David and I met in high school, towards the beginning of my junior, his senior year. We started hanging out around Christmas break when his best man, Dakota, convinced him to finally ask me to tag along with them on a Friday night. A few months later is when it became *official*, two days later we went to Prom together🤗🤗

David and I took a lot of serious steps at a super young age, given that we met in high school and have been together ever since. We moved in together right around my 18th birthday, it made sense for him to advance with his job at the time, and it sure saved me a bunch of money not having to live on campass. We lived in our East Rochester apartment for almost two years before moving back home, then to our Victor townhome, South Carolina and back home.

Ah, Hawaii. We were looking forward to this vacation ever since Dakota told us he was going to be stationed there. We had a great time, the flights weren’t too bad, and it was a much needed break from the snow, ice, and cold. The first night we’re there, Dakota picks us up from the airport, we go to the hotel and grab some dinner. Of course I go to bed right after, 18 hours on a plane and in 4 different airports results in a long day! David and Dakota on the other hand, go out for some drinks, catch up, and for some reason, head to the beach at 1-2am. Who knows, they’re boys🤷🏻‍♀️. The next morning we learn Dakota had *not so classily* puked over the balcony, had his truck towed, and passed out on the floor. We get up, figure out where is truck is, take a cab there, only to learn that Dakota left his truck keys in his backpack in the hotel🙃. Thanks bud! David and I uber back to the hotel grab his key, uber back and FINALLY, have our first adventure day in Hawaii. We visit some beaches, check out the mall a little bit, yada yada. Eventually David and I make our way to some local stores, cute little restaurants, snorkeling, all while Dakota is working. When Dakota had time off we went to Hanauma Bay where David and Dakota went snorkeling for an hour or so, and I lay on the beach enjoying the sand, sun, and warm water. It was gorgeous, 10/10 recommend if you make it to Honolulu. The next day we go get tattoos, eventually making our way to the north shore of Oahu, and *just* making an amazing sunset over the water. One in a million views, my jaw couldn’t open anymore, it was just perfect. We head back to the hotel, its the final night, we figure out how we can pack all of our stuff in our suitcase, managing successfully, of course with an oversized suitcase charge🤷🏻‍♀️, and head for bed.

Aww, 12.3, I will never forget this day, Braelynn’s second birthday, and the day I got engaged, to my best friend, the love of my life, my person♥️. As usual, we get out of bed, get ready, load all of our stuff in Dakota’s truck, and hit the road. We went to Pearl Harbor this day. To say it was somber is an understatement. It was just, a feeling I don’t even know how to describe. There was a variety of people there, families, military families, to my confusion, Japanese even. We go through the video that tells you all about it, we take the boat ride out to the memorial, unable to actually go on it, renovations and such, but just driving past it, your heart just sinks to your stomach. Its so heartbreaking knowing happened right underneath you. We walk around the museum a bit, tour the property, see some boats, and head to the naval base for some lunch. After lunch we had an hour-ish, before we heas to the airport. Ala Moana Beach Park, where you DON’T go at night, we walk around, see the beach, look out at the ocean, and just walk in the water. It was so pretty, I wish we went there more than just once. We’re ready to head home, see our Bronco bud. We’re sitting there, waiting for the time to move forward, waiting to head home. Sitting on the edge of the beach, towards the road, I’m sitting there a little salty, I was waiting and waiting, and freakin’ waiting, “CAN I JUST HAVE THE RING ALREADY? I know you have it! Can I just marry you already?!” “How badly do you want to marry me, Linds?” “Well, considering I just asked you if I could marry you, I’d say PRETTY BAD, BABE.” We sit there going back and for “how bad,” “real bad,” until its about time to head to the airport. Im feeling defeated, but this little turdball, pulls the most perfect and shiny, and pretty right out of his pocket, and goes, “okay then will you marry me?”, and of course I tell him YESSSSSS!

At this point its time to head for the airport. So we get in the truck, I text Kate and my mom, and Send them a picture of my ring, alongside my new tattoo, and head for check in. Jump forward through the overnight flight, through Dallas, and Charlotte, we’re back in Rochester and I have never been so excited to see snow, and 390, and the thruway. It meant I was that much closer to BRONCO! Backing up, mom, Jack, and Grandma Betty met us at the airport and I was so nonchalantely trying to tell her (Grandma Betty) I was engaged, flailing my left hand, flaunting my right as much as I could, of course she didn’t notice at all😂, so mom tells her to look at my hand and grandma goes “😲 well congratulations lady!” And we go to the car, head home, and eat some tacos! David’s parents meet us there, so we tell them, and same thing, congratulations! We order the little sign for Bronco’s neck, get the picture, and sent out our announcements! Here we are, 222 days away from the wedding and our little family has grown by one and our life has been flipped upside down and back again.

David and I didnt really look at too many venues before we booked ours. We had been looking since we got back from Hawaii. We had very few factors that were important to us, having the dogs for the entire day was important, they are our family, they need to be there. As long as it fit the bill and we could have our dogs, we were happy! We asked around about the dogs before actually going to look at thr venues, if they weren’t allowed, it wasn’t worth our time🤷🏻‍♀️ Tom and Nancy Murray are the most accommodating venue we have come across in the history of EVER. And that is the story of how we chose our venue🙌🏼

Oh this is an interesting one. It was the middle of a snow storm, my mom and I went to a HORRIBLE bridal shop in Henrietta, 10/10 DON’T recommend. She kept giving me the same thing over and over again, I hated all of it. So we left, a few weeks later, we’re in Syracuse, at New York Bride and Co, where I find my dress. The consultant let me try on anything and everything that I was interested in, and I found THEE DRESS, and it was completely opposite of what I thought I was going to want! Every time we have gone back since then, I have tried on MY dress, not the stupid, worn out, used up sample, MY dress! And I have fallen in love with it every single time, over and over and over again🤍🤍