back door, because they just HAD TO get an anniversary picture at that exact moment... She said yes! (She actually couldn't form any words, but the crying and the silent nod definitely meant "yes.")

If you ask Josh, he'll tell you that he had his eye on me from the first day I walked into the bookstore. I'm 90% sure I hadn't washed my hair in a few days and was wearing the same clothes I slept in the night before because it was finals week... soooo he's probably a big fat liar. The day after our first official date, I got on my phone and made a list of his favorite things so I would never forget anything about him. I immediately knew that I couldn't imagine my life without this man. He's warm, compassionate, calm (and boy do I need that), and he pushes me to embrace every part of myself. Not a day has gone by that I've felt like anything less than the most important person in the world. -Ellie I knew I was going to propose before I even asked her to be my girlfriend. From the first time we went to study together at the library, I knew she was different. It just felt natural and effortless, like it was meant to be. Ellie is beautiful, loving, caring, and is the hardest working person I've ever met. She pushes me to be successful and I am so blessed to have been working at the South Alabama Bookstore when she got hired. "Hey, that new girl is cute" has turned into "Hey, my wifey is looking cute." -Joshua