look, it's another wedding

Kendall and 'Matt' find themselves together for the first time at the Houston County High School Black and Silver Brigade Rookie Percussion Camp. Kendall spots Matthew and can't help but think, "man, that boy can carry a snare drum." Matthew spots Kendall and can't help but think, "man, that girl can wear a worn out tie-dye shirt." By the end of the weekend-long camp, Kendall develops a nagging sense that, while jaw-droppingly attractive, Matthew is, sadly, something of a "snot." Perhaps too demanding, too cold, or too heavily reliant on green as a wardrobe staple, Matthew would spend the next year and a half shaking this designation. Over the course of the months between that fateful May 2012 weekend and December 28, 2013, Kendall would grow to realize that her initial diagnosis may have been a little (*clears throat*) on the nose. While certainly holding some snot-like tendencies, Matthew might just be something more. Between relentless jokes in Spanish 1 and freestyle rap on the marching band practice field, Matthew would slowly edge his way to earning the developing friendship's coup de grace: Movie Day. What started as sarcastic construct created to expose Kendall to Star Wars and Matthew to Toy Story became a surprising reality in the winter break of 2013. As Kendall's mother recalls, the day began with the two now-fiancees sitting as far apart as Kendall's living room couch arrangement would feasibly allow. With each passing movie, the couple would find themselves closer and closer, eventually positioned directly next to one another. By the end of that day, it was on. Though no question had been asked and a terribly awkward hi-five was the departure salutation of choice, Matthew had made up his mind. The rest is simple: Matthew asked, Kendall affirmed, and 5 years of "dating" was off to the races. Matthew couldn't help but feel a deep sense of triumph; he had come so far in those 19 months. From unknown to known, from Matt to Matthew, from snot to soulmate.

Matthew and Kendall hop out of the car and she runs to the door while he fidgets with his phone. She turns the knob and steps inside, takes two steps, then turns around with a skeptical look on her face. The skepticism quickly turns to shock as things start to add up. Cue music: Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol. - Two weeks earlier, Matthew finally landed the ring that he would later exchange for a promise (seems like a bad deal, but it was worth it to him). With the easy part done, it was time for him and his invaluable friends and family to get cooking on a proposal that would go down in history as superior even to the proposal in the movie The Proposal (which is not bad). And get cooking, they did. You could say this proposal started with a healthy dose of deception, but the whimsical kind akin to a surprise party rather than the sort that might portend a terribly precarious start to a marriage (whew). Matthew had “arranged” for a romantic dinner at an undisclosed restaurant to celebrate Kendall’s glowing success in her first semester in Pharmacy school. He informed her that the table was reserved for 6:15 on the evening of December 15th, and that she should wear her loveliest dress. Little did she know, there was no reservation, at least not the kind she expected. The night before the fictitious date, Matthew and his family got to work turning their house into a museum of the couple’s 5 years together. The little-printer-that-could made its way through more than 250 letter-size pictures. Couches were moved with reckless abandon. Fingers were coated with the residue of an unending litany of double-sided tape strips. Lights were strung and flowers were tossed around the back porch, but all this in the name of ceremony. Hours passed, and the Huntts had put the finishing touches on the first puzzle piece.

Meanwhile, 6.5 minutes down the road, the Andersons were busy with the second piece. You see, to get the best of both worlds, Matthew needed a proposal with both a personal moment and a gathering of close friends to boot. The clear solution necessitated a symbolic, multi-family effort. With Matthew’s house set as ground zero for the proposal, the Andersons’ house would serve as the landing spot for the after party, complete with food (remember, she still thinks she’s getting a free dinner out of this) and the requisite friends. The complicating factor, of course, was that Kendall’s house IS the Anderson’s house. Clearly, stealth would be crucial. The team set plans in motion to coordinate perfectly timed guest arrivals, food preparation, and party decoration, all right under Kendall's nose. - So, Matthew arrives at the Anderson house at 5:45 sharp to pick up his lovely date for the evening, looking radiant as ever. They talk briefly with Kendall’s parents — Matthew mentions that he has, regrettably, forgotten his watch — before leaving in Matthew’s car. He loads a faux-cation into his non-denominational mobile geographic navigation application and sets off on the highlighted route, which just so happens to pass right by the Huntts’ neighborhood. About 4 minutes in (remember, it’s a 6.5 minute drive), he receives a call from his mother. Kendall takes it on speakerphone. “Hey sweetie, I think you used my account when you made the reservation, so I’m getting the confirmation texts. It says to respond with ‘YES’ to confirm for 6:45. Is it okay if I send it?” Kendall is surprised, and he acts a little frustrated; the reservation is supposed to be for 6:15. They decide that, since they’ve got a half hour to kill, they can stop by Matthew’s house so that he can grab his watch. They pull into his driveway and hop out. While she walks to the door, he pulls out his phone and plays Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol, casting the audio to the house’s stereo.

What follows is no surprise. The two peruse through the memories of their lives together, ultimately leading to one of the sweetest moments that humans are allowed: a simple question, a simpler answer, and the promise of a lifetime to figure out the details. They dance around his moonlit back porch and, eventually, leave to share the news with Kendall’s parents—plus, surprise surprise, some of their closest friends. The night is filled with an unmistakable hope and excitement for what's next. - Looking back, there are a few things I might do a little differently given the chance, but I sure asked the right girl.