we're tying the knot!

Jack and I met in fall of 2013, on move-in day of college. Within a week, we were inseparable. We spent all our time exploring and going on little adventures. Jack quickly became the person I cared for and trusted most. At the start of sophomore year, my dad passed away and I spiraled into a deep grief. God brought me to my rock bottom and used it as an opportunity to draw me closer to Him. As my faith grew, my relationship with Jack became more distant. Eventually, I felt like God was asking me to end our relationship and focus fully on my faith. I ended things and held onto the promise that God would take care of us. Two and a half years went by. Jack and I dated other people, but thought of each other often. Graduation came and went and I figured there was no potential I’d ever hear from Jack again. It was exactly then that he swooped back in. We hadn’t communicated in over a year and I was so nervous to accept him back into my life. Again, God played a massive role in our relationship, but this time in an opposite way. I felt so deeply that God was asking me to be transparent about my faith and be a witness to Jack. I prayed for him every day. We had long, spiritual conversations and I could see that God was working in Jack’s heart. At the time, I was on a long road trip around the US. Jack and I spent hours on the phone as I drove. We decided we needed to see each other, so Jack planned a road trip of his own and our paths crossed for a few days in Sequoia National Park. It was so wild to see him again after all our time apart. Towards the end of my trip, we saw each other again. While on a hike, Jack admitted that he wanted to accept Christ into his life. I would have never expected God would use me to point Jack to Himself. It was one of the biggest moments of my faith. Within a few months, our feelings for each other grew and we started dating. One year later, and here we are, ENGAGED!

Adventure is at the center of our relationship. Jack and I make it a priority to get out of our normal routines, so we try to go on a little trip every month. All summer we’d been talking about going to Cumberland Island, but we couldn’t make it happen until November. Jack and I woke up before dawn and drove to the ferry, which took us across the South Georgia waterways out to Cumberland. We rented bikes and spent the day exploring the near-uninhabited island. We saw ruins of beautiful old mansions, wild horses roaming the island, and miles of undeveloped beach. We even found a tangerine tree and I scaled it to shake down some fruit. After a picnic lunch, we climbed a tree and spent some time praying. Then Jack got down on one knee (yes, in a tree!) and asked me to marry him! The entire day was so special and magical. It felt like we were the only two people on the island and I couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place to get engaged.

Jack and I are tying the knot aboard a 71 foot yacht in the presence of family. With everything that goes into planning a big wedding, we've decided to forego all the stress and do something simple! Our families have been so supportive through our relationship, and we want to have a wedding that focuses on the importance of family and God's design for love and marriage. But! We don't want our extended family and friends to miss out on the celebration, so we're having a party on the back end!