We’re getting married!

Andrew and I were friends on all social media. One random day in April (I think it was April 22nd) we were talking on Snapchat and decided we’d go out the following Wednesday, May 1, 2013. We text the whole week until it was time for our date. I’ve heard different things about this guy and have seen him out but we never really communicated. It’s odd how social media can tell you a story about someone’s life so that’s all I knew about him at this point. I thought he had way too much going on for me. Fast forward to our date. He picks me up, rings the door bell, we walk to his car. It was May, it was actually hot in Maryland and I brought a jacket. Why? Because Andrew said it was in the 50s, I took that as cool, (fast forward to 2018 and we live in Florida, 50s is FREEZING!). I’m sweating in his car at this point and finally manage to get my jacket off. How embarrassing. We go to Backstreet Grille in Salisbury and it’s burger night so it’s very loud. We’re at a table in the middle of the room, surrounded by people at least one of us know, and we’re casually drinking and chatting. At one point I was so nervous I just kept drinking while listening to what he was saying. Honestly, it was getting so loud in the restaurant I could barely hear him! I started smiling and nodding pretending I knew what he was saying so I didn’t have to keep asking him to repeat himself! A few hours go by and we ended up leaving so he drove me back to my house. He walked me to my door, held my hand, and kissed me goodnight on my steps. I had never been courted that way before or treated so well on a first date. Even though we picked a loud/familiar place, it is still my favorite first date. This is cliche, but the rest is history. We spent everyday texting and talking. We started hanging out more and then our life began to unfold together the way that it was meant to be.❤️

We planned a trip to meet all of our friends at a half way point so we thought Outer Banks was the best spot. Little did Andrew and I know that OBX is actually 14 long hours from sunny Florida. This made for a good road trip though! It wasn’t until Wednesday that Andrew proposed. It’s funny because at that point we’d been dating for 4.5 years and I started to wonder if we’d ever get engaged (and clearly everyone knew because I didn’t hide my emotions). Andrew always said he’ll do it when he’s ready and wise words from his father, “don’t marry someone until you’ve known them for five years, son! You can find almost anything out in five years.” Wednesday rolls around and we wanted to get dressed nice and take pictures on the beach at sunset before we went to dinner. We were the last couple to take pictures. Well Dave, Dio, and Charles walked down to the water and I figured they weren’t part of couples so why stand around and watch. Andrew and I are taking a lot of pictures and my hair is blowing all over my face so I just say to him, “let’s just kiss and then my hair won’t matter.” AJ was secretly videoing the whole thing. Andrew knew I’d want to see the pictures right after we took them so once I got my phone I zoomed in and saw “marry me” in the background that Dave, Dio, and Charles were holding up! I won’t say exactly what I said but I basically asked, “are you serious!?” Andrew got down on one knee and told me how much he loved me and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He had to remind me that I had to say yes first haha it was perfect. More than I could’ve ever imagined.❤️