Savanna and Marc met back in June 2011. Savanna had just moved to Tampa to complete her last year of pharmacy school. One night she decided to go out and celebrate with classmates. Marc’s best friend from high school, IB, one of Savanna’s classmates, happened to invite Marc out for the evening. Marc immediately spotted Savanna from across the room and was extremely eager to meet her. He asked IB to introduce them. Once they were introduced, Marc immediately knew Savanna was the one. Marc just had to find a way to let Savanna know and he hoped she would feel the same way. Marc walked Savanna to her car after the event. However, they did not exchange numbers. After unsuccessfully trying to sleep that night due to not being able to get Savanna off his mind, Marc looked her up on Facebook. He sent her a message stating he had to see her again. He invited her to church. They started going on study dates together and they became very close. Unfortunately, Due to being in two different places in their lives at the time, they went their separate ways.

During their time apart, Savanna and Marc focused on their careers and worked to position themselves for what God had in store for them. Savanna took a pharmaceutical position in north Florida and Marc took a management position in Tampa. Eventually, Marc found himself taking on a larger management role in Philadelphia, December 2018. Unexpectedly, the communication started again between the two with a text in 2019. Texting led to long conversations over the phone, which led to best friends and an undeniable chemistry that was even stronger than before. On the first date after talking on the phone for quite some time, Savanna came up to Philadelphia to visit Marc. They explored the city together. Savanna and Marc went hiking, visited the Princeton University campus, ate at numerous restaurants and toured historical areas. It was at that time the two fell in love all over again. Marc did not want Savanna to leave without her knowing she was the one. He asked her to be his girlfriend and now the two will become one on February 25, 2021.

It was my 33rd birthday and I could tell Marc wanted to do all he could to make it special. I also thought, he is doing too much during COVID-19. However, I didn't mind the effort. He gathered family and friends for a very nice dinner but in the back of my mind I could tell he had something going on. He couldn't stop moving. Eventually, after dinner I was lured toward a beautiful fire outside by the water. I was sat down by one of his friends as everyone began to circle around me; what spooked me out at first became one of my favorite moments in life. Marc walked in the middle of the circle and asked me to be his wife. It seemed surreal at the time, but at that moment I became one of the happiest girls in the world. Marc is a lover of God first, kind, patient, determined, fun, warm-hearted, hard-working and dependable to name a few. He truly is my Prince Charming and I’m honored to become his wife.

The engagement ring was selected and Savanna’s birthday was quickly approaching. I was finalizing the last minute details on how to execute this proposal so it would be special. On October 10th, Savanna’s birthday, I had a dinner reservation scheduled at Oystercatchers by the Tampa International Airport. Prior to Savanna’s birthday, I asked, “Babe, what do you want for your 33rd birthday?” Savanna’s response was, “A diamond ring.” I laughed and explained, “Now is not the time with Covid-19 and all, you have to pick something else.” I made it seem like I wasn’t ready but deep down inside, I was ready to be with this amazing woman forever. We faced a few challenges of course in the middle of this pandemic with the many restrictions. The goal was to have a few of our close friends and family there. Savanna’s friends were not able to join us, however, they made their presence felt with so much love and support. We sat down for dinner with the Best Man who introduced us, his wife, one of my groomsman and a few of my siblings. Dinner was indoors, while the actual proposal was going to be outdoors near the bay and a nice fire pit. Savanna had no clue what was going on but she did seem suspicious. We made the transition outdoors after dinner. The night was perfect by the bay. We had the patio to ourselves with a nice fire pit and an ice bucket filled with champagne. Everyone gathered around and I knew it was the right time. This was what I prayed for. The feeling inside of me felt good. I quickly approached Savanna as she was sitting down and got on one knee. The look on her face was priceless. It was as if she knew what was coming but didn’t believe it was actually happening. The ring was in my hand and I asked the question, “Will you marry me?” Savanna had a big smile on her face but froze as if she was in this dream and waiting to wake up. I said, “yes babe, this is real and happening right now.” After realizing it was indeed real, Savanna said, “Yes!”