We're getting married!

We were brought together by fate in the form of a dating app. Over the course of an evening at City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi, and later the Blind Pig, we bonded over our shared affinities, including punk rock music, Faulkner novels, mob movies, cemeteries, and southern backroads. Ole Miss lost to LSU that night, but we had already won. We spent the following afternoon driving around Lafayette County, discovering secret roads, stepping over copperheads in the grass, reading weathered gravestones, eating fried catfish, and falling in love. Our relationship was solidified when we introduced one another to our respective pets, Honey the cat and Eudora the swamp dog, both of whom took an immediate liking to their new parents.

For the two of us, our garden in Mississippi has long symbolized our love and willingness to grow deeply together. It has been the place where we have nurtured tiny seedlings, protecting them from the elements and wild intruders, nurturing them as they evolve into the fruits of our joint labors. One Friday evening, after the work day had ended, Zach told Katherine to check on the okra in the garden. Ever concerned about the wellbeing of her most beloved vegetable, Katherine bolted into the garden, blissfully unaware as to Zach's ambitions. After she had thoroughly inspected the okra, and found nothing remarkable, Katherine turned around, only to find Zach down on one knee, offering the most glorious, beautiful ring she had ever seen, and his hand in marriage. It was the most surprising and joyful moment, shared in the space that represents how our relationship has allowed us, and the universe around us, to flourish.

Our wedding will be held at the Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island, the congregation of which was first established in 1685, with the present building being constructed in 1831. Aside from the historic significance and architectural beauty of the place, we are thrilled to be getting married in a personally powerful location. Edisto Island has been the favored vacation spot of the Howell family for many years. Katherine spent many childhood summers on the island, covered in sand and pluff mud, captivated by the Spanish moss and jungle-like landscape. More recently, Zach has fallen in love with the island, and when he joined the Howell family in South Carolina for Thanksgiving in 2020, he told Katherine that he could envision their wedding taking place at the Presbyterian Church.