Hunter and Leslie knew each other for a year before falling in love. They met through friends in their church’s college group in Tuscaloosa, when several of them went out to eat at Mugshots after the service. Immediately revealing himself as a prankster, Hunter convinced one of the girls to order the messiest thing on the menu—a burger covered in chili. Leslie remembers liking his laugh, which erupted as the group sent napkin upon napkin across the table. That March, Hunter managed to get Leslie alone after the group attended a tennis match on her birthday. They spent the entire day walking and talking together at Snow Hinton Park, where he unsuccessfully tried to convince her to face her fear of heights by climbing the rope jungle gym. She left having learned about his passions, fears, and family, as well as with a new understanding of his serious side—something she admired. He was a dichotomy: both goofy and stoic, intellectual and artistic. She told a friend not to let her hang out with him alone anymore because she could really fall for a guy like that. Summer began, and Leslie was staying in Tuscaloosa to work and take classes. She didn’t have a car yet, and Hunter leapt at the opportunity. A local, he drove her to church each week, showed her the best places to hike and hammock, and became the person she spent most of her time with until other friends moved back to town for the fall semester. Before classes began, he had taken her on a first date, kissed her for the first time, and brought her home to meet his parents—something he’d never done with another girlfriend before and would never do again.

After he and Leslie had been living ten hours apart for nearly a year, Hunter popped the question. It was Labor Day weekend, so he had ample time to fly down and spend with her and family. She was looking forward to his visit—two months had passed since they last saw one another—but she was clueless as to just how special this weekend would be. A close friend helped Hunter coordinate the details he couldn’t oversee from a distance, like making sure her nails were done. He planned a double date—the perfect opportunity to get Leslie dressed up and photo-ready—and the four set out for DePalma’s, the same restaurant where the happy couple had their first real date. After dinner, Hunter and Leslie set off alone to North River Yacht Club to watch the sun set at the same spot they had shared their first kiss. Three years prior, they had snuck onto the property of the Captain’s Cabin and sat beneath the lighthouse overlooking the lake. Tonight, unbeknownst to Leslie, he had rented the property out and arranged for two friends to photograph the big moment. He reminisced about how special the place was to them and that he’d like to make it even more special, then he got down on one knee. She said “yes,” and they documented the occasion by taking plenty of pictures. As an amateur photographer, Leslie had desperately wanted these visual treasures and felt so loved that Hunter made sure it was part of his proposal. They called loved ones to share the good news, then arrived at the rooftop bar of Hotel Indigo where he’d gathered family and friends to celebrate.

After celebrating their union with loved ones, Leslie and Hunter will honeymoon before settling at their new home in Birmingham, Alabama.