Join us for our wedding

We always tell people that the short answer to our love story is "we met at a wedding," but our guess is you aren't here for the short answer. To tell our story, you have to go way back in time to when Josiah was born and met his best friend, Colin Sullivan. They grew up together, and when Colin graduated high school, he did a program called the World Race Gap Year which is a 9 month Christian missions trip and ended up being on the same squad as Amelia back in 2021. Tragically, in August 2022, Colin was in an accident that took his life, and the following day, Amelia's Mama, Lynette was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Although we both attended Colin's celebration of life and had other times we "should" have met, the Lord kept us apart for 7 months. We both believe this was so that our journeys of grief would be something that has brought us closer together, not dragged us apart. Fast forward to March of 2023, we found ourselves at Colin's sister's wedding. As the night went on, the dancing started, and Josiah came and asked Amelia to dance (cue the Hallmark movie music, haha). Little did he know this was the way to her heart, and immediately there was a very sweet connection. The night ended with a group of friends at Waffle House, and the conversation got quite deep. We both shared parts of our life stories and journeys with grief, and as Amelia puts it, "It felt like someone was telling me my own story." That night we both went home intrigued, but both had conversations with the Lord about how it would simply "never work." We like to think that God laughed in that moment. A few weeks later, we began texting...A LOT. Eventually we started having phone calls, and these would last 3–4 hours without us even realizing how much time had gone by.  Before we move on to the next part of our story, we want to add a detail that is really important to our story. 2 weeks into "talking," Amelia's family received the news that her mama's brain tumor had spread and the prognosis was quite bleak. From the very beginning, we have valued the Lord's voice leading us above all else, and so that day, Amelia asked the Lord if pursuing Josiah was something she should continue or let go of because if God were not in it, she knew it could get really messy. The Lord spoke so clearly to her, saying, "This is a gift to give you hope," and those words have rung true time and time again. In June 2023, we found ourselves atop a parking garage, and Josiah asked Amelia to be his girlfriend. In the months that have followed, we have gone on many adventures, including numerous concerts, a Spartan Race, countless thrifting dates, traveling across the world to Papua New Guinea, and so much more. We have also continued to walk through and navigate the world of grief and loss, with Amelia's precious mama going to be with the Lord in March 2024. Although this has been incredibly difficult for both of us, it has always deepened our bond and taught us what loving each other with the love of Christ truly means. Fast forward to 7-12-24, a beautiful July day in North Carolina where so many dreams became reality as Josiah proposed at Lake Norman State Park. Words can hardly express the joy we felt in that moment, knowing forever was now within our grasp, and that joy has continued on to this day! We are so excited to surround ourselves with our dearest family and friends as we commit to a lifelong journey of seeking each other in the highs and lows, ever deepening the love we share, and creating a beautiful union that reflects God's design for marriage. Thank you for taking the time to read our story. We hope you feel encouraged and that the hand of God is apparent in every aspect. Neither of us can take credit for any of this. It is simply the kindness of the Father and the fulfillment of his promise to bring beauty from ashes. Love, Josiah & Amelia