Our Story

We met through a small group at our church in Johnson City, TN. Joseph had known of Redeemer and been going there for over 4 years, and Katy had just started looking for a new church.

Joseph cleverly snagged Katy's number after taking hiking pictures on his camera and saying "If I send these to you through Facebook messenger, it'll be blurry. What's your number?"

The first date came somewhere between Joseph showing up to Katy's apartment with Fruit Gushers & Capri Suns, and Joseph asking Katy to name every NFL division and being impressed when she did.

We continued to talk often about everything from our passions and dreams, to our deepest fears, deepest desires, and sharing our testimonies with one another.

As we continued to get to know each other, the most ironic similarity of all between us was how neither of us were from Johnson City, but we both came to ETSU for our Master's Degrees...

... both graduated in 2020 yet never met on campus, and both decided to stay in Johnson City after graduation to make this city our new home.

We started dating in October 2021 after months of prayer, seeking wisdom from our friends and family, and getting to know each other on a deep, spiritual level.

Shortly after we started dating, we knew without a doubt that God had placed our soulmates into our lives. We became built in best friends quickly; from hiking, Chick-Fil-A runs, and downtown outings.

We talked seriously about marriage from the beginning as neither one of us wanted to enter in a relationship that we couldn't see each other in long-term.

In December 2022, Joseph proposed to Katy in her hometown of Chesapeake in front of her family.

Our relationship has been centered around Christ, marveling in the beauty of the East Tennessee mountains, and enjoying being together no matter what we're doing.

Throughout our relationship, we've enjoyed Joseph showing Katy the fun of getting out more, and Katy revealing to Joseph the contentment that comes with staying in every now and again.

We plan to continue all that in marriage, with the added fun of starting our lives as one. We can't wait to share our special day our being united in Holy Matrimony with our family and friends.