It all began back in the glory days of college (#GoNoles!) during an infamous spring break adventure. Kerri and her bestie Ashley (yes, the Gator bestie—because opposites attract) were ready to escape campus and head home to soak up the sun in SoFlo. But first, a detour… Ashley’s cousins (a.k.a. “the boys from the tundra” — shoutout to the Upper Peninsula!) had a flight issue and ended up re-routing to Orlando. So, naturally, Kerri and Ashley took a road trip to pick them up. Let’s set the scene: five spring breakers, a very full Volkswagen Jetta, lots of luggage, and two guys over 6’3". Cozy, right? During that car ride, Kerri got her first introduction to Brad—one of the “rowdy UP boys.” There were laughs, a little chaos, and a whole lot of personality packed into that ride. Throughout the week, as the group spent spring break in South Florida, it was clear there was a spark between Kerri and Brad... but life timing wasn’t quite on their side just yet. Fast forward two years: Kerri and Brad kept in touch during college—some casual convos, the occasional flirty Snapchat, and memories of that spring break car ride. In the summer of 2014, Kerri and Ashley road-tripped all the way to the UP for a two-month adventure with the Orman fam. While Brad might’ve been a bit of a stinker (yes, we said it!) and was often “busy,” Kerri ended up bonding deeply with Ashley’s family—aka Brad’s family—before the two of them were even official. Then, plot twist! In August 2014, Brad moved to South Florida (to escape the cold—not for Kerri... allegedly). His cousins helped him settle into the SoFlo lifestyle, and sure enough, Kerri started “making appearances” again. Brad landed a role as the Assistant GM at the brand-new LA Fitness in Delray Beach and conveniently kept nudging Kerri to come sign up. (Subtle, Brad.) She finally did—passing multiple gyms on the way, just to see him. (Her mom was not thrilled about the extra miles.) Then came November 2014: UM vs. FSU in Miami. Kerri was tailgating, ready to head into the game with friends, but instead... she chose to go back to Boynton and watch it with Brad. And just like that, things took off. They started spending more and more time together—dates, movies, family get-togethers—and on December 19, 2014, Brad finally made it official: “So… will you be my girlfriend?” And now, just 11 short years later, here we are… getting married!
Brad & Kerri | St. Augustine, FL | December 21 Per usual, we all know Kerri does one too many things with her time. So when Brad kept bringing up how badly he wanted to go to St. Augustine to see Nights of Lights, her answer was a hard “I don’t have time.” And she meant it—Kerri had her life scheduled out months in advance and literally didn’t have a free weekend until after Christmas when they were set to leave for Michigan. Fast forward to the one weekend she finally agreed to go—December 21. Kerri was still trying to wiggle out of it, reminding Brad that she had to cancel two rehearsals she had scheduled for her dancers and miss two shows she’d committed to. But for Brad, she rearranged everything. The plan was simple: meet up with Brad’s cousin Ashley (who lives in Jax) and her husband for dinner and to see the lights. They’d stay at a friend’s (aka cousin’s) gorgeous beach house in St. Augustine. Easy, right? Well... it's the weekend before Christmas in North Florida. That means cold weather (like "Floridian cold"—think winter coats, headbands, boots, and hand warmers), and St. Augustine was packed. It took them over an hour just to get from the beach to downtown. Once they finally arrived and met up with the cousins, they tried to eat at a waterfront Mexican spot, but it had a two-hour wait. No biggie—they decided to walk around and look at the lights instead. Naturally, the group starts heading toward a quiet little museum for photos. Ashley and Kerri trail behind chatting, and when they catch up, the guys say, “Okay Brad and Kerri, you're up for a picture!” Kerri? Not having it. She responds, “No thank you, I’m good.” Everyone freezes. “Wait, what do you mean you’re good?” “I don’t need to be in a picture. If you want a photo of the lights, go for it, but I’m not cute right now,” she says—cold, bundled up, and very unimpressed. So, the group moves on, looking for a new spot, all while Kerri is still whispering to Brad, “No seriously, I don’t need a picture.” Brad insists. Kerri? Confused. Why did he need this picture? They finally find a new spot—much more crowded, which meant Brad's nerves were off the charts. He kept waiting for people to pass by so they could get the perfect picture. Meanwhile, he tries to casually say, “Kerri, take off your jacket—you might feel better about the photo.” “But I’m FREEZING,” she snaps back. (Valid.) Picture finally happens. Ashley, being the photo queen, calls Kerri over to “check the photo” on her phone. As Kerri’s analyzing the shot, freaking out about her hair looking puffy under the headband (how could Ashley not fix it?!), Ashley is quickly switching the phone to video mode… Because Brad is getting down on one knee behind her. 😱 Kerri is still mid-hair crisis when she finally glances over and sees Brad. “HUH? Wait, what’s going on??” she says, frozen like a statue. Meanwhile, Brad is still on one knee, waiting. The longest 30 seconds of his life. Kerri? Still not moving… but still fixing her hair. And then—OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG. It clicked. It happened. Sparkle. Shock. Screaming. Happy tears. All of it. What made it even more fun? No one knew. Literally no one—except the parents. So the phone calls after were priceless. The reactions, the screams, the joy. It was everything. And that’s how it all went down. Freezing cold, slightly dramatic, completely unforgettable, and 100% so them.