Storytime
Question
How did you meet?
Answer
In 2017, we met as coworkers. We were friendly but we were both in other relationships at the time. Tim left the company for a time, and then he came back in the spring of 2019. This time around we were both single! It only took a few days for Tim to ask Maddie out for a drink, and neither of us were expecting much more than a casual date. But in no time at all we both realized we had fallen pretty hard.
Question
What happened next?
Answer
By early 2020, Tim was already spending the majority of his time at Maddie's apartment. He officially became a resident (and cat-Dad) in February of that year with her son Jackson's blessing. The boys bonded and we all began to meld as a newly forged family. We immediately had to put our new relationship status to the test as we began lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we came out just as strong despite a difficult time of stress and personal loss.
Question
How did you propose?
Answer
We realized almost immediately that we were going to be a great fit and that we were in this relationship for the long term. We would often talk about getting married hypothetically, but Maddie was never really convinced it was necessary. Things were so good as they were, why mess it up? But after a year of ongoing pandemic, new jobs, the start of Jack's first school year, lots of stress, and the tragic loss of two beloved members of Tim's family, Maddie finally realized that she didn't want to "wait and see" anymore. On a weekend getaway to nearby Johnson City, at our first visit to Tim's favorite local brewery (that Maddie introduced him to on their first date), she gave him a card and matching leather bracelets with a secret Morse Code message. Luckily for her, the card popped the question without her having to speak, and the response was a swift "well, yeah!" Both of us having been married before, and a pandemic still a factor, we decided on an elopement in the spring of 2022.
Question
What about the wedding?
Answer
We scheduled the ceremony for Saturday evening of Memorial Day weekend, 2022. We woke up on Saturday morning like normal, and after lunch Maddie's sister Allie came over, and Tim went to her house to hang out with Allie's husband Jake. The boys drank some champagne while the girls (plus Jack) got ready. We met at Savage Garden located in Fountain City, and after Allie captured pics of Tim's first look at Maddie, we had a very short, simple, and sweet ceremony officiated by Maddie's pastor, Chris Buice. The photographer met us in the garden after the ceremony, and after some group shots Allie & Jake took Jack home with them for a slumber party. Tim and Maddie finished with a lovely photoshoot in the garden, and went home for some takeout and TV before crashing. We wrapped up the weekend with a long afternoon brunch with Allie and Jake. Now we're going to start hunting for a new house and will be planning a housewarming/reception as soon as we can manage!