We’re getting married.

Elle and JoJuan met in 2005 as teenagers while working at Burger King. Elle : The first time I saw Jo I knew he was special and I was drawn to him instantly. I would get so excited to go into work to see him & be in his presence. It literally took him like 3 months to finally work up the nerve to ask me out & When he finally did ask me out he had a whole speech prepared explaining why I should go out with him. It was definitely a teenage love affair. We made it official 2/27/2006 and have been inseparable ever since. Our proposal story: Jo: In 2016 we decided to book a trip to Greece to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. It was while in Santorini I decided to surprise Elle with popping the question. Around this time we had adopted the tradition of sending out annual Christmas cards to friends and family using images of places we’d travel to that year so I was able to use that as a cover to get her to unknowingly participate in the proposal without my cover being blown. I was able to hire a photographer, have her get her hair and makeup done and wear a beautiful formal dress as well. She said yes and of course for me that was a dream come true. When did you know he/she was “the one”? Elle: TBH I hated life before I met Jo. Around the time we met there were so many things going on in my life that was negative that I had no control over. He was also in a similar situation where we was the underdog so we bonded closely over our misfortune ( we both had lived in foster care before & had also been homeless for a period of time). I felt as if we had our own world that only we existed in & he was the only person I ever felt comfortable talking to about my life and its complications. Prior to him I felt myself giving up on life but he was my mustard seed & I developed a totally new outlook, joy & faith in life. I undoubtedly knew Jo was the one when he made all my problems his problems. He wasn’t only interested in the good or beautiful parts of me but he was also willing to get his hands dirty and put himself in uncomfortable situations that would help me and make my life better. He was willing to do anything he could to contribute to my happiness or overall well being. Even in parts of my life that didn’t directly involve him; he involved him. Jo literally solved all my problems within a year or so of us meeting. He literally became my superhero and the 1st person in my life that I could undoubtedly depend on. 16 years later he’s still here giving me something to be grateful for & making miracles happen daily. JoJuan: So I was hanging out late with my friends one night & I got this call from a number I didn’t recognize, so I let it go to voicemail. When I checked the voicemail it was her calling me from a payphone; as soon as I heard her voice I dropped everything I was doing & rushed to her. I immediately went into protective mode even though she wasn’t in danger & I felt sad that I missed her call. I felt like I missed the most important call of my life; even though in her voicemail she was just calling to say "Hi"lol but this was the day I realized she was the one. I felt responsible for her safety, happiness and well being. I bought her a cell phone the next day so she would never have to use a pay phone again. 16 years later she still has the same phone number. What’s your favorite thing to do as a couple? Both: We love to travel. We bond so deeply though the new adventures and experiences. We've had the pleasure of vacationing in France, Italy, Greece, Columbia all over Central America and the Caribbean. We’ve also visited 36 of 50 U.S states. We hope to knock out the finial 14 before we start having kids. Tell us what you’re looking forward to most on the wedding day. Both: Getting Married! Tying the knot, celebrating our love and moving forward into the next phase of life. Both of our families think we’re pretty overdue for children so we’re looking forward to starting our family as well.