We met at a bar in Greensboro called Arizona Pete’s. I was an 18-year-old high school senior at the time something Dylan definitely did not know! I knew he was 21, so when he asked for my number, I panicked and ran away… three weekends in a row. But Dylan stayed persistent, and we guess the third time really is the charm, because after three weeks I finally gave him my number. Dylan came to my high school graduation and sent me blue flowers at work the very next day and after that, we were inseparable. If you know me, you know that for as long as I can remember, I prayed to God that I would know when I met my husband because he would give me blue flowers. Blue flowers have always been my sign from God, and I had never received them from anyone before Dylan. Fittingly, blue flowers are also one of the rarest colors found in nature. We went on our first date on Memorial Day, and by the Fourth of July that same year, Dylan told me he was going to marry me. Being freshly graduated and 18, I told him he was crazy but deep down, from the moment we met, we both knew there was something different about what we had. I knew he was the one. We began dancing together and quickly became a wonderful pair. Since then, we’ve traveled together, grown together, and fallen more in love with each other every day. We can’t imagine life without each other, and we can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.

Dylan proposed on July 24, 2025, on a cruise that he somehow managed to turn into the most perfect day. He planned a day filled with all of my favorite things, starting with a fancy brunch, followed by a day off the ship on a private island. We went horseback riding along the beach, spent time tanning in the sun, and honestly, it felt like a dream. I had no idea what was coming I just kept telling him this was the best day ever. That evening, we got dressed for a formal dinner and it happened to be “white night,” so the entire ship was dressed in white. Dylan was unusually quiet and nervous during dinner, to the point that I actually thought he might be upset with me. I had no idea he was just working up the courage for what was about to happen. After dinner, we went for a walk around the ship… and we walked the entire thing three times. Each time he kept leading me back to the same spot, getting nervous, and deciding to do just one more lap. After the third time around, he finally took me to a private balcony overlooking the ship. He got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Me being me, I completely froze and said absolutely nothing, so he followed up with, “Are you going to answer me?” I snapped out of it, burst into happy tears, and said yes. We spent the rest of the night walking around the ship, taking photos, celebrating with our friends, and soaking in the joy of it all. It was everything I could have dreamed of and more and a memory we’ll cherish forever.