We're getting Married!

They met at our church youth group when we were 15 and 16 years old. Justin likes to tell of how Kelley had been pointed out to him by a mutual friend. Kelley likes to tell of how Justin was too cool to converse. Both had lasting impressions. Each had their own social circles throughout high school and their twenties, where they stayed in touch but remained just friends. They always felt the pull towards each other but never said anything about it. This friendship strengthened as they got older, and it was Kelley who fell first, in 2016. She kept it quiet, only telling her best friend she knew she was in love with Justin but didn't want to jeopardize the friendship; it was too important. Justin didn't realize it, he had forced Kelley into the "friend zone" early on, but it was too late. They finally admitted to each other at the end of 2017 there was something more, and have been inseparable ever since. Their love is a true testament of how a bond that started as a strong friendship first, is untouchable.

Little did Kelley know, Justin told a good friend after the first date that he was going to marry her. Justin even accidentally sent a picture of the ring to Kelley last summer, quickly playing it off that it was a friend proposing! The proposal had been an idea and plan growing for months; Kelley had no clue. A week before the year anniversary, Justin went down to Raleigh to help family build an art studio, but there was another reason behind the trip. His Aunt had helped designed the ring and Justin wanted to make the proposal happen on the year anniversary, so the trip had to be made before December 15th. Of course, in that same weekend, a blizzard just so happened to be brewing, set to hit Raleigh at the same time Justin had to get home. Kelley, home alone and angry with Justin's decision to drive through the storm, just couldn't understand why he was so stubborn about driving back, telling him to wait it out. After 12 hours (when it normally takes 4-5) in a truck with no heat, never topping 35 mph for the majority of the ride, Justin made it back. Then came their anniversary and Justin sent Kelley out for a massage he booked her to start the day. (I'll never forget feeling bad while I was driving to the appointment that it was just me and not for us both!) His friend Juan hurried out to the house as soon as she left and away they went, blowing up balloons, lighting candles, sprinkling rose petals and decorating. Justin took a box of pictures Kelley had printed of their entire past year together and close pinned those and small, lit lanterns to twine hung from wall to wall in their living room. The final touch was their song playing in the background as his phone was secretly set up to record the whole thing. Kelley walked in to the most romantic setting and immediately became speechless. As soon as the song hit a verse that narrates the action of getting down on one knee, in sync, Justin knelt down and made her the happiest girl in the world. <3 Kelley