Hey there, wedding crashers! Just kidding, you're totally invited.

We met on a dating app—you know, one of those digital matchmaking roulette wheels. After spinning through a lineup of "perfect matches" that were anything but, I finally hit the jackpot. Turns out, they can get it right...eventually. We started with app messages, then graduated to texting until our thumbs basically staged a rebellion. From there, it was late-night phone calls after work, where we’d chat until one of us started snoring (not naming names). Finally, we decided it was time to meet in person. We had planned a date but someone couldn’t wait. So, we ended up meeting a day early—because waiting another 24 hours was clearly unbearable for him. And if one date wasn’t enough, we doubled down the next evening at the Rocky Mount Mills Pondapalooza. Two dates in two days—either I’m irresistible, or he didn’t know what to do with his weekends! From the very first moment, our conversations clicked like we were old pals who'd known each other since recess and could chat forever without running out of things to say—or losing interest. Our debut texting topic? Pasta. Classic. And if you know Brian, you know his love for spaghetti is practically legendary. Our first date took place at Barley and Burger in Rocky Mount on May 19, 2023. I'll admit, I was a bundle of nerves walking in, but as soon as I saw him, poof—nerves gone. It didn’t even feel like a first date; it was more like catching up with an old friend who just happens to be ridiculously charming and fun. Pretty early on, it was clear this was no ordinary relationship. We’ve often marveled throughout our dating and engagement at just how easy and natural it feels to be together. We're always at our happiest simply spending time with each other. At the heart of it all, we really are best friends first—and that’s the secret sauce (pun intended).

When we first met, we both shared a deep desire to build a relationship centered on Christ. After about a year of dating, it became clear that we were moving toward marriage. At that point, we began meeting with our wise and gracious friends for pre-engagement counseling. Our goal was to discern whether we were ready—and meant—to transform our friendship and love into a lifelong commitment, grounded in faith and witnessed by our loved ones. Both of us have endured brokenness in our pasts. This fallen world has not always been kind, yet our Lord has been exceedingly merciful. Together, we have worked hard to heal wounds we never should have had to bear. Through it all, we’ve come to hold tightly to the truth that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and for His glory. He has redeemed our stories—drawing us to Himself as His beloved children and, in His perfect timing, to one another. For this, we are overwhelmingly thankful. Humbled by His love and grateful for His grace and mercy, we know we could never deserve or repay the kindness He has shown us. Over the course of seven or eight months, our counseling sessions covered everything from faith to marriage expectations. We explored what a Christ-centered marriage could look like and worked through challenges, including differences in communication, desires, and past experiences. These hurdles offered opportunities to heal and grow alongside one another. While we faced struggles at times, we trusted that God was refining us—both as individuals and as a couple. That year brought spiritual growth beyond what we had imagined. Now, as we plan a special and intimate wedding day to honor our Lord and celebrate with those we cherish most, we remain mindful of the importance of growing in our relationship with God as we deepen our relationship with each other. Continuing our counseling, we ask for your prayers—that this season of pre-marital preparation would bear fruit and equip us for a life of serving Jesus together, wherever He may lead us. If you are here, know that we treasure your presence and the role you’ve played in our individual lives and shared journey. We invited those who have encouraged us, prayed with and for us, pointed us toward Christ, and loved us through life’s highs and lows. We are so thankful for each of you and look forward to celebrating this union together!

For weeks prior to the big day, I suspected he was preparing to propose. Shhh, it's our secret. He unintentionally dropped little hints here and there, although he was telling me the opposite. Brian knew he wanted to propose on Christmas Day and was sweating it out waiting for the jeweler to tell him the ring was finally in and ready to pick up. It wasn't until the day before Christmas (yes, Christmas Eve) that he got that call. He got off work and raced to Rocky Mount before they closed so he could propose the next day! Talk about the perfect timing of an answered prayer! We spent Christmas morning together, just us and Lucy, with homemade cinnamon rolls, bacon and coffee. Lots of coffee! We opened our stockings while the cinnamon rolls baked in the oven and filled the house with the smell of deliciousness. I thought it'd be in my stocking - but, nope. We devoured our breakfast and then went back to open gifts. Each gift I opened, I thought the next one would contain a ring. Again, nope. I opened each one with a little bit of caution and controlled excitement but alas no ring in any package. As I opened the last one, I thought to myself that I had read the clues wrong, and it wasn't happening; that he wasn't trying to throw me off by saying it wasn't going to happen for a while. When I began to open the last gift, an ornament fell off a branch on the back of the tree. Brian suggests we look for the ornament and hang it back up. It wasn't a big deal so I lingered for a while with the last gift, looking over it and thankful for how sweet he was to remember things I had mention MONTHS ago, just in passing, that I would like or need. He insisted that we look for the ornament and again I kind of dilly dallied with the gifts and talked about how much I loved each one. Again, he insists we make sure the ornament was ok. Ugh, fine, I'll look. Funny side note, throughout the morning, Brian kept saying how warm he was and at one point while opening gifts he said he had to go change his clothes because he was getting too hot. I did not even notice that he came back to the living room with MORE clothes on than he left with. He was sitting there sweating in a robe because his pants didn't have pockets! Ok, back to THE moment - We both got up to look and I leaned in to look behind the tree. I turn back to look at him to tell him it wasn't one of the "important" or keepsake ornaments and I see he's kneeling on the floor holding a box he pulled from the pocket of his robe. He said some sweet words, I said yes, we both cried (just a little), and then it dawned on me, and I asked - how in the world did he make that ornament fall like that? I was seriously convinced for a moment that he rigged that ornament to fall when it did, but Brian says God just helped him out with the timing! He knew he wanted to propose on Christmas but was nervous about how and when to do it, so he was looking for the "right" time all morning. It was perfect and God's timing is always the right timing!! We can count on that. And thankful for it.

After the wedding and hopefully a quiet, relaxing and special honeymoon on an island somewhere in the Caribbean, we plan to make my current home in Rocky Mount OUR home until we're ready to find something together. We hope to stay close to our Redeemer church family that has meant so much to me personally for nearly 12 years and us as a couple for the past two years, but we also know the Lord will provide anywhere we are. We are looking forward to just doing daily life together, from the mundane to the special moments. We are looking forward to ways we can serve the church together. As an older couple, we know some of the typical future plans following marriage won't necessarily occur for us. And that's ok. The Lord has done a good work in both of us, through the years of my singleness and Brian's prior marriage, and through the two years we've been together. He continues to do a good work in us as we come together as one in December, hopefully with even more wisdom and trust in His plans for us.